Coca-Cola League Two
Bradford C (0) 2 Law 75, Jones 90+3.
Grimsby T (0) 0
Att: 12,816
BANTAMS LEAVE IT LATE TO SEAL WIN
Second-half goals from Nicky Law and Steve Jones enabled promotion-chasing
Bradford City to beat 10-man Grimsby 2-0 at home on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Robert Atkinson was sent off for a
professional foul on Michael Boulding after 20 minutes, but Bradford
struggled to take advantage despite dominating the play.
Grimsby goalkeeper Phil Barnes made superb saves to deny Jones and Boulding
while Jones hit the post in a one-sided first half.
It was a similar story after the interval, but Law broke the deadlock after
75 minutes with a low right-footed shot and Jones put the result beyond
doubt in stoppage time when he beat Barnes after receiving a pass from
substitute Joe Colbeck.
Stats: Bradford C - Grimsby
Possession: 54 - 46%
Shots on target: 19 - 3
Shots off target: 10 - 5
Fouls: 10 - 8
Corners: 11 - 5
Ref: C. Sarginson (Staffordshire).
Red card: Atkinson (Grimsby), professional foul, 21 min.
Yellow card:
Grimsby: Clarke (43 min.)
Bradford C: None.
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 33. Zeshan Rehman, 5. Graeme Lee, 12. Matthew
Clarke, 19. Luke O'Brien, 25. Steve Jones, 24. Nicky Law, 23. Dean Furman,
7. Omar Daley (80), 10. Peter Thorne (89), 14. Michael Boulding.
Subs: 2. Paul Arnison, 8. Lee Bullock, 9. Barry Conlon (89), 13. Jon
McLaughlan (GK), 15. Joe Colbeck (80).
Grimsby: 1. Phillip Barnes, 12. Jamie Clarke, 25. Robert Atkinson, 4. Ryan
Bennett, 21. Joe Widdowson, 22. Nathan Jarman (25), 16. JP Kalala, 31. Dean
Sinclair, 30. Stuart Elliott, 9. Adam Proudlock, 26. Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro
(injured 30).
Subs: 5. Matthew Heywood (25), 10. Chris Llewellyn, 11. Danny Boshell, 13.
Gary Montgomery (GK), 18. Peter Bore (30).
Next match: (H) Darlington (TV: Sky Sports 1/HD1), Monday Feb 2, 2009. K.O.
7:45PM
Last season: Bradford C 0-0 Darlington; Darlington 1-3 Bradford C.
This season: Darlington 2-1 Bradford C.
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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcheadlines/4092136.Jones__luck_turns_as_he_breaks_City_jinx/
Jones' luck turns as he breaks City jinx
7:40am Monday 2nd February 2009
City 2 Grimsby 0
So Steve Jones hasn't run over a black cat after all!
Neither has he smashed every mirror going nor spent his days walking under ladders.
Perhaps the seemingly unluckiest man in the world is about to enjoy a change of fortune. It's certainly long overdue.
The winger's nickname of Jonah has proved unfortunately fitting. Before Saturday, his ten appearances in Bantams colours had coincided with the mid-season slump that has been threatening to derail the promotion dream.
Not that Jones could be held solely responsible – though the way his luck was going in front of goal, he must have wondered about that.
The faith-restoring victory over Grimsby contained plenty of positives for the fans jaundiced by the midweek no-show at Gigg Lane.
But none came any brighter than in stoppage time when the green-booted Jones ran the ball past Phil Barnes to finally break his City duck. At about the millionth attempt...
The goal owed everything to his refusal to give up after seeing one early effort denied by the brilliant Grimsby keeper and another ping off the inside of the post.
And maybe, for the more superstitious, his gaffer's red knees played their part ...
Stuart McCall, fed up with the run of Valley Parade hard-luck stories, made his own drastic contribution by ditching the tracky bottoms.
Despite the plummeting temperature, the City chief braved the chill in just the shorts he had worn throughout the more successful period of the campaign.
I trust he will still do the same if the snow starts falling tonight...
The sight of Jones scampering through to seal City's first win of 2009 certainly helped warm the manager up.
"How many goals could Jonah be on by now?" McCall pondered afterwards. "But to be fair he kept at it all afternoon.
"The pitch was beginning to cut up and for players like Jones, Omar (Daley) and Nicky Law it's difficult to run with the ball. But he kept going out wide and getting crosses in and I'm so pleased for him to get a goal."
Jones, whose Burnley loan is due up next Monday, admitted it was sweet payback for City's listless display against Bury, a night which had set the alarm bells ringing as they slipped briefly out of the play-off picture.
He said: "We wanted to put on a show for the fans. We got great support at Bury and let them all down as well as ourselves.
"But I did think the goals were never going to come. Grimsby were holding out and their keeper was fantastic but we dug deep and got there in the end.
"And I'm definitely so glad to score at last. I had two good chances in the first half and was very unlucky but I finally got my reward."
There wasn't much to fault about City's performance. It was the display – and result – that had been demanded since Tuesday.
Of course, they should have scored more. A lot more against a team who played all but the first 20 minutes with a man down after defender Rob Atkinson was sent off for dragging down Michael Boulding.
City carved out more chances than they had created in the previous four or five home games but they found Barnes, a keeper McCall knows well from the days together at Sheffield United, in inspired form.
McCall had restored Jones to his usual role on the wing with Boulding and Peter Thorne back up front together. Dean Furman was also given a run alongside Law in central midfield after Paul McLaren nicked his calf in training.
Interestingly, McCall revealed afterwards that he had been considering the Law/Furman axis anyway to counter the younger, quicker legs of Grimsby's middle two.
The injury to McLaren made his decision easier but perhaps it was also an answer to those fans who think certain players are "undroppable".
The midfield duo could not have covered more ground if they'd tried. Every time a ball dropped or something was about to happen, one of them was immediately on hand.
They anticipated everything, ready to pounce on possession or harry an opponent into making an error. There was no let-up in their intensity from start to finish.
City's all-round display was equally bright from the moment that Boulding flicked a second-minute header narrowly across the Grimsby goal. This was just the response that McCall had demanded from his midweek dressing-room rocket.
Zesh Rehman was drafted in at right back and added considerable presence to a back four that has been breached only once from open play in the last eight games. They certainly kept it tight when needed on Saturday, repelling Grimsby's brief flurries of pressure with well-placed blocks.
Rehman's height also proved an effective weapon from corners. Twice he went close to a goal on his home debut, with one header scrambled unconvincingly off the line by Jean-Paul Kalala.
That was followed by the first stunning save from Barnes after Graeme Lee's free-kick deflected straight to Jones bang in front of goal. Barnes was diving the wrong way but somehow still managed to beat away the shot with his legs.
When Jones smacked the woodwork a few minutes later, his helpless shrug in the manager's direction said it all. What more could City do?
Barnes pulled off another fine stop to foil Law after a sizzling move created by Boulding. And when Peter Thorne headed a corner straight at the keeper with the chance you'd bank on him burying, the nagging doubt that City would never get a break began to grow.
This was no day for near-misses. Anything less than a win would be viewed as another example that the wheels had come off; regardless of how well they might have played. Grimsby may have won two out of three going into the game, including beating Wycombe on their own patch, but having failed to beat any others in the bottom five at home, another City draw would cut no ice.
Importantly, heads remained high as the minutes ticked away. Chances kept coming and going as the volume increased from the stands.
Jones was trying to shoot from anywhere, Law was driving into the box at will. Boulding got between two defenders to nod over.
And with the game well into its final quarter, Grimsby's hearts were finally broken.
Luke O'Brien's long ball was won by Thorne, Boulding swept the ball towards Law, who wriggled to find enough space 20 yards out to drill past Barnes.
City being City still had one late scare when Matt Clarke carelessly conceded a throw-in level with their box. Ryan Bennett's long throw-in dropped for Dean Sinclair who hooked the ball over Rhys Evans – and fortunately a foot or so over his bar as everyone looked on.
Sub Barry Conlon should have doubled City's lead in added time before Jones did with the game's final kick.
The first half of the home double header had been successfully negotiated. Now the onus is on City tonight to make it back-to-back home wins for the first time since September.
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http://www.sportgrimsby.co.uk/football/grimsby_town/fixtures_and_results_200809/match_reports/displayarticle.php?ID=7327
Stuart McCall praised his Bradford side
BRADFORD 2 v 0 GRIMSBY
Stuart McCall praised his Bradford side after they ended a run of four matches without a win by beating 10-man Grimsby at Valley Parade - a result that lifted them into seventh place in League Two.
McCall had been highly critical of his players after their 1-0 defeat at promotion rivals Bury in midweek, but he said: ``I thought we were at it and I am pleased.
``But it`s only one game and there are 18 matches left and we need to show that consistency level week in week out.
``Three points was the major thing regardless of performance, but we got a good performance as well. If we hadn't taken three points it would have been a major blow. The players did everything I asked of them.''
McCall also paid tribute to Mariners goalkeeper Phil Barnes, who kept his side in the game with a string of fine saves.
He added: ``Their keeper was inspired and we also had balls cleared off the line. We hit the post and balls flew across the face of the goal.
``As an attacking force we were excellent. I told the players at half-time just to keep playing for each other even if it`s the last minute and keep switched on at the back.
``We kept knocking at the door and finally knocked it down.''
Grimsby manager Mike Newell bemoaned the loss of Rob Atkinson, who was sent off for a foul on Michael Boulding in the 20th minute.
Newell said: ``The sending off changed the game. It was like a wrestling match in the centre circle, but the people who make the rules don't know what they are doing and that decision ruined the game.
``The team showed good spirit and commitment and right up to the death they were in with a shout.''
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http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/bradford/Bradford-City-2-Grimsby-Town.4934074.jp
Bradford City 2 Grimsby Town 0
Bradford earn three points
By John Davis
From Valley Parade.
The Bantams revived their promotion challenge with a much-needed win, but they were given a real scare by 10-man Grimsby.
The visitors had centre-half Robert Atkinson red-carded after just 20 minutes when he clumsily pulled down striker Michael Boulding as he tried to chase a through ball.
With goalkeeper Phil Barnes in inspired form, the Mariners held City at bay until late in the second half.
City manager Stuart McCall was delighted with the way his players bounced back from the dismal defeat at Bury and they already had Grimsby on the back foot before Atkinson's departure.
Barnes's goal had already survived several scares before the Grimsby goalkeeper stuck out a leg to kick away Steve Jones's eight-yard shot and soon after the unlucky winger saw another strike rebound off the post.
Bantams midfielder Nicky Law also found Barnes in defiant mood as he twice saw the goalkeeper save goal-bound efforts in a one-sided first period.
It was more of the same after the break with Barnes tipping a cross-shot from Law round the post before the City man finally made the breakthrough.
With 15 minutes to go, Law collected a neat pass on the edge of the Grimsby area and, after shifting the ball onto his right foot, he drilled a low shot beyond Barnes from 16 yards.
Grimsby rarely threatened as their one-man deficit took its toll, but midfielder Dean Sinclair almost grabbed an unlikely equaliser when his overhead kick looped over the City bar with three minutes left.
On-loan man Jones bagged his first goal for City deep into stoppage time after Grimsby were caught short on the counter-attack and McCall will be looking for his side to climb above promotion rivals Darlington if tonight's televised encounter beats the predicted bad weather.
Bradford City: Evans, Rehman, Lee Clarke, O'Brien; Jones, Law, Furman, Daley (Colbeck 79); Thorne (Conlon 89), M Boulding. Unused substitutes: Arnison, Bullock, McLaughlin.
Grimsby Town: Barnes, Clarke, Bennett, Atkinson, Widdowson; Jarman (Heywood 22), Sinclair, Kalala, Elliott; Akpa-Akpro (Bore 30), Proudlock. Unused substitutes: Llewellyn, Boshell, Montgomery.
Referee: C Sarginson (Staffordshire).
Man of the match: Nicky Law.
===========================
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/7859226.stm
Harford and McCall charged by FA
Luton Town manager Mick Harford and his Bradford City counterpart Stuart McCall have both been charged by the Football Association with improper conduct.
The charges relate to the 3-3 League Two draw at Kenilworth Road on Saturday 24 January.
Luton face a further charge of failing to control their players, after referee Trevor Kettle awarded a match-saving injury-time penalty for Bradford.
All parties have until Friday 13 February to respond to the charges.
McCall was sent to the stands during the game, after contesting a free-kick awarded against his side.
Harford's charge relates to his behaviour toward the official after the match.
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