Game Summary:
End of season games between middling sides can be curious affairs.
Some can be played out with all the ferocity of a beach kick-about on the holidays the players are all starting to plan.
Others can serve up an entertainment free-for-all as both sides cast off any inhibitions caused by the league table.
But Griffin Park on Saturday decided to host its own private goal-of-the-month contest.
As the first-half goals went flying in, there seemed to be an air of "anything you can do...". Each spectacular effort was trumped by the next.
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A bit of City humour... http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
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Must be a midlife crises - I'm on facebook !
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Highlights (UK only) Virgin Media
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Match Stats
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Brentford: Brown, Pead, Bennett, Heywood, Dickson, Poole, O'Connor, Smith, Brown (Shakes, 82 mins), Elder, Connell. Unused substitutes: Hamer, Osborne, Sankofa, Mousinho.
Goals Poole 6, Bennett 26
Bradford City: Loach, Williams, Wetherall, Bower, O'Brien, Rhodes (Medley, 82 mins), Colbeck, Penfold (Bentham, 68 mins), Nix (Daley, 68 mins), Thorne, Johnson. Unused substitutes: Saynor, Starosta.
Goals: Thorne 17,Nix 19
Referee: P. Armstrong (Berkshire).
Attendance: 4,336
Game Statistics
Bees / Bantams
11 Goal Attempts 5
3 On Target 3
6 Corners 1
16 Fouls 12
1 Yellow Cards 2
51 % 49
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BCFC Report (from the T&A )
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Brentford 2 City 2
End of season games between middling sides can be curious affairs.
Some can be played out with all the ferocity of a beach kick-about on the holidays the players are all starting to plan.
Others can serve up an entertainment free-for-all as both sides cast off any inhibitions caused by the league table.
But Griffin Park on Saturday decided to host its own private goal-of-the-month contest.
As the first-half goals went flying in, there seemed to be an air of "anything you can do...". Each spectacular effort was trumped by the next.
Three of the four goals were absolute belters - and the one from Brentford's Glenn Poole which got the fun started was no tap-in either.
Talking of tap-ins, Kyle Nix was delighted to wipe out the painful memory of that goal-line gaffe at Rotherham a few weeks back.
His cracking left-foot volley from just outside the box showed perfect timing. And not just in terms of his sweet connection which flew into the top corner.
Three weeks from now, Stuart McCall has to make his mind up on Nix and the legion of other out-of-contract names. It was a hefty nudge in the midfielder's favour.
Second-guessing McCall is as difficult a pastime for reporters as players. The line-up which braved the pre-match monsoon of hail for their warm-up again showed several changes from four days before.
The four missing from the 11 which faced Barnet included injured duo Barry Conlon and Paul Heckingbottom.
Conlon was given the breather he needed after carrying a knee problem he suffered a fortnight ago at Rochdale. Heckingbottom lost his ever-present league mantle after his calf tightened up in training on Friday.
His absence meant a league debut for Luke O'Brien, whose only previous senior experience was the FA Cup loss to Tranmere in December.
The 19-year-old is expected to be handed another contract in the summer and certainly did his chances no harm at all.
"I had no worries about putting him in," said McCall. "Luke plays and trains ever so well and hopefully he's got a good future in the game."
O'Brien showed few nerves against on-loan Fulham winger Wayne Brown or late substitute Ricky Shakes. And he topped off a good day in the capital with a clearance off the line to thwart Nathan Elder's header.
City defended well as a whole after a dodgy start.
Alan Connell had already gone close when Brentford grabbed the lead on six minutes after Nix had undersold Tom Penford midway inside his own half.
Gary Smith nicked the pass away and teed up Poole, whose low shot through David Wetherall's legs beat Scott Loach's left hand. Maybe the keeper could have done a bit better but he only saw the ball very late after the skipper's attempts to close Poole down.
But City did not have long to dwell on their misfortune. Within 13 minutes, they had not only levelled but taken the lead.
The Bantams struck with their first effort at goal - and what a beauty it was.
Mark Bower pumped a long free-kick forward, where Wetherall won possession with a commanding knock-down to Peter Thorne. The leading scorer let it run across his body as he swivelled and crashed an unstoppable half-volley into the roof of the net.
It was a stunning strike and prompted yet more "if only" sighs from the away supporters, pondering those lost three months at the start of the campaign before Thorne was fit and firing.
Getting him tied down for next season already could prove to be McCall's best signing of the summer.
Brentford were further rocking three minutes later after another superb blast from the edge of the penalty area.
Thorne again had a part in it with a flick-on header and Nix's lethal left foot did the rest, with the aid of a slight Brentford deflection.
This was getting fun - so much for Ian Ormondroyd's pre-match prediction of a 0-0 banker... City could and should have gone further in front as Eddie Johnson, again playing up front, cleverly anticipated Ryan Dickson's back pass for centre half Matt Heywood.
Johnson timed his run perfectly to whisk the ball off the defender's foot and suddenly found himself bearing down on goal. But with only keeper Simon Brown to beat, he seemed to lose conviction as the goal approached and drove an unconvincing shot straight at the opponent.
As so often happens, a miss like that swiftly becomes a key turning-point.
And instead of going 3-1 down, Brentford were back on equal terms just two minutes later. Of course, it was another pearler of a strike.
Wetherall cleared out a cross as far as Wayne Brown before Alan Bennett took over with the sort of goal that no centre half has the right to score.
Seizing possession on the angle of the City penalty area, he launched a looping effort - with a hint of a touch off Thorne's outstretched boot - which flew over Loach and crashed into the far corner of the net off the bar.
Twenty six minutes gone, four goals, all crackers. Of course it couldn't last.
But there were still further murmurs before half-time as Penford's hit-and-hope cross bounced on the bar and Alex Rhodes, trying so hard but failing to make a real impact against his old club, snatched at a shot after a dreadful miscontrol by right back Craig Pead.
Brentford thought they were back in front right on the break when Elder thumped a header goalwards from Smith's corner but O'Brien was perfectly positioned to guard the back post and make sure of a personal moment to savour.
After such a first-half feast, the second was inevitably going to run out of steam. City's efforts weren't helped by a fresh deluge that was blowing into their faces.
Joe Colbeck made a couple of trademark charges deep into enemy territory but his decision-making let him down; once in particular he kept on going and going deep into the box before wrongly looking to cut back to Johnson instead of having a dig himself.
Loach made a good save after Elder found room to turn and shoot and Connell wastefully volleyed over the bar from close range.
But City should have had a penalty with five minutes left. Wetherall has hardly got the reputation as a serial diver but referee Paul Armstrong was unmoved when he appeared to be thrown to the ground by Heywood.
The big defender was furious at the official's non-committal response to what seemed a blatant foul.
City finished the game on the attack with Luke Medley sending fellow sub Omar Daley away on the left. But he didn't spot the well-placed Thorne and cut inside instead, only to lose out before he could get off a shot.
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Official match report
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Misc. Report(s)
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Kyle Nix today joked: I'm more deadly from 20 yards than one.
The feisty midfielder bagged his eighth goal for City with an explosive strike against Brentford.
Only Peter Thorne, who netted number 14 for the season with an equally spectacular effort in Saturday's 2-2 draw, has scored more.
Nix's goal from the edge of the penalty area was his first since January - and wiped out the memory of his amazing point-blank miss at Rotherham recently.
Nix admitted: "I don't seem to do tap-ins! But it was good to get on the scoresheet again after missing the Rotherham one.
"That was one of those freak things. I don't think I could ever do it again if I tried.
"But I've not let it bother me and wouldn't say that it has affected my confidence. I still want to get in the same positions and make runs into the box."
Nix is one of the clutch of players waiting to see if they figure in Stuart McCall's plans for next term. But he reckons the uncertainty is making sure City do not ease up before the current campaign is up.
"I haven't heard anything but I'm just trying to keep firing and playing as well as I can. It's the same with a lot of the lads and I think the last six or seven games have made it hard for the gaffer with his decisions.
"Everybody wants to be here and we're trying to finish the season as strongly as we can and keep getting the results.
"I thought Brentford's first goal was my fault but I redeemed myself with scoring. It was a decent performance all round and keeps us just in front of them."
McCall has consistently made it clear he will not deliver his verdict on the out-of-contract players until the season is over.
He said: "When I played, sometimes you had to go the last game. People want to know about their future, of course, but there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes.
"The lads know the situation and they've got to keep putting in good performances.
"I reminded the team before kick-off that nobody could say it was an end-of-season game with nothing to play for. Every one of them, including the lads on the bench, has everything to play for."
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Rhodes: We're on to a winner with Stuart
By Simon Parker
Julian Rhodes is convinced that Stuart McCall is the "winner" to turn City into genuine promotion contenders for next season.
Saturday's draw at Brentford meant that the Bantams cannot make the play-offs. Realistically, the current ninth spot is the highest they can finish in McCall's debut at the helm.
But despite contemplating another year in the basement division, joint-chairman Rhodes believes McCall has made big strides as a manager.
And he views City's dramatic improvement over the second half of the season as proof of the progress the club legend has made in charge.
Rhodes said: "I've been impressed with Stuart this year.
"It's not been the season we all hoped for because we're not going to win promotion but he has certainly shown signs that he will achieve what we want to achieve as a club.
"We all know that Stuart McCall is a winner and will work hard until he gets it right, which I'm sure he will."
McCall concedes he was a novice to League Two when he took the job. He had to assemble a squad for this season as he went along; taking recommendations on available players before he was fully aware of what was required.
"That was the problem last year," admitted Rhodes. "At the end of June, Stuart only had about six players - it won't be like that next time. We want the nucleus of the squad in before pre-season and I'm sure that will be the case.
"We've already got one or two targets that hopefully we will be in a position to bring in a lot earlier than last year.
"Stuart has done his homework and I think he knows some of the best players in this division. I'm sure he will be using his persuasive charms to get them to sign for Bradford."
Morecambe's tricky winger Garry Thompson, who injured his cheek bone at Valley Parade ten days ago, is understood to be one of McCall's top targets.
Thompson has been offered the biggest deal in the Shrimps' history to stay but has not put pen to paper so far, suggesting he is ready to move on.
Huddersfield's Bradford-born midfielder Chris Brandon has also been mentioned, along with prolific Mansfield striker Michael Boulding. But McCall is also still making up his mind about several members of the current squad.
Rhodes said: "At this time of year, signings come to the forefront and Stuart has been talking about players who are out of contract.
"Stuart will be given his budget and he has to operate within it. We all talk about players but ultimately it's Stuart's decision and his budget and he needs to spend it as he sees fit."
McCall has acknowledged City's chances this term were wrecked by an autumn slump which saw them claim only two points out of a possible 24.
Some managers would have been under pressure after a run like that but Rhodes dismisses any suggestions that City had any doubts.
"That kind of attitude gets you nowhere. Whatever way you look at it, we suffered this season from a bad eight games in October and November.
"Stuart has had to learn and I have to say, he's learned very quickly, especially since December time. I've been very impressed with him.
"You look at our record in that time (35 points in 21 games since New Year's Day) and he's definitely getting there. All we can do is carry on off the pitch making sure that we don't slip back into losing money, in such a way as it allows Stuart to have a real chance.
"I don't want to put undue pressure on anyone but next season we have to do well. With Stuart in charge and now a year wiser, I know that we will."
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By Simon Parker
McCALL DEFENDS CONTRACT DELAYS
Stuart McCall has defended his decision to keep some of his players guessing
over their futures at Valley Parade.
Several first-team squad members are out of contract in the summer and
Bradford City manager McCall has refused to discuss new deals with any of
them until the season is over.
McCall said: "When I played, sometimes you had to go to the last game.
"People want to know about their future, of course, but there are a lot of
things going on behind the scenes.
"The lads know the situation and they've got to keep putting in good
performances.
"I reminded the team before kick-off that nobody could say it was an
end-of-season game with nothing to play for. Every one of them, including
the lads on the bench, has everything to play for."
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