Game Summary: Omar Daley was sent off as a chilly Yorkshire derby finished all square at Millmoor. Barry Conlon should have given City the lead in the first half but they went in front within two minutes of the re-start with Joe Colbeck's fourth goal of the season. The winger slipped the ball inside to Tom Penford and then raced on to his flighted return to drill home off the inside of the far post. And they should have gone 2-0 up after 62 minutes. But Kyle Nix somehow managed to stab the ball straight at keeper Andy Warrington from three yards out with the goal at his mercy. Rotherham seized on that let-off and were level soon after. The home side, playing their first game since being docked ten points for going into administration, tried to make their extra man advantage count in the closing stages. Mark Hudson went close with a volley in stoppage time but City hung on to protect their point. */* Next game(s) : ****************************** A bit of City humour... http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/ 2007/2008 fixtures now out FL2 Table Table Must be a midlife crises - I'm on facebook ! ****************************** ****************************** Match Video and Picture Links ****************************** Highlights (UK only) Virgin Media ****************************** Match Stats ****************************** Rotherham: Warrington, Tonge (Taylor 83), Mills, Coughlan, Joseph, Yates (Green 67), Danny Harrison, Hudson, Peter Holmes, O'Grady, Derek Holmes (Newsham 61). Booked: Mills. Goals: O'Grady 65. Bradford: Loach, Williams (Starosta 90), Wetherall, Bower, Heckingbottom, Colbeck, Johnson, Penford, Nix, Daley, Conlon (Thorne 83). Sent Off: Daley (71). Goals: Colbeck 48. Att: 4,157 Ref: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk). Game Statistics Millers / Bantams ****************************** BCFC Report (from the T&A ) ****************************** City defiant after Daley dismissal Sequels are never the same. Just think of Jaws 4, High School Musical 2, Police Academy 7... None of them were a patch on the original. Last month's pulsating cracker at Valley Parade was always going to be an impossible act to follow but City left snowy/sunny/windy south Yorkshire (all four seasons of weather was crammed into 90 minutes) knowing they had done a decent job. All right, it wasn't three points - which it could and would have been if Kyle Nix had not contrived to somehow miss from three yards - but they had at least made a point following their manager's rollicking after last week's miserable effort against Mansfield. For one game, at least, the players were back in Stuart McCall's good books. Let's hope that it is still the case come 5pm today. On the afternoon nominated by the fans to celebrate David Wetherall's contribution to the cause, City rolled up their sleeves and battled in the manner we have come to expect from the skipper. None more so than for the final 20 minutes, when they were down to ten men after Omar Daley was given his marching orders. It was hard to see what exactly took place between the Jamaican and Rotherham centre half Graham Coughlan. Even McCall, just a few yards from the incident in the away dugout, did his best Arsene Wenger impression and said he was oblivious. Coughlan cleared a ball as Daley went into the challenge and ended up on the floor. There was a brief melee as players from both sides converged on the scene, before referee Mike Thorpe pulled out a red card. After a string of sub-par displays, Daley had looked up for it in a strike role alongside Barry Conlon, with his pace causing the Millers backline a real problem. That made his early exit even more frustrating. But at least this time there was no late Rotherham winner to leave City empty-handed. That would have been harsh on a side showing four changes from Mansfield. In an ideal world, McCall would have been tempted to replace the lot of them but, with one eye on today's Chesterfield clash, he shuffled it about to give a chance to the likes of Tom Penford and long-term absentee Mark Bower. They both rewarded him with real commitment; Penford, in particular, catching the eye with his roving runs from box to box in centre midfield. It is games like this which remind you what a talent he can be. It's just a pity that we have been given such fleeting glimpses down the years. Penford's partnership with Eddie Johnson certainly enjoyed the upper hand on their Rotherham counterparts - and the 23-year-old was at the heart of City's goal. Joe Colbeck, a lively and bright presence on the right flank, slipped the ball inside to Penford and then bombed towards the box. The flighted return pass was right on the button and Colbeck needed only one touch to steady himself before shooting across keeper Andy Warrington and in off the far post. It was Colbeck's fourth City goal of the campaign and sixth overall. Now it is surely time that he breaks his duck at home. What made it ten times worse for the Rotherham faithful was that their own right winger Jamie Yates had been in an identical situation in the first half but he mistakenly went for the near post and simply dragged his shot into the side-netting. Team-mate Derek Holmes, unmarked six yards out, was particularly unimpressed as he stood there pleading for a pass. That was one of two big chances in the opening 45 minutes; the other fell to Barry Conlon. When Penford's blocked shot squirted to him by the penalty spot, Conlon should have been celebrating his third goal in as many games. Rotherham froze for offside, which gave the Irishman time to take aim, but Warrington made a decent block and the opportunity was gone. Conlon led the line well and his hold-up play was good all afternoon but once again his finishing was called into question. Having enjoyed the bulk of the first-half possession without creating too much else, you feared that City might live to regret it - but within two minutes of the restart, Colbeck was galloping inside left back Marc Joseph and the deadlock had been broken. The game opened up as Scott Loach beat away Chris O'Grady's low effort, then Daley's quick feet worked space to test Warrington at the other end. But City, again backed by a noisy away following, had their tails up and, while Rotherham rocked, they should have delivered a knock-out blow. Nix found Daley and then set off for the six-yard box to take the low cross that the winger drilled in. Warrington was on the floor as the goal loomed large but Nix unbelievably slid the ball parallel with the goalline and straight into the keeper's grateful grasp. It was a miss just as embarrassing as Peter Thorne's in the first encounter between the sides and the scorn poured down from the home fans behind that goal. It must have been even more painful for Nix, who grew up and still lives around the Rotherham area. His punishment was doubled when Rotherham inevitably hit back with an equaliser two minutes later. It was a poor goal to concede. Joseph's free-kick just over the halfway line caught the gusty wind and drifted on into the City box, where O'Grady slipped in behind Bower to stab home from close range. It should have been the keeper's ball and Loach was quick to apologise to his frustrated defence. Both sides were going for a winner and City could have been back in front from their next attack. Again it was Nix cutting into range but his shot with his unfavoured right foot carried over the bar. Then Daley was sent off and City had to resort to plan B, ensuring they held on to what they had. Bower was running on empty but kept getting his head on every high ball; Wetherall stood strong alongside him; the full backs timed their tackles well and made sure Rotherham did not get round the side. Paul Heckingbottom produced a great smothering tackle as Coughlan prepared to pull the trigger and Joseph's delicate chip cleared the bar. But it had been much better from City. Then again, it usually is away from home. Over to you at Valley Parade! ****************************** Opposition Report ****************************** Official match report n/a Misc. Report(s) ****************************** Post match reaction ****************************** All change for Bantams Willy Topp will make his first start for seven games this afternoon as Stuart McCall again rings the City changes. The Chilean, still looking to open his scoring account, is likely to partner Peter Thorne up front against Chesterfield. McCall was pleased with his side's battling display which earned a point at Rotherham on Saturday but he had already told the squad there will be different faces on duty at Valley Parade with two matches in the space of three days. Alex Rhodes could also come back into midfield but McCall has some thinking to do at the back. On-loan Fulham centre half TJ Moncur missed Millmoor through personal reasons and it is doubtful he will be in the right frame of mind to play. Mark Bower, who made his first appearance for three months in south Yorkshire, may struggle to play again so quickly. Darren Williams was in for treatment yesterday for a bang on the calf and is another doubt. McCall said: "We can freshen the team up middle to front but we are struggling a bit defensively. We've got a few knocks and it's tough but that's the same for every team playing back-to-back games. "The boys worked ever so hard on Saturday. They realised they let everyone down last week against Mansfield and gave the right response. "I sensed there was a steely determination in the dressing room and they carried that out for the 90 minutes on the pitch. "We more than matched a good Rotherham side and could have come away with more. "Now we need to do that for the rest of the season. It's no good battling like that and then not performing properly today - we need to back it up, as we've been saying all season." Omar Daley, who flew off to Jamaica on international duty yesterday, begins a three-match ban after his Rotherham dismissal. The winger was shown a straight red for a clash with home defender Graham Coughlan. Rotherham boss Mark Robins claimed Daley kicked Coughlan while he was on the ground. McCall will review the video before deciding what punishment to dish out. He admitted: "It happened right near to me but whether I was turning round to make a substitution or telling somebody to warm up, I just didn't see a thing. "Omar says it was a tangle and their boy put his knee up. But speaking to their lad after the game, he was saying Omar had been stupid." But City will not have to face Chesterfield danger man Jack Lester. The prolific former Nottingham Forest striker, who McCall rates the best in the division, badly broke his nose in their 4-2 comeback win over Accrington and could be out for three weeks. ****************************** Other reports ****************************** BRADFORD CITY: Conlon admits fans deserve better By Daniel Houlker The Bantams have had an indifferent season since their relegation to Coca-Cola League Two and currently lie in 13th spot, 10 points adrift of the play-off places. With City failing to string together a solid run of results, and recent home defeats coming at the hands of Dagenham and Redbridge and most recently Mansfield, Conlon says his side now owe it to the fans to start delivering. He said: "I'm disappointed and so are all the lads. "We let ourselves down in the game against Mansfield and it's hard on the fans when we perform like that. "Our home form has been inconsistent all season and the fans deserve a lot better." Conlon also went on to praise the fans for their support this season. "The fans have been brilliant all season, not only at home, but at away games too," he added. Having taken just three points out of a possible 15 in their last five home games, City fans have been left worried that the season could well fall short of the play-off mark. Conlon made the short trip north to make Bradford his 12th career club from Mansfield last summer on a one-year contract. Having had a mixed start to his career at Bradford, the powerful Irish striker has found the net twice in as many games, taking his tally to six for the season. And Conlon said the players remained optimistic about the upcoming games. "We don't feel any pressure," he said. "We'll get ourselves back up after the Mansfield game. "We've got a good bunch of lads here and we've had a good week in training. "We are all confident in our ability and always go into games believing we can beat anyone." The Bantams still have hopes of making the play-offs this season. Despite languishing those 10 points off the pace, City have two games in hand on many of the fellow hopefuls around them. With nine of the last 10 games being against teams above themselves, City have the chance to take points off fellow promotion- chasers. Though Conlon refuses to be drawn into the possibility of cementing a play-off place. City will just try to win every game and see where it gets them. He said: "We need to get more consistent. You're only as good as your last game. "We're just taking one game at a time and hopefully we can string a good run of results together." ****************************** L2 Round up ****************************** ****************************** CFML – City Forward! Mailing List “All the news and none of the views” Since February 1997 ******************************
Subs Not Used: Cann, Ross.
Subs Not Used: Evans, Rhodes, Topp.
18 Goal Attempts 14
10 On Target 10
27 Crosses 14
7 Corners 2
3 Offside 5
12 Fouls 10
1 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 1
53 % 47
By Simon Parker
Rotherham 1, City 1
By Simon Parker
Yorkshire Post
Bradford City striker Barry Conlon admits the fans deserve better than the inconsistent performances they have been served up recently.
Monday, March 24, 2008
L2 Mar 22nd (a) D1-1 v Rotherham United
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