CITY 1 STOKE under-23 0

IT MUST have been a particularly gripping episode of Emmerdale last night.

Or maybe the population of Bradford just had the urge to mow their lawns, wash their hair or simply watch the paint on the walls dry.

Because not many bothered to check in to the Checkatrade Trophy, the latest “make it up as you go along” reincarnation of the ugly duckling of knock-out tournaments.

Early attendances are traditionally poor but this time even more so for the dubious privilege of watching Stoke’s possible stars of tomorrow.

The 1,444 crowd figure was not a record – but there can't have been many lower at Valley Parade since 1,249 watched an end-of-season visit from Hereford in 1981. The 99 from Stoke even attempted one chorus of Delilah, which came out more as a duet.

Many fans will have given it a wide berth in solidarity of the protest group Against League Three, who were urging a boycott at what they fear is the thin end of the wedge to forcing top-flight B teams into the Football League pyramid.

League head honcho Shaun Harvey may have gone on the charm offensive trying to deny this but there remains a distinct mistrust from fans in general.

The new name sponsors are equally touchy – with the official Checkatrade Twitter feed berating one complaining fan to argue: “Does that mean you will not be supporting YOUR club.”

At 30, Charlie Adam looked like the dad dancer trying to be down with the youth in Stoke’s line-up of wannabes. The only other with first-team experience was Spanish defender Marc Muniesa, who had played in the EFL Cup against Stevenage.

A couple of the travelling youngsters had even taken pictures of the stadium on their mobiles beforehand. One wag suggested teacher should have taken their phones off them first.

The numbers of Stoke’s five subs came to a combined 349 – indicating just how close they are to Mark Hughes’s plans right now.

Stuart McCall has taken a detached view to all the shenanigans over the competition’s controversial makeover. But he used the opportunity of a glorified reserve game to give Stephen Darby his first outing of the season.

The City skipper played 79 minutes in a side which met the criteria of five first-teamers from the previous game, meaning McCall will not have to fish out another £5,000 fine like an earlier excursion into the Trophy.

McCall decided to watch the game from the top of the press box – and will have been pretty impressed with what he saw.

Timothee Dieng’s header broke the deadlock seven minutes from the end of an entertaining opening period, glancing home from Reece Webb-Foster’s well-struck free-kick.

City’s injury jinx had just struck again with Vincent Rabiega hobbling off with an impact injury.

But the real stand-out performance came from keeper Rouven Sattelmaier on his debut.

I’m not sure the Checkatrade Trophy will cause many ripples back in his native Germany but the stopper chose the opportunity to showcase his agility with a string of saves.

Having frustrated Julien Ngoy’s 40-yard burst with a feet-first block, it then became a personal duel between Sattelmaier and the free-shooting Adam – who tried his luck from all ranges.

But the pick of his saves was a stretching tip-over from Belgian Thibaud Verlinden’s curler.

With Darby safely negotiating his first action of the season, those fans who had made the effort to turn up also caught a glimpse of Matt Kilgallon in City colours for the second half.

But it was the younger end of the side catching the eye, certainly second-year apprentice Ellis Hudson on the left wing.

The former Bingley Grammar School pupil, who had replaced Rabiega, looked full of confidence as he ran with the ball – and also tracked back with a cracking recovery tackle on Johnville Renee-Pringle in his own penalty area.

Darby got in on the act with a weaving run deep into Stoke territory. But Jordy Hiwula spoiled it by failing to make contact with Nathaniel Knight-Percival’s low cross into the goal mouth.

Stoke had to play the last 15 minutes with ten men after skipper Lewis Banks, who had been walking a tight rope, was shown a second yellow for dragging down Hudson.

Darby went off voluntarily four minutes later to even up the numbers but City finished on the front foot.

In this tournament’s supposed drive to promote young English talent, the eye-catching performances had come from those rookies in home shirts.

CITY: Sattelmaier 8; Darby 7, Dieng 7, Knight-Percival 7, Meredith 6 (Kilgallon 46min, 6); Morais 7 (Windle 73min), Boateng 7, Devine 7, Rabiega 6 (Hudson 33min, 8); Webb-Foster 7, Hiwula 6. Subs (not used): Payne, Doyle.

STOKE: Isted 6; Banks 5, Muniesa 6, Renee-Pringle 6 (T Edwards 89min), L Edwards 6; Adam 6, Lecygne 6; Verlinden 7, Shenton 7, Taylor 6; Ngoy 6. Subs (not used): Sweeney, Molina, Greenidge, Deczki.