Full-time: Gillingham 3-1 Bradford City

Parkinson’s Bantams have long been tipped as promotion candidates from League Two, but they did not get off to an ideal start.

They went into the half-time break trailing 1-0 after Danny Kedwell gave the Gills a 43rd-minute lead.

And Kedwell doubled the Gills’ lead on 54 minutes from the penalty spot.

But Bradford’s Nekhi Wells gave the Bantams hope with a goal in the 64th minute.

Any hopes of a comeback, however, were quashed when Myles Weston sealed the points for Gillingham with a third goal in the 88th minute.

Parkinson said: “I’m frustrated at the defeat but I do feel there are more positives than negatives from this performance.”

Gillingham: Nelson, Flanagan, Frampton, Fish, Martin, Lee, Montrose, Allen, Jackman, Burton, Kedwell. Subs: Forecast, Tayne, Strevens, Davies, Dack, Weston, Barrett.

Bradford: Duke, Oliver, Meredith, Darby, Reid, Thompson, Atkinson, Gary Jones, McArdle, Connell, Hanson. Subs: McLaughlin, Davies, Hannah, McHugh, Hines, Wells, Doyle.

Referee: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire)

For the full report and reaction read Sports Monday free inside the Yorkshire Post.