Darlo's hard work brought no reward as they went down by a single goal at Valley Parade.

Quakers' second half was better than their first, as they managed to get the ball down and cause problems for the Bradford defence, but they couldn't get the vital breakthrough to earn a deserved point.

They nearly snatched an early lead, when Tadhg Purcell's shot from ten yards out was blocked by a defender, and some of the approach play caused one or two nervous moments for the Bradford defence.

However, the home side's tactic of launching the ball forward quickly, particularly down their right, gave Quakers something to think about, and they nearly took the lead after 15 minutes when a free kick by Rob Threlfall - who turned down a loan move to Darlo in October - -was headed wide by Mark McCammon, whom City had signed on loan from Gillingham on Friday.

City took the lead on 27 minutes, when Gareth Evans, who'd made a couple of good runs earlier in the game, crossed from the right for James Hanson to come steaming in and head into the roof of the net.

And Hanson nearly got another five minutes later, with a right foot volley from another Evans cross that was saved by Shane Redmond.

After Mor Diop was booked for showing dissent when the referee harshly penalised him for handball, he got around the back of the City defence on the right and fired across the face of goal.

Darlo boss Steve Staunton was forced to make a change two minutes into the second half, taking off defender Richie Byrne, who seemed to have a niggling injury, and replacing him with Alan White.

Darlo gained in confidence as the game went on, and they were able to probe the City defence with balls down both wings, and that tactic nearly worked on 56 minutes when Gary Dempsey found Josh Gray breaking into the box with a delightful through ball, but Gray's left foot effort was pushed around the post by City keeper Matt Glennon.

Then Purcell's high ball into the middle caused confusion, and as the ball invitingly dropped on the six yard line, Simon Madden and Mor Diop got in each other's way as they tried to take advantage.

Glennon pulled off another good save low down from a 30 yard volley by Dempsey, then late on Purcell's header was stopped by the keeper.

City didn't attack as much in the second half as they did in the first. Redmond made a good block to stop Evans from scoring the second, and sub Michael Boulding put a diving header wide from a left wing cross.

From a Darlo point of view, again it was a good enough performance to earn a point.