DARLINGTON maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season with a 1-0 win over Bradford City at the New Stadium last night.

But it was a sickening second-half injury to Quakers defender Alan Harrison which marred the encounter.

The full-back was stretchered off with a suspected broken ankle after an accidental clash with teammate Joe Kendrick, just 20 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute.

Harrison has been on trial at the New Stadium and the injury will come as a major personal blow to the player, who has been looking for a club following his release by Middlesbrough.

A disappointing crowd of 1,106 watched Argentinean trialist Sebastien Ferrero claim the only goal of the game.

Ferrero was on of eight trialists involved as his 76th-minute strike proved decisive against a strong Bradford side which included recent Quakers target and former Middlesbrough striker Dean Windass.

In a lacklustre first half, Portuguese trialist Joaquim Ferraz came closest to scoring when he blazed over the cross-bar from close range in the 18th minute, before driving over from 25 yards with half-time approaching.

The second half was just seconds old when Harrison went down clutching his ankle after clashing with Kendrick.

When play finally resumed it was Kendrick, a recent signing from 1860 Munich, who provided Quakers' biggest threat.

But it was the ever-alert Mark Convery Quakers had to thank for their winner 14 minutes from time. After dispossessing former Sunderland defender Darren Holloway on the by-line, Convery crossed low for Ferrero, who tapped in from close range.

Last night's fixture brought together two sides whose on-the-field aspirations have been plagued by administration and the threat of extinction.

And while Quakers ended months of uncertainty in the wake of Sterling's takeover at the end of May, City's future will be decided in the coming week's.

Relegated City hope to come out of administration in September if a Company Voluntary Agreement is approved by the club's creditors. But before that can happen the Football League is seeking assurances that, should the CVA fail, the Bantams are still in a position to fulfill next season's fixtures. City are due to open their League One campaign at Hartlepool.

DARLINGTON (first half): Russell, Valentine, Clarke, Hutchinson, Liddle, Close, Thomas, Clark, Byrne, Ferraz, Russell.

DARLINGTON (second half): Russell (Price 59min), Kendrick, Harrison (Hughes 46min, Domeque 62min), Fleming, Convery, Maddison, Wainwright, Keltie, Chima, Viera, Ferrero.

BRADFORD CITY: Westwood, Holloway, Jacobs, Crooks (Kearney 57min), Wetherall (Atherton 57min), Bower, Summerbee (Muirhead 57min), Penford, Sanasy (Symes 45min), Windass, Emanuel Subs: Richardson, Benthem, Swift, Flynn.

Read more about the Quakers here.