WHY was anyone ever worried about whether Lancaster City would qualify for the new Conference North league next season?

A competent, if uninspiring, 2-0 win at Bradford rounded off what has eventually become a successful season for the Giant Axe men.

Two goals in a second half purple patch gave the Dolly Blues the edge over an experimental young Park Avenue side to secure eighth place in the final league table.

That has to be seen as relative security when considering the side's disastrous start to the season - a period that saw City without a win and rock bottom of the Unibond Premier Division throughout a dreadful August and September.

The few City fans who made the journey across the Pennines saw City looking anything but the finished article against enthusiastic but limited opponents at Bradford, though.

Paul Haddow, in the starting line-up in place of the suspended Ricky Mercer, had City's only effort on target in the opening 45 minutes - though it was one more than Kevin Welsby had to field in the Lancaster goal.

Manager Phil Wilson was obviously just as disappointed and must have had some harsh words for his side at the break, for it was a different team that emerged for the second half.

It took just nine minutes for Peter Thomson to break the deadlock, albeit with a slice of good fortune going Lancaster's way.

Defender Carl Serrant seemed to be in little trouble as he cleared the ball but Tony Sullivan had other ideas. He charged down the kick and it fell sweetly for Thomson to pick his spot out of the reach of keeper Andy Britton.

City sealed the points seven minutes later when substitute Neil Uberschar, just on the field for Sullivan, sent in a deep cross from the left and gave Steve Jones an easy chance to poke the ball into the net from close range at the far post.

It could easily have got better for City as the spirit visibly drained from Bradford's young charges - for both Farrell Kilbane and Thomson should have added to the tally with gilt-edged chances and then, two minutes from time, Britton pulled off a fine save to deny Neil Prince.

CITY: Welsby, Clark, Scott, Kilbane, Haddow (Dawes 75), Sparrow, Bauress, Sullivan (Uberschar 59), Jones, Thomson, Prince.