Huddersfield Town’s youthful side lifted the Yorkshire Rose Cup after a 2-0 victory at the Horsfall Stadium.
The first opportunity of the half fell to Jamie Spencer, who stooped to meet Ryan Toulson’s cross but headed over the crossbar.
Ben McKenna was a thorn in Huddersfield’s side throughout and began causing problems within the first five minutes. He burst past Mason O’Malley with explosive pace but saw his low-drilled cross steered away from danger by Romoney Crichlow-Noble.
However, it was the visitors that broke the deadlock when Tom Bell struck from long-range and found the top corner despite watching Steven Drench get a fingertip to it.
Spencer had another opportunity to convert with his head when Nicky Wroe’s in-swinging cross found the young midfielder, but his effort flew over the crossbar and his blushes were spared with the raising of the offside flag.
McKenna combined well with Bradford’s trialist forward to release Toulson down the right wing, but the defender’s low drive was fired narrowly wide of the post.
The Terriers had a golden opportunity to double their lead when Aaron Rowe squared to Jordy Hiwula, but the first-team forward couldn’t find the target with his strike.
Spencer lifted a cross into the box from the right that appeared dangerous but eluded the head of an on-rushing Danny Boshell.
Hiwula found himself in a similar situation to when the earlier chance was presented to him, but blasted into the clutches of Drench from the left-hand side of the box.
HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Bradford introduced another trialist after the break and his first touch of the ball saw him blast over the crossbar from close-range after the ball fell kindly in the box.
The miss was followed up by a second opportunity shortly after, as Wroe’s corner delivery found Luca Havern in the box. The defender’s header, however, flew narrowly over the woodwork.
McKenna then found a trialist on the left flank with an inch-perfect pass, but the latter’s effort was blocked after he cut-in and darted into the box.
Chris Dawson then threaded through to McKenna, who forced Gabriel Rosario to make an excellent save as pressure began to mount on the visitors.
The Terriers did remain in contention despite the pressure and almost doubled their advantage when Olly Dyson burst through the Bradford midfield and forced the goalkeeper to palm wide of the post.
Dawson found more space in forward positions in the second-half and did so in the 75th minute but rifled wide of the post from the edge of the box.
Huddersfield had a flurry of opportunities late on but failed to convert any, and were let off the hook when O’Malley blocked a Ross Boyle cross that looked destined to find Jordan Botwood.
The visitors doubled their lead in stoppage time as Scott High converted a penalty that was won by Kit Elliott.
FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-2 Huddersfield Town
Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench (Trialist 45′), Toulson (Boyle 87′), Lowe (Ridley 78′), Wroe, Branson, Havern, McKenna, Boshell (Trialist 45′), Trialist (Nowakowski 61′), Dawson (Rowntree 78′), Spencer (Botwood 87′).
Huddersfield Town: Rosario, Jackson, O’Malley, Gibson, Crichlow-Noble, High, Dyson, Bell, Obiero, Rowe, Hiwula.
Substitutes: Spratt, Davison-Hale, Eli, Bamford, Raymond, Danaher, Elliott.
Referee: Elliott Swallow
