QUAKERS went down but not out in a rain-drenched Worthington Cup tie against Premiership side Bradford City on Tuesday.

As pleasing as the home side's battling display in a narrow 1-0 defeat was the way the much-maligned Feethams pitch - re-laid in the summer - stood up to the atrocious weather. The Bantams' manager, Chris Hutchings, praised the surface after the game.

The decisive goal came in first-half stoppage time when City's Lee Sharpe got behind Adam Reed and crossed for Gareth Whalley to neatly sidefoot home.

If Quakers' full-back Paul Heckingbottom had shown similar composure in front of goal a few minutes earlier it might have been a different story. His dribble and one-two with Paul Campbell left him clear in the box, but his weak shot was saved.

That was Quakers' best chance, although the City defence had to be alert after the break to deal with several dangerous crosses, and right at the death Lee Nogan's looping header bounced off the bar.

At the other end, Andy Collett twice denied Ashley Ward with point-blank saves from firm headers.

The second leg at Valley Parade is on Monday night.

In the league on Saturday, Quakers got back to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Barnet.

The goal came after ten minutes when a Nogan through ball found Campbell, and the youngster beat a defender and rounded the keeper to score a well-taken goal.

Tonight, Quakers are in front of the TV cameras again when their match at Macclesfield Town is shown live on Sky.

l Quakers' chairman George Reynolds wants manager Gary Bennett to give a trial to 18-year-old Anthony Parry of Murton. The teenager was sacked by Newcastle United last year when he failed a random drugs test, but has since battled to defeat an addiction to heroin.

He would have to overturn a life FA ban to take up Darlington's offer