Coca-Cola League Two
Chester City (0) 0
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 2,735
***
Also in this issue:
McCall to stick with what he's got
Ball's in your court, Lawn tells City fans
Conlon: I've no quarrel with McCall
Rehman chooses club over country
City make Season Tickets redundancy proof
***
Stats: Chester - Bradford C
Possession: 50 - 50%
Shots on target: 5 - 2
Shots off target: 1 - 5
Fouls: 17 - 15
Corners: 6 - 4
Ref: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)
Yellow cards:
Chester: Linwood (20 min), Ellison (59).
Bradford C: Jones (28), Clarke (59), Furman (90).
Chester: 12. John Danby, 2. Kevin Roberts, 5. Paul Linwood, 3. Laurence
Wilson, 22. James Vaughan, 16. Jay Harris, 8. Anthony Barry, 11. Kevin
Ellison (77), 29. Glenn Rule, 10. Ryan Lowe, 7. Richie Partridge.
Subs: 15. David Mannix, 24. Paul Rutherford, 34. James Owen, 20. Lloyd
Ellans, 26. Ben Jones (77).
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 33. Zeshan Rehman, 5. Graeme Lee, 12. Matthew
Clarke, 19. Luke O'Brien, 24. Nicky Law, 4. Paul McLaren (82), 23. Dean
Furman, 25. Steve Jones (75), 35. Paul Mullin, 14. Michael Boulding.
Subs: 2. Paul Arnison, 8. Lee Bullock (82), 11. Chris Brandon (75), 22. Kyle
Nix, 34. Keith Gillespie.
Next matches:
(H) Brentford, Saturday April 4, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM
(A) Morecambe, Friday April 10, 2009 K.O. 3:15 PM.
===========================
T&A report
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT RUBBISH LIKE THIS?
By Simon Parker
If the length of a match report was governed by the quality of the match,
this would finish about here.
Unfortunately, I've got the task of finding another 1,400 words - a
challenge on a par with having to sit through a DVD of Saturday again.
Chester and Bradford City, the sequel, was every bit as bum-numbing as the
0-0 nightmare before Christmas at Valley Parade. Entertainment, great
skills, thrilling goal-mouth action; we had none of it.
There were mitigating circumstances, of course, with the shocking
conditions. A buffeting wind howling from one end to the other made any
aerial ball a bit of a lottery. It would either hover like a reluctant
seagull or fly straight through.
The pitch was even worse. There seemed to be nearly as much sand as grass
and the bobbly surface ensured that any pass of more than five yards would
reach its target at shin height - or above.
It was hardly the perfect stage for total football. So instead the 2,700
hardy souls - most, as usual, from West Yorkshire - were forced to endure
the most tedious 90 minutes of the season. And, ultimately, the game that
could effectively shut the door on City's play-off hopes.
Mathematically nothing has changed, other than the matches-left column
ticking down to just six.
Apart from Chesterfield, who are becoming a genuine threat to the top seven
now, City's immediate rivals Shrewsbury and Exeter also drew away.
But look who they were playing. The Shrews, who usually can't buy a point
outside of Shropshire, fought back to share the spoils at Wycombe in the
lunchtime game.
And Exeter, who looked pretty dreadful a fortnight ago, twice came from
behind to earn a draw with Rochdale.
Both travelling teams would have gone home very happy at denying fellow
promotion fighters. The same can hardly be said about City. They had a great
chance to get back into the pack. Instead they remain a point outside and
belief ebbs away a little bit more.
Chester were supposed to be a gimme; the club who had not won since we were
all bloating ourselves on turkey sandwiches.
No wins in January, February and now March but City still couldn't beat them
- or even score in three hours of trying.
But a second goalless bore against Mark Wright's men hardly came as the
biggest shock, given the sudden paucity in front of goal.
Since those five against Aldershot, Matt Clarke's header at Bournemouth is
the only time City have hit the net in five matches. There was little
evidence on Saturday that the barren run would change.
There was the small silver lining of another clean sheet at long last. But
then again, as their manager pointed out afterwards, Chester are the team
without a recognised centre forward.
They do have the spiky Kevin Ellison, whose mission on a football field
always seems to be based on how many opponents he can antagonise. Clarke got
his goat up, and vice versa, and there were a few afters that referee Dean
Whitestone might have taken exception to.
Whitestone could also have influenced proceedings by sending off Chester
skipper Paul Linwood for the third of his bookable offences. But he remained
despite attempting to slice Nicky Law in two and generally bugged the hell
out of the willing but unsuccessful Paul Mullin.
The on-loan Accrington striker, bearing the embarrassment of playing for the
last team to lose to Chester, at least gave it everything in a pretty
fruitless battle.
He had one of City's few genuine sights of goal with a back-post header
after Graeme Lee had flicked on a free-kick but John Danby saw the danger
and smuggled the ball away.
Danby had also shown strong hands to beat out a snap-shot from Michael
Boulding, the highlight of a frustrating afternoon for the City frontman.
Stuart McCall had shuffled the formation rather than personnel. Paul McLaren
was added to the midfield to create a central three, with Law given a
floating role behind the strikers.
On another day, it might have worked, but the conditions didn't suit
McLaren's more cultured approach, while the space out wide was generally
wasted by Steve Jones and Luke O'Brien.
The standard of their crossing was poor, more often than not being cleared
by the first defender, and Chester's creaky defence was tested nowhere near
enough.
Chester had the wind behind them from the start but, given that they have
only scored one goal in the last 14 first halves, it was hardly the Alamo.
Winger Richie Partridge was a threat and looked the one player on the pitch
genuinely capable of conquering the conditions but he was pretty much on his
own as an attacking threat.
For the first hour, the biggest discomfort for Rhys Evans had come from a
Lee back pass that pinged back to the keeper at almost knee height.
Then City were suddenly caught out as Clarke brought down Ellison. Chester
played on and James Vaughan whipped a dangerous ball into the six-yard box
where only the alert intervention of Zesh Rehman prevented Partridge tapping
in.
Partridge had a header blocked by Clarke and then fired the rebound
wastefully over. If anyone was going to break the tedious deadlock, it
looked like the home side.
Chris Brandon replaced the anonymous Jones with 15 minutes left and finally
City found a bit of urgency in their play. Sadly, though, the quality was
still absent.
A frenetic finish threatened a late winner as Brandon was tripped on the
edge of the box and Lee Bullock's flick-on caused mayhem in the goal mouth.
But a goal would have been an injustice. City simply did not do enough - and
as the weeks race by, that could be the epitaph of their frustrating season.
McCall's Wembley dream is not dead but, with the likes of Brentford,
Morecambe, Dagenham and Chesterfield lying in wait over the final month, the
rocky road ahead is strewn with nasties. It makes the Deva pitch look like a
bowling green.
===========================
From Official Website...
2 DAYS TO GO!
Posted on: Sun 29 Mar 2009
Supporters wishing to purchase their 2009/10 Season Tickets at the current
cheapest price are respectfully reminded that they only have TWO further
days after today to do so.
The deadline for supporters to claim their seats for next season at £175 for
adults and £87.50 juniors is Tuesday 31st March. This is also the deadline
for supporters wishing to purchase their season tickets through the club's
Easy Payment Plan.
The Easy Payment Plan is a simple and cost effective way of securing your
seat for next season's campaign. 10 easy monthly payments of £20 per month
for adults and £10 for juniors will enable you to watch every moment of
League action at the Coral Windows Stadium next season.
No deposit is required when securing your season ticket through the Easy
Payment Plan, meaning you can claim your favourite seat for next season
without having to pay a single penny upfront.
Any supporter, new or old, can take advantage of this credit crunch busting
deal, but only have until close of business on Tuesday 31 March 2009 to do
so.
Easy Payment Plan season tickets are subject to administration fees.
The opening hours over this weekend for the Ticket Office at the Coral
Windows Stadium are 11.00am - 3.00pm on Sunday 29 March.
For all other information and inquires regarding season tickets, please
contact the Ticket Office on (01274) 770012 or
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/SeasonTickets/0,,10266,00.html
===========================
===========================
===========================
McCall to stick with what he's got
Stuart McCall will not make a last-minute delve into the loan market.
The transfer shutters come down for the season at tea-time today and the
City chief has no plans for any further shopping.
McCall has already added two faces in March – Keith Gillespie on a
short-term contract and Accrington frontman Paul Mullin on loan to
replace Barry Conlon.
And despite losing four on the bounce, McCall believes he possesses
enough resour-ces to get back on track for the crucial seven-game run-in.
He said: "That's it now. I've got enough players in different positions
for a variety of choices.
"We are in a run we don't want at this stage but it's down to us to turn
it round. And I still believe there is enough ability within the squad
to pick up the points we need between now and the end of the season."
Meanwhile, joint-chairman Mark Lawn reckons the fans can hold the key to
persuading McCall to stay at Valley Parade if City do miss out on the
play-offs.
McCall has threatened to step down if his side do not finish in the top
seven. But Lawn believes the supporters can sway him by snapping up next
term's season tickets early.
Lawn said: "Stuart McCall loves this club and he loves the supporters.
If the supporters turn round and back him, it's a more powerful argument
than I can give.
"If people want Stuart to stay, then get behind him and commit to your
season-ticket. That says that even if we don't get in the play-offs, we
still want you here - and then I think Stuart will stay whatever happens."
Lawn has already warned that cheap tickets will be a thing of the past
after next season if City do not meet their 10,000 target again. Sales
are currently around 6,500.
Fans have until close of business on Tuesday to buy season-tickets at
the reduced price of £175 for adults. After that, it will increase to £250.
The Valley Parade box office will be open from 9am to midday on Saturday
and from 11am to 3pm on Sunday.
===========================
Ball's in your court, Lawn tells City fans
Mark Lawn today warned that season-tickets must top 10,000 again or
City will have to pull the plug on cheap prices.
Fans have a week left to take advantage of the £175 early-bird offer for
next term before the price goes up to £250.
Around 6,500 season-tickets have been sold so far, though momentum has
been sapped by the four straight losses that have dampened promotion hopes.
But joint-chairman Lawn, who ploughed in a £1m loan last week, insists
the season-ticket offer remains too good to miss.
He said: "It's still fantastic value at £175. Look at other teams in
this league like Rotherham, who charge a lot more for a ground nowhere
near as good as this – nobody comes close.
"I don't want to be in League Two – nobody does – but £7.50 a game, as
it works out over a season, is great value for money.
"I think people have forgotten what other fans have to pay. It's
expensive to watch football in any division and we've bucked the trend.
But we can only keep bucking the trend with the help of the supporters."
City's current slump will not help the season-ticket push but Lawn
admits he cannot dip into his pocket any more.
"I've certainly backed the club as far as I can go now. The million I've
put in is it.
"If we don't get the number of season-tickets, we haven't got money to
spend on the players. That's the reality.
"I know we try to attract more fans but I do believe we've got a base of
at least 10,000.
"I honestly believe Bradford City fans are the best in the country and
I'm not just saying that. They've had some really poor seasons and are
still there supporting us.
"If they look into their hearts, they will see that we are doing
everything we can to get this club back up. But we can't do it without
their support.
"We need to get to 10,000 to keep the cheap season tickets, otherwise we
will have to go back to being more realistically priced the following
year."
City's gates are more than double the next best in League Two since
Julian Rhodes took the gamble to slash season-ticket prices. The two
chairmen upped the playing budget for this season for a serious push to
go up, with Lawn's seven-figure loan wiping out the predicted debts.
Now Lawn is hoping the supporters can again play their part.
He added: "Realistically who do they think is going to put money in?
I've put mine in, Julian's put his in, is there going to be a tooth
fairy? No.
"One thing this club will not do again is overspend. We will spend
within our budgets unless we get another investor and I don't think
there's many of them out there in this current climate.
"Port Vale wasn't the best but we've only lost twice at home this year.
Okay, the away form has been atrocious but fans pay their money to come
here and they've seen some good games – they've had good value.
"I'll get people slagging me off and I understand that. I'm an honest
person who shoots from the hip. But I'm saying it like it is. We're
throwing it out to the fans."
City's box office will be open from 9am to midday on Saturday and from
11am to 3pm on Sunday.
===========================
Conlon: I've no quarrel with McCall
Barry Conlon insists there was no fall-out behind his loan switch to
Grimsby.
The big striker made an immediate impact for the Mariners, capping an
impressive debut with the final goal in a 3-0 win over Gillingham.
Conlon's departure came a week after he was axed by Stuart McCall at
Exeter on disciplinary grounds for non-football reasons.
But the Irishman said his move was purely down to wanting to play more
than a bit-part role. Conlon, replaced at Valley Parade by Paul Mullin,
said: "I was playing one week and not the next at Bradford. It's not
exactly sitting it out but it wasn't being involved as often as I'd like.
"I knew the gaffer was bringing in another striker so my chances would
be limited until the end of the season. I want to be involved in every
game so I didn't hesitate to take up the challenge with Grimsby.
"There wasn't any fall-out between myself and Stuart McCall. He just
said he'd spoken with (Grimsby manager) Mike Newell and what a sound guy
he was.
"I could have stayed at Bradford but when I got the call on Thursday, I
knew straight away I wanted to join."
Saturday's result against one of City's promotion rivals lifted Grimsby
out of the relegation zone.
Conlon added: "One of the reasons I came was for the challenge of
getting the club out of the bottom two."
===========================
Rehman chooses club over country
Zesh Rehman has knocked back an international tournament to aid City's
play-off push.
Rehman had been selected by Pakistan for three Asian Football
Confederation Challenge Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka, starting next
Saturday.
But the on-loan QPR defender is staying put at Valley Parade for the
season's run-in.
He said: "I had the call-up but I've put Bradford first. I'm out of
contract in the summer and I'm playing regularly.
"There's no way I would jump ship now. Although it's always an honour to
play for your country, right now this is my bread and butter.
"The next month is the most important of my life.
"We've got a flexible agreement and the (Pakistan football) federation
understand that."
Rehman has played in City's last three defeats but believes a top-seven
spot is still well within their grasp despite the untimely slump.
He added: "If you look back at the stats against Port Vale we dominated
the whole game. We just need that little bit of luck to change things.
"We've had teams on the back foot and if we keep doing that, it will
drop for us soon.
"Being away tomorrow might suit us more because we've got players who
can hurt teams on the counter-attack. I'm hoping that it does.
"There are highs and lows in football and you've got to keep that middle
ground.
"Nobody gets carried away when we're winning games and now is not the
time to have your heads dragging on the floor.
"We're not that far off it. Every day we come in everyone's positive and
that starts with the manager."
And Rehman insisted Stuart McCall's threat to quit if they missed the
play-offs has not affected the dressing room.
"As players, you just focus on your own job. You listen to what the
manager wants in a game and concentrate on that.
"The gaffer has been in football a long time, playing over 600 games, so
he knows what it's all about.
"He'll keep believing and we know nobody becomes a bad team overnight.
"There's always going to be pressure in football.
"I've played in relegation battles and now I'm pushing for a play-off
place and you always go out there with the same attitude to win matches."
===========================
City make Season Tickets redundancy proof
To give supporters peace of mind, Bradford City Football Club have
confirmed that anybody purchasing a season ticket for the 2009/2010
campaign by Direct Debit (either at the £175 or £250 rate) can in the
unfortunate event of them being made redundant from employment (and
subsequently verified), cease payments and the ticket holder can keep
the season ticket for the balance of the season.
(Conditions apply. Full details from Ticket Office)
===========================
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=46810838356
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
L2 v Port Vale (h) L0-1 Mar 21st 2009
L2 v Port Vale (h) L0-1 Mar 21st 2009
Bradford: Evans ,Rehman ,Clarke ,Lee ,O'Brien ,Jones ,Law ,Furman (Bullock ,78 ) ,Gillespie (Brandon ,69 ) ,Michael Boulding ,Paul Mullin
Subs not used: Arnison,McLaren,Colbeck,
Port Vale: Anyon ,Stockley ,McCombe ,Prosser ,Edwards ,Gall (Dodds ,69 ) ,Howland ,Griffith ,Marshall ,Taylor (Richman ,87 ) ,Richards
Subs not used Martin,Glover,Collins,
Bookings: Lee (Bradford) Griffith ,Howland ,Prosser (Port Vale)
Attendance: 12436
Referee: S J Bratt (West Midlands)
STAT ATTACK
Bantams / Valiants
10 Shots On Target 3
12 Shots Off Target 3
16 Fouls (Conceded) 22
8 Corners 1
2 Yellow Cards 3
0 Red Cards 0
Video highlights (UK only)
http://www.football.virginmedia.com/page/Football/League2/VideoIndex/0,,12555,00.html?mvnAssetId=3924887
***
Also in this issue:
No FA ban for McCall
Vp on Google maps
***
===========================
7 games Remaining
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html
===========================
Sorry statistics mount up for City
2:42pm Sunday 22nd March 2009
City 0, Port Vale 1
Lost: one plot. If found, please return to Valley Parade as quickly as possible to avoid massive disappointment.
Four defeats on the trot; five in a row away; the first home loss for six months. City's timing for the current slump is terrible.
The silver lining, for what it's worth, is that nobody in that top bracket is turning it on.
Nails are being chewed up and down League Two, hence the fact that only Rochdale emerged winners among all the play-off contenders – and they were facing Wycombe.
City, one point adrift of seventh-placed Shrewsbury, are still very much in the hunt by default – but favours from elsewhere will have no effect until they put their own house back in order.
Stuart McCall has had better fortnights than this last one. If the boss had hoped for a powerful response from his midweek ultimatum, he was left bitterly disappointed.
Port Vale, City's traditional whipping boys, came and did a job; ugly but effective.
Dean Glover, Vale's under-fire manager, sensed it was the perfect time to play City, who were vulnerable after the hat-trick of trip-ups on their travels.
He said: "We knew there would be a bit of pressure mounting. As we frustrated Bradford, you could feel the edginess in the supporters."
Those supporters, who have trailed the length and breadth of the country in the past couple of weeks, must be wondering how it can suddenly go so wrong.
And how about Mark Lawn, who ploughed an extra million into City's coffers a week ago and has since seen them crumble to Bournemouth and Port Vale?
Against the backdrop of their worst form of the season, he has still got to persuade fans to shell out early for next year's season tickets.
It was hardly the dream debut for Paul Mullin, the bustling targetman snapped up from Accrington to beef up City for the run-in.
The big fella could not be knocked for his efforts, and he won far more headers and flick-ons than the striker he was brought in to replace, but how ironic that Barry Conlon should score in his first game at Grimsby.
Mullin had seen Vale at close quarters four days earlier when they offered little resistance against Stanley. He hardly recognised them on Saturday.
"They were set up totally different and made it very difficult for us to break them down," admitted Mullin.
"Port Vale went 4-4-2 last week and obviously fancied getting a result at Accrington. They put five men across the middle of the park this time and it was hard to get the ball through.
"We had enough chances and Spike (Graeme Lee) has been unlucky with a couple of headers. They just seemed to be sticking legs out and the ball was hitting them.
"But you come to a stadium like this and people do raise their game. It's happened with me in the past.
"A cold Tuesday night at Accrington is a different occasion to here on a Saturday afternoon when they sun's out and you've got a big crowd.
"But you can't fault the work ethic of our lads. Unfortunately it was one of those frustrating games when the ball just wouldn't go in."
McCall was happy with his latest addition but felt the team could have played to his strengths more.
He said: "I don't think we put in enough crosses from high up the park. But in the main, Paul did everything we asked of him and it was a good debut."
Vale have had a wretched season since being relegated but there are a few notable notches on their belt, including a win at Shrewsbury in Glover's first game in charge after replacing Lee Sinnott.
They also tend to do better away from the home crowd who have been calling for the manager's head. But let's be honest here, they were not world beaters.
Vale looked another Macclesfield; another Chester. Having lost their previous six games against the Bantams – and not managed a single goal in those – they should have been cherry-picked as the perfect pick-me-up opponents.
Their ultra-defensive intentions were clear from the outset but we have been here before this season many, many times and usually City find a way to pick the lock.
After his encouraging cameo at Dean Court, Keith Gillespie got his first start and his quality was clear. But the lack of pace from his advancing years meant City could not stretch Vale down the right flank the way that a flying Joe Colbeck or Omar Daley could.
And with the visitors cramming everyone into midfield, the Northern Ireland international's room to whip in an early cross was heavily restricted.
He still produced some knowing passes and clever little balls in for Michael Boulding but not the production line that Mullin would have lapped up.
The game as a spectacle was not helped by the hapless efforts of referee Steve Bratt, who demonstrated he had learned little since his last farcical appearance at Valley Parade against Blackpool two years ago.
The West Midlands official showed little grasp of when to play advantage and his handling of Vale's physical tactics was lenient to put it mildly.
Centre half Luke Prosser, in particular, seemed to enjoy more lives than a cat in Baghdad high street.
Inevitably, Prosser was one of those who should stick a leg out at just the right time to divert a goal-bound header from Lee.
Anthony Griffith was another walking a disciplinary tightrope who defied Lee in front of goal, knowing little about it at the time as the header powered against his foot.
But City feared it would not be their day when Lee and Mullin flicked on from a free-kick and the loose ball sat up deliciously for Boulding and Steve Jones eight yards out.
The striker got there first and it looked a goal all the way but the ball hit the prone body of keeper Joe Anyon and somehow stayed in play.
As the frustration mounted, City's approach grew more direct. Unable to get things moving through the middle because of Vale's extra man, they resorted to the dreaded hoof-ball, which made watching even less palatable.
They could have been forgiven if something had come from it but instead the only goal was snatched at the other end four minutes into the second half.
City were caught cold on the counter after Gillespie's loose pass towards Dean Furman was picked off by Paul Marshall inside his own territory.
Suddenly there were more blue shirts up there than claret and amber. Lee briefly held up Marshall's surge but Matt Clarke missed the tackle and the unmarked David Howland swept home.
It was the first goal City had conceded at Valley Parade since Mullin's Accrington two months earlier. Having picked the ball out of his net, Rhys Evans was not troubled again.
But City, for all their huff and puff, could not dig out an equaliser. Their mad March goes on.
Attendance: 12,436
===========================
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/yorkshire-soccer/BRADFORD-CITY-Injury-giving-Heck39.5096432.jp
BRADFORD CITY: Injury giving Heck' the needle
By Lee Sobot
TO see Bradford City stuttering towards the League Two finish line is frustrating for all those associated with the Bantams.
However, nobody is riled more than crocked defender Paul Heckingbottom, who four months on has yet to recover from tendonitis.
Heckingbottom has not played since the FA Cup win at MK Dons on November 8 after picking up the injury which is ruining his season.
The defender finally looked set to return last month, but a reaction in training caused his problem to flare up once more and the experienced defender is now out for another fortnight having received dry needling treatment this week.
A form of therapeutic acupuncture involving injections into the tendon – Heckingbottom's treatment is arguably painful enough – but City's first three successive defeats of the season have hurt the six footer more.
Heckingbottom knows the Bantams have a glit-edged chance to escape League Two and is mightily frustrated he can do precious little about it.
"The start of the season I thought we had a massive opportunity and I still do – the league is that tight," he said.
"I just feel like we are letting ourselves down – we get into good positions, but it's one step forward, two steps back at the minute.
"It's frustrating not to be able to be out there playing.
"My injury is not going the best.
"About four or five weeks ago I was in training just ready to play again and then I just had a reaction.
"Now I'm having different treatment called dry needling.
"I have had treatment before when I first got diagnosed where you get injections put in like cortisone, anti-inflammatory injections but they didn't seem to work.
"This dry needling is meant to be good – they just shoot through your tendon a few times to cause damage to it and then you get the blood flowing and it starts the healing process all over again.
"It's not nice and it's not pleasant – you have an anaesthetic burst and just feel a movement inside and it just goes through you a little bit.
"It's just on the top of my hamstring tendon, right at the very top where the tendon attaches to the bone."
At 31, Heckingbottom has enjoyed a long and successful career spanning eight professional clubs plus Manchester United in his days as a youth player.
Never before, though, has the Barnsley-born footballer been hit quite so hard with injury.
"When I was younger I had operations on my groin which kept me out a similar time but apart from that I have been fit and able to play every week basically," he said.
"It's just frustrating and it's hard to deal with as well – that's one of the hardest things. It's not the pain of it, it's just hard work.
"According to the surgeon I need a couple of weeks rest now before I can start again.
"It's just been hard work as I've not been too far away for so long.
"It's just like that last little hurdle to get over but hopefully I will be all right sooner rather than later."
Scheduled to return in around a fortnight, the Bantams will then have just a handful of games remaining in which to set themselves up for a leap to League One – whether that be through the play-offs or one of the automatic promotion spots.
Frustrated Heckingbottom knows but for the recent blip in form, City would be among the bookmaker's favourites – though the defender knows the Bantams cannot live in the past.
"You look how tight it is and we are not out of it yet," he said.
"If we would have just won a couple more games we would have been in a great position but that was not to be. It's how we do now and we have got to get up there."
Nobody would take quite as much joy as Heckingbottom in joining in a Bantams promotion party but first things first the left-back is counting down the days until he celebrates his own personal triumph.
For Heckingbottom, just getting on the pitch will feel like a victory in itself.
"I'll be over the moon when I get back and just as soon as I get back with the lads in training," he said.
"It's been hard work – I have to spend a lot of time on my own and the rehab I have been doing has been a lot of hard work.
"I have been on my own in the gym, running and on the bike and it will be great when I get back to being a part of it again."
===========================
McCall still believes in Wembley target
Stuart McCall today pleaded with frustrated City fans not to throw in
the towel.
Saturday's shock home loss to Port Vale was their fourth in a row as the
wheels come off.
But with only one of their League Two promotion rivals winning, the
Bantams are still just a point off the play-offs.
With seven games left to rescue the campaign, McCall is urging
supporters not to give up on his side.
He said: "You change focus throughout the season and you've got to be
realistic. My aim now is to go to Wembley.
"People might say 'not playing like that you won't' but it's my dream to
take 30,000 fans there. I've still got that belief.
"Confidence is not as strong because of the form we're in but we can't
have doom and gloom.
"We've lost four on the bounce and it's the wrong time to do that but
I'm not going to be down about it.
"I've got to be philosophical. The opportunity to have a successful
season is still there and we've got to remain positive and have that
belief."
It was City's first league defeat at Valley Parade since September as
Vale stole the points with their only shot on target.
Graeme Lee, twice, and Michael Boulding had efforts blocked on the line
and McCall said: "On another day, one or two of those would have gone in.
"Port Vale had a break away, one shot, one goal. They came with a game
plan and will say they carried it out. But we didn't play well enough to
break them down and didn't show enough craft.
"The times when we got the ball in, it didn't fall for us. There was a
lack of composure but that might be a little bit of edginess from the
run we're in.
"A few weeks ago, a lot of the lads were playing on top of their game.
At the moment that's not the case.
"I'm juggling things and it's there for people to say 'I'm playing well,
give me the shirt'. The belief is still there in the dressing room."
===========================
No FA ban for McCall
Stuart McCall has escaped a touchline ban after a successful appeal to the Football Association.
The City boss was sent to the stand during the 3-3 draw at Luton in January and was alleged to have sworn at the match officials.
But McCall has been fined for encroaching on the pitch and leaving the technical area.
Meanwhile, assistant Wayne Jacobs has been charged with improper conduct at Rochdale.
Jacobs was also dismissed from the dug-out following an altercation with Rochdale manager Keith Hill.
===========================
Vp on Google maps
Follow this link http://maps.google.co.uk/
Type in Bradford City fc, Drag your little yellow man in the top right of the screen over where you want to see on the google map and you can wander round valley parade :-)
===========================
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=46810838356
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
Bradford: Evans ,Rehman ,Clarke ,Lee ,O'Brien ,Jones ,Law ,Furman (Bullock ,78 ) ,Gillespie (Brandon ,69 ) ,Michael Boulding ,Paul Mullin
Subs not used: Arnison,McLaren,Colbeck,
Port Vale: Anyon ,Stockley ,McCombe ,Prosser ,Edwards ,Gall (Dodds ,69 ) ,Howland ,Griffith ,Marshall ,Taylor (Richman ,87 ) ,Richards
Subs not used Martin,Glover,Collins,
Bookings: Lee (Bradford) Griffith ,Howland ,Prosser (Port Vale)
Attendance: 12436
Referee: S J Bratt (West Midlands)
STAT ATTACK
Bantams / Valiants
10 Shots On Target 3
12 Shots Off Target 3
16 Fouls (Conceded) 22
8 Corners 1
2 Yellow Cards 3
0 Red Cards 0
Video highlights (UK only)
http://www.football.virginmedia.com/page/Football/League2/VideoIndex/0,,12555,00.html?mvnAssetId=3924887
***
Also in this issue:
No FA ban for McCall
Vp on Google maps
***
===========================
7 games Remaining
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html
===========================
Sorry statistics mount up for City
2:42pm Sunday 22nd March 2009
City 0, Port Vale 1
Lost: one plot. If found, please return to Valley Parade as quickly as possible to avoid massive disappointment.
Four defeats on the trot; five in a row away; the first home loss for six months. City's timing for the current slump is terrible.
The silver lining, for what it's worth, is that nobody in that top bracket is turning it on.
Nails are being chewed up and down League Two, hence the fact that only Rochdale emerged winners among all the play-off contenders – and they were facing Wycombe.
City, one point adrift of seventh-placed Shrewsbury, are still very much in the hunt by default – but favours from elsewhere will have no effect until they put their own house back in order.
Stuart McCall has had better fortnights than this last one. If the boss had hoped for a powerful response from his midweek ultimatum, he was left bitterly disappointed.
Port Vale, City's traditional whipping boys, came and did a job; ugly but effective.
Dean Glover, Vale's under-fire manager, sensed it was the perfect time to play City, who were vulnerable after the hat-trick of trip-ups on their travels.
He said: "We knew there would be a bit of pressure mounting. As we frustrated Bradford, you could feel the edginess in the supporters."
Those supporters, who have trailed the length and breadth of the country in the past couple of weeks, must be wondering how it can suddenly go so wrong.
And how about Mark Lawn, who ploughed an extra million into City's coffers a week ago and has since seen them crumble to Bournemouth and Port Vale?
Against the backdrop of their worst form of the season, he has still got to persuade fans to shell out early for next year's season tickets.
It was hardly the dream debut for Paul Mullin, the bustling targetman snapped up from Accrington to beef up City for the run-in.
The big fella could not be knocked for his efforts, and he won far more headers and flick-ons than the striker he was brought in to replace, but how ironic that Barry Conlon should score in his first game at Grimsby.
Mullin had seen Vale at close quarters four days earlier when they offered little resistance against Stanley. He hardly recognised them on Saturday.
"They were set up totally different and made it very difficult for us to break them down," admitted Mullin.
"Port Vale went 4-4-2 last week and obviously fancied getting a result at Accrington. They put five men across the middle of the park this time and it was hard to get the ball through.
"We had enough chances and Spike (Graeme Lee) has been unlucky with a couple of headers. They just seemed to be sticking legs out and the ball was hitting them.
"But you come to a stadium like this and people do raise their game. It's happened with me in the past.
"A cold Tuesday night at Accrington is a different occasion to here on a Saturday afternoon when they sun's out and you've got a big crowd.
"But you can't fault the work ethic of our lads. Unfortunately it was one of those frustrating games when the ball just wouldn't go in."
McCall was happy with his latest addition but felt the team could have played to his strengths more.
He said: "I don't think we put in enough crosses from high up the park. But in the main, Paul did everything we asked of him and it was a good debut."
Vale have had a wretched season since being relegated but there are a few notable notches on their belt, including a win at Shrewsbury in Glover's first game in charge after replacing Lee Sinnott.
They also tend to do better away from the home crowd who have been calling for the manager's head. But let's be honest here, they were not world beaters.
Vale looked another Macclesfield; another Chester. Having lost their previous six games against the Bantams – and not managed a single goal in those – they should have been cherry-picked as the perfect pick-me-up opponents.
Their ultra-defensive intentions were clear from the outset but we have been here before this season many, many times and usually City find a way to pick the lock.
After his encouraging cameo at Dean Court, Keith Gillespie got his first start and his quality was clear. But the lack of pace from his advancing years meant City could not stretch Vale down the right flank the way that a flying Joe Colbeck or Omar Daley could.
And with the visitors cramming everyone into midfield, the Northern Ireland international's room to whip in an early cross was heavily restricted.
He still produced some knowing passes and clever little balls in for Michael Boulding but not the production line that Mullin would have lapped up.
The game as a spectacle was not helped by the hapless efforts of referee Steve Bratt, who demonstrated he had learned little since his last farcical appearance at Valley Parade against Blackpool two years ago.
The West Midlands official showed little grasp of when to play advantage and his handling of Vale's physical tactics was lenient to put it mildly.
Centre half Luke Prosser, in particular, seemed to enjoy more lives than a cat in Baghdad high street.
Inevitably, Prosser was one of those who should stick a leg out at just the right time to divert a goal-bound header from Lee.
Anthony Griffith was another walking a disciplinary tightrope who defied Lee in front of goal, knowing little about it at the time as the header powered against his foot.
But City feared it would not be their day when Lee and Mullin flicked on from a free-kick and the loose ball sat up deliciously for Boulding and Steve Jones eight yards out.
The striker got there first and it looked a goal all the way but the ball hit the prone body of keeper Joe Anyon and somehow stayed in play.
As the frustration mounted, City's approach grew more direct. Unable to get things moving through the middle because of Vale's extra man, they resorted to the dreaded hoof-ball, which made watching even less palatable.
They could have been forgiven if something had come from it but instead the only goal was snatched at the other end four minutes into the second half.
City were caught cold on the counter after Gillespie's loose pass towards Dean Furman was picked off by Paul Marshall inside his own territory.
Suddenly there were more blue shirts up there than claret and amber. Lee briefly held up Marshall's surge but Matt Clarke missed the tackle and the unmarked David Howland swept home.
It was the first goal City had conceded at Valley Parade since Mullin's Accrington two months earlier. Having picked the ball out of his net, Rhys Evans was not troubled again.
But City, for all their huff and puff, could not dig out an equaliser. Their mad March goes on.
Attendance: 12,436
===========================
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/yorkshire-soccer/BRADFORD-CITY-Injury-giving-Heck39.5096432.jp
BRADFORD CITY: Injury giving Heck' the needle
By Lee Sobot
TO see Bradford City stuttering towards the League Two finish line is frustrating for all those associated with the Bantams.
However, nobody is riled more than crocked defender Paul Heckingbottom, who four months on has yet to recover from tendonitis.
Heckingbottom has not played since the FA Cup win at MK Dons on November 8 after picking up the injury which is ruining his season.
The defender finally looked set to return last month, but a reaction in training caused his problem to flare up once more and the experienced defender is now out for another fortnight having received dry needling treatment this week.
A form of therapeutic acupuncture involving injections into the tendon – Heckingbottom's treatment is arguably painful enough – but City's first three successive defeats of the season have hurt the six footer more.
Heckingbottom knows the Bantams have a glit-edged chance to escape League Two and is mightily frustrated he can do precious little about it.
"The start of the season I thought we had a massive opportunity and I still do – the league is that tight," he said.
"I just feel like we are letting ourselves down – we get into good positions, but it's one step forward, two steps back at the minute.
"It's frustrating not to be able to be out there playing.
"My injury is not going the best.
"About four or five weeks ago I was in training just ready to play again and then I just had a reaction.
"Now I'm having different treatment called dry needling.
"I have had treatment before when I first got diagnosed where you get injections put in like cortisone, anti-inflammatory injections but they didn't seem to work.
"This dry needling is meant to be good – they just shoot through your tendon a few times to cause damage to it and then you get the blood flowing and it starts the healing process all over again.
"It's not nice and it's not pleasant – you have an anaesthetic burst and just feel a movement inside and it just goes through you a little bit.
"It's just on the top of my hamstring tendon, right at the very top where the tendon attaches to the bone."
At 31, Heckingbottom has enjoyed a long and successful career spanning eight professional clubs plus Manchester United in his days as a youth player.
Never before, though, has the Barnsley-born footballer been hit quite so hard with injury.
"When I was younger I had operations on my groin which kept me out a similar time but apart from that I have been fit and able to play every week basically," he said.
"It's just frustrating and it's hard to deal with as well – that's one of the hardest things. It's not the pain of it, it's just hard work.
"According to the surgeon I need a couple of weeks rest now before I can start again.
"It's just been hard work as I've not been too far away for so long.
"It's just like that last little hurdle to get over but hopefully I will be all right sooner rather than later."
Scheduled to return in around a fortnight, the Bantams will then have just a handful of games remaining in which to set themselves up for a leap to League One – whether that be through the play-offs or one of the automatic promotion spots.
Frustrated Heckingbottom knows but for the recent blip in form, City would be among the bookmaker's favourites – though the defender knows the Bantams cannot live in the past.
"You look how tight it is and we are not out of it yet," he said.
"If we would have just won a couple more games we would have been in a great position but that was not to be. It's how we do now and we have got to get up there."
Nobody would take quite as much joy as Heckingbottom in joining in a Bantams promotion party but first things first the left-back is counting down the days until he celebrates his own personal triumph.
For Heckingbottom, just getting on the pitch will feel like a victory in itself.
"I'll be over the moon when I get back and just as soon as I get back with the lads in training," he said.
"It's been hard work – I have to spend a lot of time on my own and the rehab I have been doing has been a lot of hard work.
"I have been on my own in the gym, running and on the bike and it will be great when I get back to being a part of it again."
===========================
McCall still believes in Wembley target
Stuart McCall today pleaded with frustrated City fans not to throw in
the towel.
Saturday's shock home loss to Port Vale was their fourth in a row as the
wheels come off.
But with only one of their League Two promotion rivals winning, the
Bantams are still just a point off the play-offs.
With seven games left to rescue the campaign, McCall is urging
supporters not to give up on his side.
He said: "You change focus throughout the season and you've got to be
realistic. My aim now is to go to Wembley.
"People might say 'not playing like that you won't' but it's my dream to
take 30,000 fans there. I've still got that belief.
"Confidence is not as strong because of the form we're in but we can't
have doom and gloom.
"We've lost four on the bounce and it's the wrong time to do that but
I'm not going to be down about it.
"I've got to be philosophical. The opportunity to have a successful
season is still there and we've got to remain positive and have that
belief."
It was City's first league defeat at Valley Parade since September as
Vale stole the points with their only shot on target.
Graeme Lee, twice, and Michael Boulding had efforts blocked on the line
and McCall said: "On another day, one or two of those would have gone in.
"Port Vale had a break away, one shot, one goal. They came with a game
plan and will say they carried it out. But we didn't play well enough to
break them down and didn't show enough craft.
"The times when we got the ball in, it didn't fall for us. There was a
lack of composure but that might be a little bit of edginess from the
run we're in.
"A few weeks ago, a lot of the lads were playing on top of their game.
At the moment that's not the case.
"I'm juggling things and it's there for people to say 'I'm playing well,
give me the shirt'. The belief is still there in the dressing room."
===========================
No FA ban for McCall
Stuart McCall has escaped a touchline ban after a successful appeal to the Football Association.
The City boss was sent to the stand during the 3-3 draw at Luton in January and was alleged to have sworn at the match officials.
But McCall has been fined for encroaching on the pitch and leaving the technical area.
Meanwhile, assistant Wayne Jacobs has been charged with improper conduct at Rochdale.
Jacobs was also dismissed from the dug-out following an altercation with Rochdale manager Keith Hill.
===========================
Vp on Google maps
Follow this link http://maps.google.co.uk/
Type in Bradford City fc, Drag your little yellow man in the top right of the screen over where you want to see on the google map and you can wander round valley parade :-)
===========================
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=46810838356
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
Friday, March 20, 2009
Conlon out, Mullin in.
***
City face eight-game mini-season
Conlon Out - Mullin In
Matt Clarke
Thanks a Million
***
===========================
City face eight-game mini-season
Stuart McCall has underlined his determination to get it right and
lift City out of League Two.
But he also stressed that his threat to walk away if they missed the
play-offs is not an empty one.
McCall stunned fans, players and the club's joint-chairmen at
Bournemouth when he revealed he would quit if City did not finish in the
top seven.
His stance remains firm, although he is confident the scenario will not
arise.
McCall said: "My ambition and drive is to get this club promoted. We've
got eight games to go and I'm fully focused on amassing enough points to
give us a chance to do that.
"Whether it's a case of winning six out of eight to scrape into the top
three, or however many to get in the play-offs, come the final whistle
of the league campaign I want to make sure we are still involved in the
promotion scene.
"If we're not, then I won't have done my job well enough. If I can't get
a team in the top seven then it probably will be time for a change.
"What I said the other night wasn't something that I'd calculated. I got
asked the question about people being disappointed and I said 'put me on
the top of that list'.
"This is my job. I get paid to get this club out of this division and
that's what I intend to do.
"Face facts, we're in a results-based business. But that aside, we've
got eight 90 minutes of football now. It's effectively a brand new
season and what's gone is gone."
Only Shrewsbury and leaders Brentford have picked up more home points
than City and McCall is urging the fans to roar them on to another
success against Port Vale on Saturday to ease the jitters caused by
their away-day misery.
He said: "Don't think from what I've said that there's any lack of
desire, determination or drive from me.
"I'm speaking if we don't get in the play-offs but we fully intend to be
in that top seven – and we need the backing of the fans more than ever
to do that.
"Whether it's an 80-year-old granny or a young lad coming down, I can't
emphasise enough what part the supporters can play on Saturday.
"I just ask you bring your voices, your drums, everything you can to
help us be successful and get the points we need.
"The atmosphere at the Aldershot home game was fantastic and the noise
was going all round the ground. It would be great to recreate that again.
"The players have got to be doing it on the pitch to lift the crowd
sometimes and the fans can lift the team. It goes hand in hand because
we all want to achieve the same thing.
"I couldn't see us losing five away games on the trot but that's
happened and we can't change it – but we've got to influence what's in
front of us, starting with a win on Saturday."
City are not expected to risk Peter Thorne, even though he trained again
yesterday after the neck injury which kept him out at Bournemouth.
But they are trying to bring in a fresh face before the loan deadline
shuts on Thursday and McCall said: "You can never be certain but I'm
fairly hopeful that there will be one coming in."
===========================
Conlon Out - Mullin In
Confirmed that Barry Conlon has signed for Grimsby for the rest of the season. City have brought in 35 year old Paul Mullin from Accrington Stanley for the same period.
===========================
Paul Mullin
Stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=35754
Offical News item
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1596664,00.html
First joined Stanley in the summer of 1995 but after making his first team debut in September, he was surprisingly allowed to leave. He then played for Darwen, Trafford and Clitheroe before joining Radcliffe, where he was a huge success. After signing for Stanley in August 2000 he finished the season as leading scorer and Player of the Year, a feat he repeated a further five times. He has also won The Players Player of the Year Award four times in the last five seasons. Last season he was again the leading scorer and he also became the first Stanley player to top 400 appearances. Paul has missed only nine League games in his eight seasons at the club, a tremendous record.
===========================
Matt Clarke
- is off on loan too, but my source doesn't know which club he is off to.
===========================
Thanks a Million
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1596571,00.html
Mark Lawn has put another million pounds into City on Monday in order to wipe out anticipated debts for this season.
===========================
===========================
===========================
===========================
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=46810838356
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
L2 v Bournemouth (a) L1-4 Mar 17th 2009
Bournemouth 4-1 Bradford
Steve Fletcher scored two and set up the other two as Bournemouth easily beat Bradford at Dean Court.
The veteran striker drilled a low shot beyond City keeper Rhys Evans but Matthew Clarke headed the visitors level from Nicky Law's free-kick.
Mark Molesley's dummy and disguised pass found Fletcher lurking in space to add a second while Jeff Goulding arrowed in a third before half-time.
Fletcher then helped on a long-ball for Goulding to race clear and fire home.
Bournemouth: Jalal, Cummings, Pearce, Garry, Bradbury, Robinson, Molesley (Guyett 74), Hollands, Pitman, Goulding (Feeney 80), Fletcher (Bartley 65).
Subs Not Used: Pryce, Cooper.
Goals: Fletcher 4, 39, Goulding 40, 51.
Bradford: Evans, Arnison, Lee, Clarke, Rehman, Jones, Furman, Law, Brandon (Gillespie 64), Conlon, Michael Boulding.
Subs Not Used: McLaren, Bullock, Colbeck, O'Brien.
Goals: Clarke 25.
Att: 4,847
Ref: Phil Crossley (Kent).
Game Statistics
Cherries / Bantams
12 Goal Attempts 13
10 On Target 6
2 Crosses 7
5 Corners 5
17 Fouls 12
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0
***
Also in this issue:
5 more clubs will be in administration before the end of the month
L2 Play Off Dates announced
***
===========================
McCall threatens to quit Bradford
McCall has been in charge at Valley Parade since May 2007
Stuart McCall says he will quit his post as Bradford manager if they fail to reach the League Two play-offs.
The City boss made his outburst after a fifth consecutive away defeat, 4-1 at Bournemouth, that leaves the Bantams outside the play-off places.
He told BBC Radio Leeds: "If we are not in the play-offs at the end of the season, I will not be here.
"Nobody is hurting more than me but it's as simple as that, if we miss out I don't deserve to be here."
McCall, who only agreed a new two-year deal at Valley Parade last month, accused his side of "criminal" defending at Dean Court and admitted he was a worried man as the Bantams' promotion challenge threatens to come off the rails.
"It's my team that's out there - I tried to build it and we've had three really poor results," said McCall, whose side have eight games left to play.
"I'll look at my own position come the end of these eight games and if we're not in the play-offs then I won't be here.
"It's as simple as that because I can't go through that again - you say people are hurting but there's nobody hurting more than me so it's doing me no good."
City remained eighth in the League Two table after the defeat, below seventh-placed Shrewsbury on goal difference and five points adrift of an automatic promotion spot.
And McCall has demanded that his players bounce back against Port Vale on Saturday.
"We play Vale at home and then go to Chester, they are both must-win games," he added.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4210936.City_done_four_as_they_fail_to_stop_rot/
City done four as they fail to stop rot
7:40am Wednesday 18th March 2009
Bournemouth 4 City 1
City's week from hell ended in resounding defeat on the south coast last night.
Bournemouth joined Exeter and Rochdale on the Bantams' list of shame as the away slump was extended to five straight defeats.
The wheels are coming off – defensively at least – at the worst possible time.
Stuart McCall admitted afterwards that an automatic promotion slot now looks beyond them. And on this worrying evidence the play-offs are far from certain.
City can claim again that some of their play was quite bright and Bournemouth's finishing was super clinical but that will have been scant consolation as they made the long haul home in the early hours.
Stuart McCall will be wondering how a defence that is so water-tight on their own turf is suddenly leaking goals for fun away from home. Three of the four last night came from their own blunders and they could not handle Bournemouth's front two.
Once again the fans will need to be won over. Those who made the journey to Dean Court were left feeling very short-changed and angry.
Having conceded to Bournemouth's opening attack, Matt Clarke's first goal of the season gave City hope of some reward but it proved an illusion. A two-goal burst just before half-time and another straight after, aided by yet more indecision at the back, meant another case of travel sickness.
While resurgent Bournemouth took another big step towards safety, the promotion credentials of the visitors were left in tatters by this latest setback on the road.
Clarke and Barry Conlon were back after the off-field disciplinary matter which saw them banished to the stand at Exeter. Conlon replaced neck victim Peter Thorne and Clarke's return saw Zesh Rehman shuffle across to left back, with Luke O'Brien given a breather.
Rehman's extra height at full back made up for the lack of inches in midfield where, finally, Chris Brandon got his first City start – 11 months since his last one for Huddersfield.
Steve Jones, City's best player in Devon, fired off two shots in the opening two minutes – but City were stunned as Bournemouth roared in front with their first attack.
The home strikers were given too much room in the box for Jeff Goulding to set up veteran Steve Fletcher to drill past the exposed Rhys Evans from ten yards.
It was a calamitous start for the Bantams and a real test of character given the wretched away run of late.
They were almost level within five minutes as Dean Furman's deep cross found Conlon, whose header was superbly turned behind by keeper Shwan Jalal.
Michael Boulding teed up the Irishman again from City's next attack but his first-time effort sailed horribly high and wide.
City were seeing plenty of the ball again, although Goulding's willingness to chase after any cause kept the defence on their toes.
But City's response was rewarded with an equaliser after 24 minutes.
Bournemouth argued about the debatable free-kick given for a slight nudge on Jones to the side of the penalty area. But City weren't complaining as Law put the ball right on the button for Clarke to power a header past Jalal.
It was the first goal at home that the Cherries had conceded for an incredible 463 minutes. And it ended any City fears of a third straight blank on the road.
Bournemouth thought they had quickly restored their lead as Brett Pitman's corner sailed over Evans and flew directly into the net. Fortunately for City, the referee had seen an infringement to cut short the celebrations.
The close call did lift the Dean Court crowd, who had been surprisingly subdued up to that point.
City's own following, though a lot smaller than at St James Park, had been in typically good voice again.
But they were shocked into silence as Bournemouth suddenly struck twice in as many minutes to roar into a 3-1 lead.
Talisman Fletcher finished the first with aplomb after Mark Molesley had cut inside and threaded a perfect ball into his path.
And before City could recover their senses, they were cut further adrift after some shocking defending.
Clarke and Graeme Lee went for the same ball and ended up tackling each other, giving Goulding a clear run on goal to slot past Evans.
Boulding drilled a ball agonisingly across the six-yard box with Conlon unable to reach it as City looked for an instant way back. Then Law's shot was deflected behind and Conlon won the header from his corner but the ball did not fall for a white shirt.
The two-goal deficit at the break left Stuart McCall's men with a mountain to climb against a side unbeaten on their own patch under rookie chief Eddie Howe.
Another away defeat loomed large – and for the fourth time in five, City's goal had been breached at least three times.
Warren Cummings skinned the sliding Jones as Bournemouth roared out of the blocks again. Anton Robinson's lofted flick from his cross was clutched above his head by Evans.
City were allowing too many crosses and Evans saved from Fletcher's head after another dangerous ball in from Cummings.
But it was no surprise when Bournemouth made it 4-1 after 51 minutes. City were ripped open too easily once more after an awful header from Lee and Goulding made no mistake from close range.
Within seconds he was through on goal again and on for a hat-trick but, for once, the finish could not match the build-up.
Jones thumped over the Bournemouth bar and Boulding's drive was tipped on to the outside of the post by Jalal.
But the problems were at the other end and the frustrated away fans chanted for Mark Bower, currently on loan with Luton.
Instead it was Keith Gillespie who emerged off the bench with just under half an hour left. Not the ideal starting platform he would have envisaged.
He came on for Brandon, who had shown one or two tidy touches but is clearly still finding his way back.
As Jones switched flanks to the left, Gillespie almost had an immediate impact with a cross-shot which the diving Boulding was only inches from tucking away.
Conlon tried an ambitious 35-yarder which was greeted with catcalls from the away section and a chorus of "what a load of rubbish". Having travelled nearly 300 miles for nothing, their frustration was understandable.
Gillespie's arrival had improved their attacking play but there was no hint of a comeback as the gallows humour continued among the 221 hardy fans.
It's hard to keep spirits up after another long and fruitless journey – Wembley and the prospect of a play-off final date in May is getting further away.
===========================
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/yorkshire-soccer/Bradford-City-Fans39-fury-as.5081972.jp
Bradford City: Fans' fury as City crash
The travel-sick Bantams slumped to another heavy away defeat as resurgent Bournemouth cruised to victory at Dean Court.
The loss, Bradford's fifth in succession on the road, was met with fury at the final whistle with the City faithful demanding their money back from a long and fruitless trip to the south coast, which came just three days after a 1-0 reverse at Exeter .
A disastrous first half put paid to Bradford's hopes of climbing back into the play-off reckoning as the Cherries opened up a 3-1 interval lead.
City fell behind after just four minutes when Graeme Lee and Matt Clarke failed to deal with a ball on the edge of the box and striker Jeff Goulding found fellow frontman Steve Fletcher who beat Rhys Evans with the finish.
Clarke made amends for his indecision on 25 minutes when he headed home Nicky Law's free-kick, but that was as good as it got for Stuart McCall's faltering side.
The hosts regained the lead on 39 minutes through Fletcher and City had barely had time to catch their breath, as Bournemouth scored again within a minute.
This time Fletcher returned the compliment sending Goulding away and he raced 40 yards to beat Evans.
Six minutes after the restart, Goulding got his second and Bournemouth's fourth as he outpaced the flagging visiting defence.
The result leaves Bradford eighth in the table.
Bournemouth: Jalal, Cummings, Pearce, Garry, Bradbury, Robinson, Molesley, Hollands, Pitman, Goulding, Fletcher. Subs: Pryce, Feeney, Cooper, Guyett, Bartley.
Bradford: Evans, Arnison, Lee, Clarke, Rehman, Jones, Furman, Law, Brandon, Conlon, Michael Boulding. Subs: McLaren, Bullock, Colbeck, O'Brien, Gillespie.
Referee: Phil Crossley (Kent).
===========================
5 more clubs will be in administration before the end of the month
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-last-word-five-clubs-will-follow-us-into-administration-1645305.html
===========================
Play Off Dates announced
League Two play off fixtures
Semi-Final First Leg
Seventh v Fourth - Thursday 7th May - Kick off 7.45pm
Sixth v Fifth - Friday 8th May - Kick Off 7.45pm
Semi-Final Second Leg
Fourth v Seventh - Sunday 10th May - Kick off 6.30pm
Fifth v Sixth - Monday 11th May - Kick off 7.45pm
Final
Saturday 23rd May - Wembley Stadium - Kick Off 3.00pm
===========================
===========================
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***
Monday, March 16, 2009
L2 v Exeter City (a) L0-1 Mar 14th 2009
Coca-Cola League Two
Exeter City (1) 1 Moxey 20
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 5,253
Stats: Exeter - Bradford C
Possession: 52 - 48%
Shots on target: 2 - 5
Shots off target: 6 - 4
Fouls: 9 - 8 (Most fouls: Rehman 3)
Corners: 3 - 14
Ref: Andy Penn (Kingswinford).
Yellow cards:
Exeter: None
Bradford C: Rehman (83 min) unsporting behaviour.
Exeter: 27. Paul Jones, 29. Troy Archibald-Henville, 6. Matthew Taylor, 15.
Rob Edwards, 22. Liam Sercombe, 4. Matthew Gill, 30. Alex Russell, 21. Dean
Moxey, 16. Marcus Stewart, 9. Adam Stansfield, 12. Steve Basham (64).
Subs: 1. Andy Marriott (GK), 2. Steve Tully, 10. Craig McAllister, 18. Neil
Saunders, 20. Richard Logan (64).
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 2. Paul Arnison, 5. Graeme Lee, 33. Zeshan
Rehman, 19. Luke O'Brien, 23. Dean Furman (85), 8. Lee Bullock, 4. Paul
McLaren (64), 24. Nicky Law, 14. Michael Boulding, 25. Steve Jones.
Subs: 10. Peter Thorne (64), 11. Chris Brandon, 15. Joe Colbeck (85), 16.
Simon Ainge, 34. Keith Gillespie.
Next matches:
(A) Bournemouth. Tuesday March 17, 2009. K.O. 7:45PM.
(H) Port Vale. Saturday March 21, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM.
Last season: No results - Port Vale & Bournemouth both in League One.
This season: Bradford C 1-3 Bournemouth; Port Vale 0-2 Bradford C.
***
Also in this issue:
***
===========================
GRECIANS SECURE VITAL VICTORY
Exeter secured crucial points in the battle of two play-off hopefuls at St
James Park as Dean Moxey's strike earned a 1-0 win over Bradford City.
The Grecians scored the only goal of the game in the 20th minute and it was
somewhat fortuitous.
Moxey received the ball wide on the Exeter left and his attempted cross
deflected off Paul Arnison, looped high into the air, over the head of the
back-pedalling Rhys Evans in the Bradford goal and nestled in the far
corner.
The Bantams dominated the second half, but Exeter, whose shocking defensive
performance saw them crash to a 3-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth on
Tuesday, defended superbly. However, there were a few scares.
Nicky Law dragged Bradford's best chance of the game wide of the upright as
Troy Archibald-Henville and Liam Sercombe failed to deal with a cross into
the box.
Bradford should have been reduced to 10 men late in the game when Zesh
Rehman brought Adam Stansfield down as he went through on goal, but he
escaped with just a yellow card. Moxey took the resultant free-kick, but the
ball crashed back off the crossbar from 25 yards.
===========================
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Exeter-City-1-Bradford-City.5073019.jp
Exeter City 1 Bradford City 0: Freak strike sends City out of play-offs
Exeter City v Bradford City
BRADFORD City's promotion hopes suffered a blow after succumbing to one of the most bizarre goals of the season.
Dean Moxey's cross deflected off Paul Arnison and sailed over the head of goalkeeper Rhys Evans to hand Exeter victory and leave City out of the play-offs.
Bradford piled on the pressure after the break but were unable to break down a well-drilled Grecians rearguard.
"You don't always get what you deserve in football," moaned Bradford manager Stuart McCall. "And you had to be at this game to realise the goal that beat us was the freakiest goal ever."
The hosts fashioned the first chance, Steve Basham lifting a shot into the arms of Evans after nipping in front of Graeme Lee.
The Bantams hit back when Luke O'Brien's cross just eluded Michael Boulding at the back post.
Lee Bullock was unlucky to see his close-range header blocked by Matt Taylor and Steve Jones ended a swift breakaway by firing straight at Paul Jones
Bradford took a grip in the second half and Nicky Law almost took advantage of a poor back pass from Taylor before Jones cleared.
Law dragged a shot wide, Jones and Boulding tested Jones in quick succession and Peter Thorne headed over.
Bradford survived a scare in the closing moments when Moxey's stinging free-kick cannoned back off the crossbar.
Exeter City: Jones, Archibald-Henville, Taylor, Edwards; Sercombe, Moxey, Gill, Russell, Stewart; Basham (Logan, 64), Stansfield. Unused substitutes: Marriott, Tully, McAllister, Saunders.
Bradford City: Evans, Arnison, O'Brien, Rehman Lee; Jones, McLaren (Thorne, 64), Furman (Colbeck, 85), Bullock; Law, Boulding. Unused substitutes: Brandon, Ainge, Gillespie.
Referee: A Penn (West Midlands).
Man of the match: Steve Jones.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4204198.City_take_a_plunge_as_up_and_down_season_continues/
City take a plunge as up and down season continues
7:30am Monday 16th March 2009
If City are going to scramble out of this division, it's going to be done the hard way.
But didn't we know that would always be the case.
Even when they set off like the clappers winning five of the first six, we knew the fall was coming.
It's not so much a roller-coaster watching this lot. More like a bungee jump.
So within the space of a week, fourth place after thrashing Aldershot becomes eighth following yet another loss on the road.
Panic should not set in just because City have dropped below the play-off cut-off. It's only goal difference – though how costly could those Rochdale penalties prove to be – and still just three points separate them from the last automatic slot.
But as the games tick away, it becomes more difficult to retain a sense of perspective.
Of course, City shouldn't have lost on Saturday. Exeter got the advantage of a fluke goal and looked a very ordinary side.
As one local newspaper scribe said afterwards: "Nobody has bossed us at home this season like Bradford did."
But Exeter still bagged the three points to bolster their own promotion credentials. City, on the other hand, just collected another hard-luck tale.
There will be little sympathy kicking around afterwards if these away-day traumas add up to another year in the basement. It's no good complaining that there was nothing in it when City have again finished with nothing.
Gillingham aside, they have now lost away to all their promotion rivals. Stuart McCall could justifiably put a case for his team in every one of those games but you cannot argue with the facts.
The sickener on Saturday was the freak nature of Dean Moxey's 20th-minute winner.
It was a cross from the touchline that clipped Graeme Lee's shoulder, sending the ball looping over Rhys Evans in the City net. The keeper might have been better wearing a cap against the sun, as he seemed momentarily transfixed before scrambling unsuccessfully to try and claw it out.
From that moment, the game followed a familiar pattern. Attack against defence with City doing all the right things until they reached the penalty box and ran out of ideas.
The biggest drama had been before kick-off when the team sheet was read out.
No Barry Conlon or Matt Clarke at all after a "non-football" incident that McCall would not elaborate on.
No Peter Thorne either because of a ricked neck. And no Keith Gillespie or Chris Brandon.
Instead, there were potentially four central midfielders, a winger and one striker. Cue much head-scratching wondering how they would line up.
It turned out that Nicky Law was playing as the other frontman just off Michael Boulding. Steve Jones was on the right with the three in the middle matching up Exeter.
Paul McLaren was given the job of sitting on Marcus Stewart while Luke O'Brien effectively operated as a left-wing back to cover the gap of a wideman in front of him. McCall pointed out that the system did its job. With a sharper edge around the Exeter box, City would have taken at least a share of the spoils.
But in the cold light of day, the result will colour judgments. The means did not justify the end.
Over City 500 fans had made the 300-mile slog to deepest Devon. Given that only nearby Bournemouth and Brentford have taken more to St James Park this season, it was as impressive a turn-out as the near 3,000 who went to Rochdale.
As has been the case too often since the turn of the year, they traipsed away empty-handed and deflated.
The sense of frustration was made clear to McCall at half-time when one fan had a go at him "for playing 4-5-1".
McCall went over to see him - not for a Colin Todd style confrontation but just to point out that City did have two up front.
He said: "It's hard for me to criticise or point fingers. I know there always seems to be someone to blame and if people want to do that, then blame me.
"But it's a shape we were comfortable with and certainly wasn't done in any negative way. If Thorney had been fit to start, I would still have gone with the same shape but a different personnel."
City's corner count of 14, seven in each half, underlined their dominance of possession. They also had the best player on the pitch in Jones who took his recent hot form as a left winger on to his natural right with equal effect.
But breaking up the Law/Dean Furman midfield axis affected City's rhythm. McLaren did a tidy job in shutting down Stewart while Lee Bullock huffed and puffed, but there wasn't that spark there that gives the team so much energy.
Bullock, though, could have put City in front six minutes before the goal when his free header from Law's corner bounced off Matt Taylor's heel right in front of the Exeter net. Boulding was also millimetres away from touching home O'Brien's cross-shot after Jones had created space for the young left back.
Then Exeter struck in fortuitous fashion and another game of frustration began.
Law curled one just wide but he squandered a golden chance to level just before the hour as Exeter grew increasingly twitchy at the back.
Liam Sercombe and Troy Archibald-Henville got in each other's way both going for the same clearance and the loose ball popped out to Law ten yards from goal. He only had to hit the target with his volley but rushed and screwed it horribly off target.
City's corners continued to mount up but all passed without seriously troubling the uneasy home defence.
Even Thorne, when he came on, could not lift the sense of attacking malaise. Slipping in behind his marker, he could not get the ball under control and was unable to get a shot off with only keeper Paul Jones facing him.
And Exeter almost nicked a second in stoppage time. Zesh Rehman was lucky the card was yellow rather than red after he hauled down Adam Stansfield in the clear.
Moxey's free-kick was arrowing towards the top corner but Evans, who had not been over-worked, alertly touched it on to the bar.
Jones admitted: "We're all deeply disappointed. Our fans have travelled all this way and the manner of defeat is hard to take.
"But we're professional players and we have to regroup now. We're together for a few days so hopefully we can get a bit of bonding and rebuild our confidence for Bournemouth."
Expect another changed line-up tomorrow. The key question, though, is whether City can change the record.
===========================
Bradford manager Stuart McCall will recall both Barry Conlon and Matt Clarke to his squad for the midweek clash at Bournemouth.
McCall has refused to reveal why the pair were axed for Saturday's defeat at Exeter with the club announcing they had been dropped for "breach of club discipline".
McCall told the club's official website: "It's an internal matter and has been dealt with in the dressing room. It's a non-football related issue and they've been punished for it.
"We'll keep it private, but it's over and done with now. They are both back in the squad."
McCall will be hoping Peter Thorne can shake off a stiff neck to start after being forced to partner midfielder Nicky Law up front alongside Michael Boulding at Exeter.
Keith Gillespie is hoping to make his start after remaining on the bench on Saturday, while summer signing Chris Brandon is also closing in on his first start following a long-term ankle injury.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcheadlines/4204194.Conlon_and_Clarke_disciplined_by_City/
Conlon and Clarke disciplined by City
7:40am Monday 16th March 2009
Stuart McCall insists axed duo Barry Conlon and Matt Clarke will be back in his Bournemouth battle plans tomorrow.
The pair were dropped completely from Saturday's loss at Exeter following a breach of club discipline.
McCall refused to go into details about the offence but confirmed that the two players had been punished. He said: "It's an internal matter and has been dealt with in the dressing room. It's a non-football related issue and they've been punished for it.
"We'll keep it private but it's over and done with now. They are both back in the squad."
City head for Dean Court on the back of four straight away defeats. They have lost both games since thrashing Aldershot 5-0 nine days ago.
The 1-0 slip-up at Exeter, to a freak deflected cross-cum-shot, dropped McCall's men out of the play-off zone on goal difference.
But the City chief remains adamant that the third automatic promotion slot is well within their reach.
McCall added: "There's still only three points in it so of course we're aiming for that third spot.
"We have to make sure we finish in the top seven but that doesn't take our focus away from wanting to win every game.
"If we went on a little run again and won our next two or three, we could well be looking at third. We're not being stupid enough to say we're out of it.
"There's a long way to go yet and if we have to settle for a trip to Wembley then naturally we will do that. But we do need a couple of wins back under our belt quickly. We should have got something from Exeter but we didn't and we have to put that right."
City controlled large periods of a dour game but fired their second blank in a week after Dean Moxey's 20th-minute fluke clinch the victory.
Peter Thorne was limited to a bench role because of a stiff neck so McCall employed Nicky Law as a makeshift strike partner for Michael Boulding.
McCall said: "Thorney wasn't even going to be on the bench but he was desperate to be involved. We were out of options.
"The last time Lawsy played up front for Sheffield United reserves he scored four so we just went for something a little different.
"I don't think anyone would say we didn't deserve at least a point. There was no lack in effort or desire, just not enough cutting edge because we had three or four respectable chances.
"It wasn't another Barnet; it wasn't a poor performance. We just didn't do enough in the penalty box. We got done the other night by two dubious decisions and now we've been done by a freak goal. We were on top for most parts of the game."
===========================
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/football/Huge-slice-luck-ensures-Grecians-Bradford-joint/article-771998-detail/article.html
Huge slice of luck ensures Grecians see off Bradford and go joint third
Monday, March 16, 2009, 05:53THE mark of a successful side often comes down to how they respond to a setback — and Exeter City seem to have mastered the art of bouncing back in fine style.
A stroke of outrageous luck ensured the Grecians became the only side in the top 10 of Coca-Cola League Two to take three points at the weekend.
Dean Moxey's cross took a wicked deflection off Paul Arnison and sailed over the head of back-tracking keeper Rhys Evans.
Lucky it might have been, but there have been plenty of times this season when City have been on the receiving end of undeserved misfortune.
But the story of this triumph wasn't just about Moxey's slice of fortune, it was about a heroic backs-to-the-wall rearguard action as City weathered a second half storm from their promotion-chasing guests.
While Bradford created very few clear-cut chances, they had enough possession and territorial advantage to take a point home from St James's Park.
Not that it will bother Paul Tisdale's side because at this stage of the season points are all that matter.
City remain on course for a second successive promotion as they took advantage of slip-ups from all their major rivals to go level on points with third-placed Rochdale.
After the gloom that engulfed St James's Park following Tuesday night's 3-1 defeat against Bournemouth came the ecstasy of a crucial victory over Stuart McCall's side.
While City have made a reputation for slick attacking football this season, they had to show a different part of their game on Saturday.
They were forced to dig deep, roll up their sleeves and protect their slender lead with some resolute and sometimes last-ditch defending.
Desperation has its virtues, however, and there was much to commend Matt Taylor's immense aerial prowess and Troy Archibald-Henville's bravery.
Rob Edwards used all his experience to repel the second half bombardment and Paul Jones must have been thankful for the solid blockade in front of him.
It might not have been the prettiest of games, yet it was nail-biting stuff. And although Bradford piled on the pressure, City never looked as though they would buckle.
The facts speak for themselves — just one defeat in their last 10 games and 21 points out of 30 underlines City's transformation from play-off hopefuls to genuine automatic promotion contenders.
While Moxey claimed the plaudits for his match-winning strike, Liam Sercombe delivered his most accomplished display of the season after being brought back into the side at the expense of Neil Saunders.
Nobody in the City camp would entertain the concept of revenge in the build-up to this game, but the victory must go some way to banishing City's memories of their 4-1 drubbing at Valley Parade earlier in the season.
City fashioned the first chance of the match when Steve Basham lifted the ball harmlessly into the arms of Evans after the striker had nipped in front of Graeme Lee.
McCall's side showed their first threat when Luke O'Brien's cross flashed along the six-yard box and narrowly eluded the run of Michael Boulding.
Nicky Law's header brought a timely block out of Taylor and Archibald-Henville spared Matt Gill's blushes after the midfielder's miscued header fell invitingly into the path of Boulding.
And although the visitors enjoyed the lion's share of possession, City always carried the more incisive threat.
Adam Stansfield teed up Basham for a shot that fizzed wide before Moxey broke the deadlock with his deflected left wing cross.
Basham then planted a header over the bar and Liam Sercombe skipped past two challenges before scooping wastefully over the crossbar.
On the stroke of half-time Moxey cut inside his marker and rolled the ball into the arms of Evans. City's hearts were in their mouths after the restart as Nicky Law almost pounced on Taylor's header, only for Jones to race out of his area and rescue the danger.
More confusion at the back allowed Law a clear sight of goal, but he dragged his effort wide of the upright.
The hosts were dealt a blow on 64 minutes, when Basham limped out of action following a tangle with Dean Furman. Richard Logan made his first appearance in four matches as Basham's replacement.
Jones pulled off two comfortable saves to deny namesake Steve Jones and Boulding in quick succession as Bradford poured forward.
Substitute Peter Thorne powered a header over the crossbar after Jones was caught out from a Law corner.
City summoned the energy to drive forward in the dying minutes and Stansfield should have teed up Logan instead of firing just past the angle of post and bar.
Moxey came close to adding some gloss to the victory with a sweet free-kick that crashed against the crossbar.
But for City the bubble shows little sign of bursting.
===========================
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/football/Deano-glad-goals/article-772000-detail/article.html
Deano glad to be back in the goals
Monday, March 16, 2009, 05:55MATCH-WINNER Dean Moxey insists Exeter City have the character to clinch automatic promotion after they secured a crucial 1-0 win over Bradford City on Saturday.
The defender fired City to their 10th home win of the season after scoring a goal described by Bantams boss Stuart McCall as the 'freakiest goal ever seen'.
Moxey's cross deflected off Bradford defender Paul Arnison and looped over backtracking keeper Rhys Evans for his fifth goal of the season.
And the 23-year-old believes promotion-chasing City deserved their slice of fortune as they moved joint third with Rochdale, Bury and Gillingham in the race for automatic promotion.
"This was a massive three points," said Moxey. "We haven't had a lot of luck this season but sometimes you have to work hard to get that little bit of luck.
"I saw Steve Basham in the middle so I crossed the ball and it has taken a little nick off one of their defenders and went over their keeper. But there is no doubt about the goal — it was mine.
"I haven't scored for a little while and that is what I like doing. I like defending as well but I love scoring goals, especially in front of the Big Bank, and it was fantastic to get back on the scoresheet."
Moxey believes City have proved they have got the right spirit to stay in the hunt for automatic promotion to League One.
And he says that City's backs-to-the-wall performance at the weekend — which came just a few days after a 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth — shows they have learned the art of grinding out wins.
"It was a really good team performance," said Moxey. "You have to mix it up now and again and we knew this was going to be a hard game.
"We had to work exceptionally hard to get the win and we ground out the result and got a valuable three points.
"We didn't plan on defending the whole game but we got that goal and then did what we needed to do to hold on to the lead.
"It would have been nice to have got the second, but teams like Manchester United win 1-0 all the time and that's what we need to be doing.
"When we lost 6-1 against Chesterfield we came back and played really well and we have bounced back again this time.
"The manager doesn't let us dwell on a defeat and we were determined to get the Bournemouth game out of our system.
"We showed a different part of our game and proved we can defend a lead. They battered our goal but I don't think they created that much clear-cut and Jonesy (Paul Jones) didn't have that many saves to make."
===========================
===========================
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***
Exeter City (1) 1 Moxey 20
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 5,253
Stats: Exeter - Bradford C
Possession: 52 - 48%
Shots on target: 2 - 5
Shots off target: 6 - 4
Fouls: 9 - 8 (Most fouls: Rehman 3)
Corners: 3 - 14
Ref: Andy Penn (Kingswinford).
Yellow cards:
Exeter: None
Bradford C: Rehman (83 min) unsporting behaviour.
Exeter: 27. Paul Jones, 29. Troy Archibald-Henville, 6. Matthew Taylor, 15.
Rob Edwards, 22. Liam Sercombe, 4. Matthew Gill, 30. Alex Russell, 21. Dean
Moxey, 16. Marcus Stewart, 9. Adam Stansfield, 12. Steve Basham (64).
Subs: 1. Andy Marriott (GK), 2. Steve Tully, 10. Craig McAllister, 18. Neil
Saunders, 20. Richard Logan (64).
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 2. Paul Arnison, 5. Graeme Lee, 33. Zeshan
Rehman, 19. Luke O'Brien, 23. Dean Furman (85), 8. Lee Bullock, 4. Paul
McLaren (64), 24. Nicky Law, 14. Michael Boulding, 25. Steve Jones.
Subs: 10. Peter Thorne (64), 11. Chris Brandon, 15. Joe Colbeck (85), 16.
Simon Ainge, 34. Keith Gillespie.
Next matches:
(A) Bournemouth. Tuesday March 17, 2009. K.O. 7:45PM.
(H) Port Vale. Saturday March 21, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM.
Last season: No results - Port Vale & Bournemouth both in League One.
This season: Bradford C 1-3 Bournemouth; Port Vale 0-2 Bradford C.
***
Also in this issue:
***
===========================
GRECIANS SECURE VITAL VICTORY
Exeter secured crucial points in the battle of two play-off hopefuls at St
James Park as Dean Moxey's strike earned a 1-0 win over Bradford City.
The Grecians scored the only goal of the game in the 20th minute and it was
somewhat fortuitous.
Moxey received the ball wide on the Exeter left and his attempted cross
deflected off Paul Arnison, looped high into the air, over the head of the
back-pedalling Rhys Evans in the Bradford goal and nestled in the far
corner.
The Bantams dominated the second half, but Exeter, whose shocking defensive
performance saw them crash to a 3-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth on
Tuesday, defended superbly. However, there were a few scares.
Nicky Law dragged Bradford's best chance of the game wide of the upright as
Troy Archibald-Henville and Liam Sercombe failed to deal with a cross into
the box.
Bradford should have been reduced to 10 men late in the game when Zesh
Rehman brought Adam Stansfield down as he went through on goal, but he
escaped with just a yellow card. Moxey took the resultant free-kick, but the
ball crashed back off the crossbar from 25 yards.
===========================
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Exeter-City-1-Bradford-City.5073019.jp
Exeter City 1 Bradford City 0: Freak strike sends City out of play-offs
Exeter City v Bradford City
BRADFORD City's promotion hopes suffered a blow after succumbing to one of the most bizarre goals of the season.
Dean Moxey's cross deflected off Paul Arnison and sailed over the head of goalkeeper Rhys Evans to hand Exeter victory and leave City out of the play-offs.
Bradford piled on the pressure after the break but were unable to break down a well-drilled Grecians rearguard.
"You don't always get what you deserve in football," moaned Bradford manager Stuart McCall. "And you had to be at this game to realise the goal that beat us was the freakiest goal ever."
The hosts fashioned the first chance, Steve Basham lifting a shot into the arms of Evans after nipping in front of Graeme Lee.
The Bantams hit back when Luke O'Brien's cross just eluded Michael Boulding at the back post.
Lee Bullock was unlucky to see his close-range header blocked by Matt Taylor and Steve Jones ended a swift breakaway by firing straight at Paul Jones
Bradford took a grip in the second half and Nicky Law almost took advantage of a poor back pass from Taylor before Jones cleared.
Law dragged a shot wide, Jones and Boulding tested Jones in quick succession and Peter Thorne headed over.
Bradford survived a scare in the closing moments when Moxey's stinging free-kick cannoned back off the crossbar.
Exeter City: Jones, Archibald-Henville, Taylor, Edwards; Sercombe, Moxey, Gill, Russell, Stewart; Basham (Logan, 64), Stansfield. Unused substitutes: Marriott, Tully, McAllister, Saunders.
Bradford City: Evans, Arnison, O'Brien, Rehman Lee; Jones, McLaren (Thorne, 64), Furman (Colbeck, 85), Bullock; Law, Boulding. Unused substitutes: Brandon, Ainge, Gillespie.
Referee: A Penn (West Midlands).
Man of the match: Steve Jones.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4204198.City_take_a_plunge_as_up_and_down_season_continues/
City take a plunge as up and down season continues
7:30am Monday 16th March 2009
If City are going to scramble out of this division, it's going to be done the hard way.
But didn't we know that would always be the case.
Even when they set off like the clappers winning five of the first six, we knew the fall was coming.
It's not so much a roller-coaster watching this lot. More like a bungee jump.
So within the space of a week, fourth place after thrashing Aldershot becomes eighth following yet another loss on the road.
Panic should not set in just because City have dropped below the play-off cut-off. It's only goal difference – though how costly could those Rochdale penalties prove to be – and still just three points separate them from the last automatic slot.
But as the games tick away, it becomes more difficult to retain a sense of perspective.
Of course, City shouldn't have lost on Saturday. Exeter got the advantage of a fluke goal and looked a very ordinary side.
As one local newspaper scribe said afterwards: "Nobody has bossed us at home this season like Bradford did."
But Exeter still bagged the three points to bolster their own promotion credentials. City, on the other hand, just collected another hard-luck tale.
There will be little sympathy kicking around afterwards if these away-day traumas add up to another year in the basement. It's no good complaining that there was nothing in it when City have again finished with nothing.
Gillingham aside, they have now lost away to all their promotion rivals. Stuart McCall could justifiably put a case for his team in every one of those games but you cannot argue with the facts.
The sickener on Saturday was the freak nature of Dean Moxey's 20th-minute winner.
It was a cross from the touchline that clipped Graeme Lee's shoulder, sending the ball looping over Rhys Evans in the City net. The keeper might have been better wearing a cap against the sun, as he seemed momentarily transfixed before scrambling unsuccessfully to try and claw it out.
From that moment, the game followed a familiar pattern. Attack against defence with City doing all the right things until they reached the penalty box and ran out of ideas.
The biggest drama had been before kick-off when the team sheet was read out.
No Barry Conlon or Matt Clarke at all after a "non-football" incident that McCall would not elaborate on.
No Peter Thorne either because of a ricked neck. And no Keith Gillespie or Chris Brandon.
Instead, there were potentially four central midfielders, a winger and one striker. Cue much head-scratching wondering how they would line up.
It turned out that Nicky Law was playing as the other frontman just off Michael Boulding. Steve Jones was on the right with the three in the middle matching up Exeter.
Paul McLaren was given the job of sitting on Marcus Stewart while Luke O'Brien effectively operated as a left-wing back to cover the gap of a wideman in front of him. McCall pointed out that the system did its job. With a sharper edge around the Exeter box, City would have taken at least a share of the spoils.
But in the cold light of day, the result will colour judgments. The means did not justify the end.
Over City 500 fans had made the 300-mile slog to deepest Devon. Given that only nearby Bournemouth and Brentford have taken more to St James Park this season, it was as impressive a turn-out as the near 3,000 who went to Rochdale.
As has been the case too often since the turn of the year, they traipsed away empty-handed and deflated.
The sense of frustration was made clear to McCall at half-time when one fan had a go at him "for playing 4-5-1".
McCall went over to see him - not for a Colin Todd style confrontation but just to point out that City did have two up front.
He said: "It's hard for me to criticise or point fingers. I know there always seems to be someone to blame and if people want to do that, then blame me.
"But it's a shape we were comfortable with and certainly wasn't done in any negative way. If Thorney had been fit to start, I would still have gone with the same shape but a different personnel."
City's corner count of 14, seven in each half, underlined their dominance of possession. They also had the best player on the pitch in Jones who took his recent hot form as a left winger on to his natural right with equal effect.
But breaking up the Law/Dean Furman midfield axis affected City's rhythm. McLaren did a tidy job in shutting down Stewart while Lee Bullock huffed and puffed, but there wasn't that spark there that gives the team so much energy.
Bullock, though, could have put City in front six minutes before the goal when his free header from Law's corner bounced off Matt Taylor's heel right in front of the Exeter net. Boulding was also millimetres away from touching home O'Brien's cross-shot after Jones had created space for the young left back.
Then Exeter struck in fortuitous fashion and another game of frustration began.
Law curled one just wide but he squandered a golden chance to level just before the hour as Exeter grew increasingly twitchy at the back.
Liam Sercombe and Troy Archibald-Henville got in each other's way both going for the same clearance and the loose ball popped out to Law ten yards from goal. He only had to hit the target with his volley but rushed and screwed it horribly off target.
City's corners continued to mount up but all passed without seriously troubling the uneasy home defence.
Even Thorne, when he came on, could not lift the sense of attacking malaise. Slipping in behind his marker, he could not get the ball under control and was unable to get a shot off with only keeper Paul Jones facing him.
And Exeter almost nicked a second in stoppage time. Zesh Rehman was lucky the card was yellow rather than red after he hauled down Adam Stansfield in the clear.
Moxey's free-kick was arrowing towards the top corner but Evans, who had not been over-worked, alertly touched it on to the bar.
Jones admitted: "We're all deeply disappointed. Our fans have travelled all this way and the manner of defeat is hard to take.
"But we're professional players and we have to regroup now. We're together for a few days so hopefully we can get a bit of bonding and rebuild our confidence for Bournemouth."
Expect another changed line-up tomorrow. The key question, though, is whether City can change the record.
===========================
Bradford manager Stuart McCall will recall both Barry Conlon and Matt Clarke to his squad for the midweek clash at Bournemouth.
McCall has refused to reveal why the pair were axed for Saturday's defeat at Exeter with the club announcing they had been dropped for "breach of club discipline".
McCall told the club's official website: "It's an internal matter and has been dealt with in the dressing room. It's a non-football related issue and they've been punished for it.
"We'll keep it private, but it's over and done with now. They are both back in the squad."
McCall will be hoping Peter Thorne can shake off a stiff neck to start after being forced to partner midfielder Nicky Law up front alongside Michael Boulding at Exeter.
Keith Gillespie is hoping to make his start after remaining on the bench on Saturday, while summer signing Chris Brandon is also closing in on his first start following a long-term ankle injury.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcheadlines/4204194.Conlon_and_Clarke_disciplined_by_City/
Conlon and Clarke disciplined by City
7:40am Monday 16th March 2009
Stuart McCall insists axed duo Barry Conlon and Matt Clarke will be back in his Bournemouth battle plans tomorrow.
The pair were dropped completely from Saturday's loss at Exeter following a breach of club discipline.
McCall refused to go into details about the offence but confirmed that the two players had been punished. He said: "It's an internal matter and has been dealt with in the dressing room. It's a non-football related issue and they've been punished for it.
"We'll keep it private but it's over and done with now. They are both back in the squad."
City head for Dean Court on the back of four straight away defeats. They have lost both games since thrashing Aldershot 5-0 nine days ago.
The 1-0 slip-up at Exeter, to a freak deflected cross-cum-shot, dropped McCall's men out of the play-off zone on goal difference.
But the City chief remains adamant that the third automatic promotion slot is well within their reach.
McCall added: "There's still only three points in it so of course we're aiming for that third spot.
"We have to make sure we finish in the top seven but that doesn't take our focus away from wanting to win every game.
"If we went on a little run again and won our next two or three, we could well be looking at third. We're not being stupid enough to say we're out of it.
"There's a long way to go yet and if we have to settle for a trip to Wembley then naturally we will do that. But we do need a couple of wins back under our belt quickly. We should have got something from Exeter but we didn't and we have to put that right."
City controlled large periods of a dour game but fired their second blank in a week after Dean Moxey's 20th-minute fluke clinch the victory.
Peter Thorne was limited to a bench role because of a stiff neck so McCall employed Nicky Law as a makeshift strike partner for Michael Boulding.
McCall said: "Thorney wasn't even going to be on the bench but he was desperate to be involved. We were out of options.
"The last time Lawsy played up front for Sheffield United reserves he scored four so we just went for something a little different.
"I don't think anyone would say we didn't deserve at least a point. There was no lack in effort or desire, just not enough cutting edge because we had three or four respectable chances.
"It wasn't another Barnet; it wasn't a poor performance. We just didn't do enough in the penalty box. We got done the other night by two dubious decisions and now we've been done by a freak goal. We were on top for most parts of the game."
===========================
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/football/Huge-slice-luck-ensures-Grecians-Bradford-joint/article-771998-detail/article.html
Huge slice of luck ensures Grecians see off Bradford and go joint third
Monday, March 16, 2009, 05:53THE mark of a successful side often comes down to how they respond to a setback — and Exeter City seem to have mastered the art of bouncing back in fine style.
A stroke of outrageous luck ensured the Grecians became the only side in the top 10 of Coca-Cola League Two to take three points at the weekend.
Dean Moxey's cross took a wicked deflection off Paul Arnison and sailed over the head of back-tracking keeper Rhys Evans.
Lucky it might have been, but there have been plenty of times this season when City have been on the receiving end of undeserved misfortune.
But the story of this triumph wasn't just about Moxey's slice of fortune, it was about a heroic backs-to-the-wall rearguard action as City weathered a second half storm from their promotion-chasing guests.
While Bradford created very few clear-cut chances, they had enough possession and territorial advantage to take a point home from St James's Park.
Not that it will bother Paul Tisdale's side because at this stage of the season points are all that matter.
City remain on course for a second successive promotion as they took advantage of slip-ups from all their major rivals to go level on points with third-placed Rochdale.
After the gloom that engulfed St James's Park following Tuesday night's 3-1 defeat against Bournemouth came the ecstasy of a crucial victory over Stuart McCall's side.
While City have made a reputation for slick attacking football this season, they had to show a different part of their game on Saturday.
They were forced to dig deep, roll up their sleeves and protect their slender lead with some resolute and sometimes last-ditch defending.
Desperation has its virtues, however, and there was much to commend Matt Taylor's immense aerial prowess and Troy Archibald-Henville's bravery.
Rob Edwards used all his experience to repel the second half bombardment and Paul Jones must have been thankful for the solid blockade in front of him.
It might not have been the prettiest of games, yet it was nail-biting stuff. And although Bradford piled on the pressure, City never looked as though they would buckle.
The facts speak for themselves — just one defeat in their last 10 games and 21 points out of 30 underlines City's transformation from play-off hopefuls to genuine automatic promotion contenders.
While Moxey claimed the plaudits for his match-winning strike, Liam Sercombe delivered his most accomplished display of the season after being brought back into the side at the expense of Neil Saunders.
Nobody in the City camp would entertain the concept of revenge in the build-up to this game, but the victory must go some way to banishing City's memories of their 4-1 drubbing at Valley Parade earlier in the season.
City fashioned the first chance of the match when Steve Basham lifted the ball harmlessly into the arms of Evans after the striker had nipped in front of Graeme Lee.
McCall's side showed their first threat when Luke O'Brien's cross flashed along the six-yard box and narrowly eluded the run of Michael Boulding.
Nicky Law's header brought a timely block out of Taylor and Archibald-Henville spared Matt Gill's blushes after the midfielder's miscued header fell invitingly into the path of Boulding.
And although the visitors enjoyed the lion's share of possession, City always carried the more incisive threat.
Adam Stansfield teed up Basham for a shot that fizzed wide before Moxey broke the deadlock with his deflected left wing cross.
Basham then planted a header over the bar and Liam Sercombe skipped past two challenges before scooping wastefully over the crossbar.
On the stroke of half-time Moxey cut inside his marker and rolled the ball into the arms of Evans. City's hearts were in their mouths after the restart as Nicky Law almost pounced on Taylor's header, only for Jones to race out of his area and rescue the danger.
More confusion at the back allowed Law a clear sight of goal, but he dragged his effort wide of the upright.
The hosts were dealt a blow on 64 minutes, when Basham limped out of action following a tangle with Dean Furman. Richard Logan made his first appearance in four matches as Basham's replacement.
Jones pulled off two comfortable saves to deny namesake Steve Jones and Boulding in quick succession as Bradford poured forward.
Substitute Peter Thorne powered a header over the crossbar after Jones was caught out from a Law corner.
City summoned the energy to drive forward in the dying minutes and Stansfield should have teed up Logan instead of firing just past the angle of post and bar.
Moxey came close to adding some gloss to the victory with a sweet free-kick that crashed against the crossbar.
But for City the bubble shows little sign of bursting.
===========================
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/football/Deano-glad-goals/article-772000-detail/article.html
Deano glad to be back in the goals
Monday, March 16, 2009, 05:55MATCH-WINNER Dean Moxey insists Exeter City have the character to clinch automatic promotion after they secured a crucial 1-0 win over Bradford City on Saturday.
The defender fired City to their 10th home win of the season after scoring a goal described by Bantams boss Stuart McCall as the 'freakiest goal ever seen'.
Moxey's cross deflected off Bradford defender Paul Arnison and looped over backtracking keeper Rhys Evans for his fifth goal of the season.
And the 23-year-old believes promotion-chasing City deserved their slice of fortune as they moved joint third with Rochdale, Bury and Gillingham in the race for automatic promotion.
"This was a massive three points," said Moxey. "We haven't had a lot of luck this season but sometimes you have to work hard to get that little bit of luck.
"I saw Steve Basham in the middle so I crossed the ball and it has taken a little nick off one of their defenders and went over their keeper. But there is no doubt about the goal — it was mine.
"I haven't scored for a little while and that is what I like doing. I like defending as well but I love scoring goals, especially in front of the Big Bank, and it was fantastic to get back on the scoresheet."
Moxey believes City have proved they have got the right spirit to stay in the hunt for automatic promotion to League One.
And he says that City's backs-to-the-wall performance at the weekend — which came just a few days after a 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth — shows they have learned the art of grinding out wins.
"It was a really good team performance," said Moxey. "You have to mix it up now and again and we knew this was going to be a hard game.
"We had to work exceptionally hard to get the win and we ground out the result and got a valuable three points.
"We didn't plan on defending the whole game but we got that goal and then did what we needed to do to hold on to the lead.
"It would have been nice to have got the second, but teams like Manchester United win 1-0 all the time and that's what we need to be doing.
"When we lost 6-1 against Chesterfield we came back and played really well and we have bounced back again this time.
"The manager doesn't let us dwell on a defeat and we were determined to get the Bournemouth game out of our system.
"We showed a different part of our game and proved we can defend a lead. They battered our goal but I don't think they created that much clear-cut and Jonesy (Paul Jones) didn't have that many saves to make."
===========================
===========================
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***
Thursday, March 12, 2009
L2 v Rochdale (a) L0-3 Mar 10th 2009
Coca-Cola League Two
Rochdale (0) 3 McArdle 49, Le Fondre pen 56 , pen 74.
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 5,491 (away 2,741)
BANTAMS ROLL OVER AS DALE CRUISE
Two second-half penalties from Adam Le Fondre helped Rochdale to a 3-0
victory over fellow promotion-hopefuls Bradford City at Spotland on Tuesday.
Rochdale started the League Two clash positively with Mark Jones, Lee
Thorpe, Rory McArdle and Le Fondre all going close in the opening 15
minutes.
Peter Thorne was twice denied by Rochdale goalkeeper Frank Fielding when
clean through on goal, the on-loan Blackburn stopper pulling off two good
saves to deny the Bantams' hitman.
Fielding made another fine stop to keep out Graeme Lee's thumping header
just after the break and soon after Rochdale took the lead as Jones'
free-kick was headed home by McArdle.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 54th minute when Barry Conlon
handled Joe Thompson's flick-on in the area, Le Fondre rifling home the
spot-kick.
Referee Scott Mathieson pointed to the spot again in the 73rd minute when
Matthew Clarke felled Le Fondre and the striker duly picked himself up to
grab his second goal of the night.
Stats: Rochdale - Bradford C
Possession: 57 - 43
Shots on target: 3 - 5
Shots off target: 3 - 2
Fouls: 21 - 16
Corners: 12 - 5
Ref: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire)
Yellow cards:
Rochdale: Jones (21 min), McArdle (43), Thorpe (78).
Bradford C: Colbeck (49), Arnison (67), Furman (72), Rehman (81), Law (90).
Rochdale: 34. Frank Fielding, 14. Scott Wiseman, 23. Rory McArdle, 4. Nathan
Stanton, 3. Thomas Kennedy (84), 30. William Buckley (90), 27. Mark Jones,
5. Clark Keltie, 15. Joe Thompson, 10. Adam Le Fondre, 19. Lee Thorpe (80).
Subs: 1. Sam Russell (GK), 16. Nicky Adams (90), 2. Simon Ramsden (84), 7.
Lee McEvilly (80), 22. David Flitcroft.
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 2. Paul Arnison (71), 5. Graeme Lee, 12. Matthew
Clarke, 19. Luke O'Brien, 15. Joe Colbeck (57), 23. Dean Furman, 24. Nicky
Law, 25. Steve Jones, 9. Barry Conlon (57), 10. Peter Thorne.
Subs: 8. Lee Bullock (57), 14. Michael Boulding (57), 22. Kyle Nix, 30.
Matthew Convey (GK), 33. Zeshan Rehman (71).
Next match: (A) Exeter Saturday, March 14, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM.
Last season: No corresponding fixture.
This season: Bradford C 4-1 Exeter.
***
Also in this issue:
Gillespie can be a City hit
League Two team of the week
***
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4192107.Travel_sick_City_let_it_slide_away_again/
Travel-sick City let it slide away again
12:21am Wednesday 11th March 2009
Another huge turn-out from City's fans; another huge turn-off for City.
This was billed as a benchmark evening against one of their biggest rivals in the promotion fight.
But Stuart McCall's side, so difficult to beat on their own turf, exposed their Achilles heel once again.
They have now conceded ten goals in three away games – although two last night were from penalties, one of which was highly contentious.
City's anger and frustration boiled over with the sight of Wayne Jacobs sent to the stand by picky ref Scott Mathieson, who blew his reputation as one of the more lenient officials by showing eight yellow cards.
It was hardly the way City's assistant boss would have wanted to mark his new contract; and certainly not how McCall would have envisaged beginning a week of three away trips that could have a significant bearing on the final outcome.
McCall had made just the one change from the Aldershot demolition job. Barry Conlon, who had scored the fourth on Saturday, joined forces up front with Peter Thorne as Michael Boulding dropped to the bench.
Once again there was a massive away following and the manager's orders were not to let them down.
But there were immediate warning signs as right winger Joe Thompson forced an error from Luke O'Brien and Adam Le Fondre skipped past Graeme Lee.
Le Fondre, in particular, looked a threat and forced a couple of quick corners. Lee Thorpe's thumping header from one needed a careful grab from Rhys Evans on his line.
It was a jittery start from the Bantams, who had not been allowed to settle at all by their sharper hosts.
Rochdale were a whisker away from an 11th-minute opener as centre half Rory McArdle flicked just wide from a low Mark Jones corner.
Evans turned a Tom Kennedy drive round the post as Rochdale continued to rack up the corners – six in the first 15 minutes.
City finally managed their first through Steve Jones three minutes later but Nicky Law's overhit kick cleared everyone.
Rochdale's seventh corner was far better and Thorpe should have hit the target with a free header.
The home side had a moment of discomfort when O'Brien's cross-shot was turned behind by a sliding Nathan Stanton. The corner was taken short to Jones, who drilled a ball across the face of goal but beyond the stretching Graeme Lee.
After the onslaught, City had taken some of the sting out of Dale – and had the chance to do better on the half hour when the two centre halves got in each other's way. The ball dropped loose to Peter Thorne but McArdle recovered in time to smuggle it away before he could pull the trigger.
Within a minute, Thorne was bearing down on goal again but keeper Frank Fielding, who had been given nothing to do up to then, showed alertness to come dashing out and block with his body.
Amazingly, City fans were still streaming into the ground. The away support, which had originally taken up four blocks of the Willbutts Lane Stand along one side of the pitch, now stretched virtually end to end.
The late arrivals were seeing a better effort from their team, who were beginning to give Rochdale some proper competition after that timid opening quarter.
Thorne showed the extra hunger by twice blocking McArdle's attempts to clear. Joe Colbeck backed him up and crossed but Conlon could not make anything of the header.
Both strikers then popped up in their own penalty area to nod clear of danger before Steve Jones launched a swift counter-attack that was cut short by a cynical foul from McArdle. He joined Mark Jones in the book while namesake Steve was able to continue after treatment.
Lee lined up the long distance free-kick but it flew straight into Fielding. But City were stepping it up and Thorne latched on to Lee's clearing header to test the keeper properly.
Fielding started to come for it, checked himself and then reacted superbly to turn Thorne's precise shot round the post.
The half was finishing in lively fashion and Buckley almost caught out City from a quickly-taken free-kick but fired behind Evans' net. But for all Rochdale's early domination, City could look back on the best two chances from the first 45 minutes.
Evans had to be straight out of the blocks from the restart to beat Le Fondre to Thorpe's touch through but opposite number Fielding proved Dale's hero again a minute later as he beat away Lee header as the skipper came flying in to meet a corner.
Colbeck then picked up City's first yellow card for a trip on Buckley - and Rochdale struck from the free-kick. Mark Jones sent it to the far post where McArdle rose from the pack to nod into the corner.
It was a sickener for the Bantams just four minutes into the half and things got even worse six minutes later when Conlon was adjudged to have handled a Rochdale corner in his own box.
Referee Scott Mathieson pointed straight to the spot and Le Fondre's kick proved too strong for Evans, even though the keeper got both hands to it.
McCall responded with a double change and replaced the ineffective Conlon and Colbeck with Boulding and Lee Bullock. Conlon was furious as he came off and thumped the perspex of the dug-out, which did not impress his manager.
Rochdale had regained their early zip and, as City became ragged, Paul Arnison was booked for cynically blocking Buckley.
There was an air of inevitability about the outcome, with the home side threatening to add to their tally.
Arnison was on thin ice after a second nibble at Buckley and McCall sensibly took him off straight away.
His team's discipline was falling away and Furman also went into the book after clattering Kennedy.
And Rochdale got the chance to make it 3-0 in the 74th minute with a second highly-contentious penalty. Clarke's strong challenge on Le Fondre was deemed to be dangerous by the referee and the striker sent Evans the wrong way from the spot.
Nicky Law managed to slip round the back of the Dale defence but his dangerous cross was cleared by Stanton's diving header – nothing was going City's way. Jones then produced his best run of the night to feed Boulding but there was no power in his shot.
The yellow cards were flowing and Zesh Rehman was shown City's fourth – and the seventh overall – for another foul on Buckley.
It was boiling over on and off the pitch, with David Wetherall and Jacobs getting involved in a heated argument with the Rochdale bench.
Mathieson stopped play to talk to McCall – and sent Jacobs to the stands.
There was still time for Law to become the eighth player to go into Mathieson's book.
===========================
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Rochdale-3-Bradford-City-0.5059209.jp
Rochdale 3 Bradford City 0: Bantams on spot
Bradford City conceded ground to promotion rivals Rochdale at Spotland.
Two second-half penalties from Adam Le Fondre and a Rory McArdle header saw the hosts leapfrog the visitors, who were frustrated in the first half by a string of fine saves from Rochdale keeper Frank Fielding.
Peter Thorne had City's first chance ADVERTISEMENTof the night, a fortuitous rebound sending him through one-on-one against Fielding, who raced off his line to narrow the angle and pulled off a good save to parry the striker's effort.
Graeme Lee's long-range freekick then took a deflection on its way through to goal, Fielding reading it well and adjusting his position to avert the danger.
Rochdale took the lead in the 50th minute, Mark Jones' freekick headed past Rhys Evans by McArdle. The second followed soon after, Barry Conlon judged to have handled Joe Thompson's flick in the area and Le Fondre rifled home the spot-kick.
Referee Stewart Mathieson pointed to the spot again in the 73rd minute when Matthew Clarke felled Le Fondre, the striker going on to net his second penalty of the night.
Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy; Thompson, M Jones, Keltie, Buckley (Adams 91); Le Fondre, Thorpe (McEvilly 80). Unused substitutes: Russell, Flitcroft.
Bradford: Evans, Arnison (Rehmen 71), Lee, Clarke, O'Brien; Colbeck (Bullock 57), Furman, Law, S Jones; Conlon (Boulding 57), Thorne. Unused substitutes: Nix, Convey.
Referee: Stewart Mathieson (Cheshire).
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcheadlines/4192103.Penalties_a_sore_spot_for_McCall/
Penalties a sore spot for McCall
7:00am Wednesday 11th March 2009
Stuart McCall admitted City felt "very hard done by" after losing promotion ground at rivals Rochdale last night.
The Bantams went down 3-0 at Spotland and assistant boss Wayne Jacobs was ordered to the stand after a bust-up with home manager Keith Hill.
It was City's third away defeat in a row and burst the bubble after the 5-0 thrashing of Aldershot.
Two of Rochdale's goals were penalties and McCall, whose side were backed by a huge following, felt both calls were dubious.
He said: "They were very, very harsh. Baz (Barry Conlon) said his hands were down by his side for the first one and the ball got headed against him.
"And then Clarkey (Matt Clarke) has won the ball cleanly. Even their manager turned round and shook his head.
"The referee said afterwards that he didn't touch it but I'm 60 yards away and I was sure he got the ball.
"It's very hard to take because their keeper has had to make three fantastic saves. Just before the first goal, Graeme Lee's had a free header six yards out that looks an absolute goal but he gets his hand across and somehow keeps it out.
"That's the thin margins in football. If we'd taken our chances, it would have been a very different game but two decisions go against us and we're left feeling very hard done by."
City had forced their way back into the game after a timid opening when they spent the first 20 minutes under the cosh.
McCall admitted he was mystified by the poor start following the back-to-back home wins.
"We needed shaking. Everyone was making mistakes or wrong decisions and it was as if we were caught in the headlights. If I'd had a time out, I would have used it.
"There looked like a bit of nervousness out there, maybe because of the number of fans. Rochdale came out of the traps and we never; we were second best a lot of times during that spell, which really surprised me, and I was very annoyed at half-time."
Referee Scott Mathieson booked eight players, five from City.
===========================
Gillespie can be a City hit
Lawrie Sanchez believes Keith Gillespie's short-term deal with City will
turn out to be a winner for both parties.
Stuart McCall snapped up free agent Gillespie for the rest of the season
after the experienced winger impressed while training with the club.
Former Northern Ireland boss Sanchez believes the much-capped
international can prove a shrewd capture for the promotion run-in.
Sanchez said: "Keith is an out-an-out winger and there aren't that many
in the game. He's a throwback to the old-fashioned winger that took full
backs on and just concentrated on getting crosses in.
"The Bradford strikers will be pleased, certainly Thorney (Peter Thorne)
with his heading ability. Keith doesn't score many goals but he does
provide an awful lot of opportunities for the centre forwards to finish.
"I know how much David Healy appreciated the service he gave him for the
national team."
Gillespie began his career with Manchester United as a contemporary of
the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs and has played the bulk of his
games in the Premier League for Newcastle and Blackburn. But he has been
without a club since leaving Sheffield United in January.
He is currently fourth in Northern Ireland's all-time list with 84 caps
– and Sanchez reckons that will be another spur to do well with City.
He said: "Keith will be looking and hoping that he gets up to the 100
mark at least, which means he needs to stay in international football
for another season and a half.
"I don't think he has to prove himself at that level but if he wasn't
playing regularly professionally then it would be very difficult to put
him in front of one who is.
"That's part of the reason that he will have been keen to join Bradford
because he needs to be playing regularly after being left out of the
last international squad.
"Keith is a free spirit and obviously quite head strong but on the field
he is a player that gives his all and is committed to winning.
"His off-the-field activities could be a little bit questionable but
with me and Northern Ireland he was exemplary.
"I think it's a very positive move. As long as he's fit, Keith has got a
good engine on him to get up and down the field and he'll be an
excellent signing for the club."
McCall gave Gillespie a first run-out in last night's reserve game at
Barnsley.
"Looking at the bigger picture, we have ten games to go which will be a
tense, nervous time and Keith has had experience at the highest level,"
said the City boss. "He has fantastic ability and will be a big addition
to the squad.
"Keith initially just came in for training and had no pressure put on
him but he is desperate to play, putting himself in the shop window."
===========================
Both Graeme Lee and Dean Furman feature in the League Two team of the week for 09/03/09.
You'll see from the date the team was chosen before last night!
http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/25/33/0,,10794~144165,00.pdf
===========================
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=46810838356
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
Rochdale (0) 3 McArdle 49, Le Fondre pen 56 , pen 74.
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 5,491 (away 2,741)
BANTAMS ROLL OVER AS DALE CRUISE
Two second-half penalties from Adam Le Fondre helped Rochdale to a 3-0
victory over fellow promotion-hopefuls Bradford City at Spotland on Tuesday.
Rochdale started the League Two clash positively with Mark Jones, Lee
Thorpe, Rory McArdle and Le Fondre all going close in the opening 15
minutes.
Peter Thorne was twice denied by Rochdale goalkeeper Frank Fielding when
clean through on goal, the on-loan Blackburn stopper pulling off two good
saves to deny the Bantams' hitman.
Fielding made another fine stop to keep out Graeme Lee's thumping header
just after the break and soon after Rochdale took the lead as Jones'
free-kick was headed home by McArdle.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 54th minute when Barry Conlon
handled Joe Thompson's flick-on in the area, Le Fondre rifling home the
spot-kick.
Referee Scott Mathieson pointed to the spot again in the 73rd minute when
Matthew Clarke felled Le Fondre and the striker duly picked himself up to
grab his second goal of the night.
Stats: Rochdale - Bradford C
Possession: 57 - 43
Shots on target: 3 - 5
Shots off target: 3 - 2
Fouls: 21 - 16
Corners: 12 - 5
Ref: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire)
Yellow cards:
Rochdale: Jones (21 min), McArdle (43), Thorpe (78).
Bradford C: Colbeck (49), Arnison (67), Furman (72), Rehman (81), Law (90).
Rochdale: 34. Frank Fielding, 14. Scott Wiseman, 23. Rory McArdle, 4. Nathan
Stanton, 3. Thomas Kennedy (84), 30. William Buckley (90), 27. Mark Jones,
5. Clark Keltie, 15. Joe Thompson, 10. Adam Le Fondre, 19. Lee Thorpe (80).
Subs: 1. Sam Russell (GK), 16. Nicky Adams (90), 2. Simon Ramsden (84), 7.
Lee McEvilly (80), 22. David Flitcroft.
Bradford C: 1. Rhys Evans, 2. Paul Arnison (71), 5. Graeme Lee, 12. Matthew
Clarke, 19. Luke O'Brien, 15. Joe Colbeck (57), 23. Dean Furman, 24. Nicky
Law, 25. Steve Jones, 9. Barry Conlon (57), 10. Peter Thorne.
Subs: 8. Lee Bullock (57), 14. Michael Boulding (57), 22. Kyle Nix, 30.
Matthew Convey (GK), 33. Zeshan Rehman (71).
Next match: (A) Exeter Saturday, March 14, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM.
Last season: No corresponding fixture.
This season: Bradford C 4-1 Exeter.
***
Also in this issue:
Gillespie can be a City hit
League Two team of the week
***
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4192107.Travel_sick_City_let_it_slide_away_again/
Travel-sick City let it slide away again
12:21am Wednesday 11th March 2009
Another huge turn-out from City's fans; another huge turn-off for City.
This was billed as a benchmark evening against one of their biggest rivals in the promotion fight.
But Stuart McCall's side, so difficult to beat on their own turf, exposed their Achilles heel once again.
They have now conceded ten goals in three away games – although two last night were from penalties, one of which was highly contentious.
City's anger and frustration boiled over with the sight of Wayne Jacobs sent to the stand by picky ref Scott Mathieson, who blew his reputation as one of the more lenient officials by showing eight yellow cards.
It was hardly the way City's assistant boss would have wanted to mark his new contract; and certainly not how McCall would have envisaged beginning a week of three away trips that could have a significant bearing on the final outcome.
McCall had made just the one change from the Aldershot demolition job. Barry Conlon, who had scored the fourth on Saturday, joined forces up front with Peter Thorne as Michael Boulding dropped to the bench.
Once again there was a massive away following and the manager's orders were not to let them down.
But there were immediate warning signs as right winger Joe Thompson forced an error from Luke O'Brien and Adam Le Fondre skipped past Graeme Lee.
Le Fondre, in particular, looked a threat and forced a couple of quick corners. Lee Thorpe's thumping header from one needed a careful grab from Rhys Evans on his line.
It was a jittery start from the Bantams, who had not been allowed to settle at all by their sharper hosts.
Rochdale were a whisker away from an 11th-minute opener as centre half Rory McArdle flicked just wide from a low Mark Jones corner.
Evans turned a Tom Kennedy drive round the post as Rochdale continued to rack up the corners – six in the first 15 minutes.
City finally managed their first through Steve Jones three minutes later but Nicky Law's overhit kick cleared everyone.
Rochdale's seventh corner was far better and Thorpe should have hit the target with a free header.
The home side had a moment of discomfort when O'Brien's cross-shot was turned behind by a sliding Nathan Stanton. The corner was taken short to Jones, who drilled a ball across the face of goal but beyond the stretching Graeme Lee.
After the onslaught, City had taken some of the sting out of Dale – and had the chance to do better on the half hour when the two centre halves got in each other's way. The ball dropped loose to Peter Thorne but McArdle recovered in time to smuggle it away before he could pull the trigger.
Within a minute, Thorne was bearing down on goal again but keeper Frank Fielding, who had been given nothing to do up to then, showed alertness to come dashing out and block with his body.
Amazingly, City fans were still streaming into the ground. The away support, which had originally taken up four blocks of the Willbutts Lane Stand along one side of the pitch, now stretched virtually end to end.
The late arrivals were seeing a better effort from their team, who were beginning to give Rochdale some proper competition after that timid opening quarter.
Thorne showed the extra hunger by twice blocking McArdle's attempts to clear. Joe Colbeck backed him up and crossed but Conlon could not make anything of the header.
Both strikers then popped up in their own penalty area to nod clear of danger before Steve Jones launched a swift counter-attack that was cut short by a cynical foul from McArdle. He joined Mark Jones in the book while namesake Steve was able to continue after treatment.
Lee lined up the long distance free-kick but it flew straight into Fielding. But City were stepping it up and Thorne latched on to Lee's clearing header to test the keeper properly.
Fielding started to come for it, checked himself and then reacted superbly to turn Thorne's precise shot round the post.
The half was finishing in lively fashion and Buckley almost caught out City from a quickly-taken free-kick but fired behind Evans' net. But for all Rochdale's early domination, City could look back on the best two chances from the first 45 minutes.
Evans had to be straight out of the blocks from the restart to beat Le Fondre to Thorpe's touch through but opposite number Fielding proved Dale's hero again a minute later as he beat away Lee header as the skipper came flying in to meet a corner.
Colbeck then picked up City's first yellow card for a trip on Buckley - and Rochdale struck from the free-kick. Mark Jones sent it to the far post where McArdle rose from the pack to nod into the corner.
It was a sickener for the Bantams just four minutes into the half and things got even worse six minutes later when Conlon was adjudged to have handled a Rochdale corner in his own box.
Referee Scott Mathieson pointed straight to the spot and Le Fondre's kick proved too strong for Evans, even though the keeper got both hands to it.
McCall responded with a double change and replaced the ineffective Conlon and Colbeck with Boulding and Lee Bullock. Conlon was furious as he came off and thumped the perspex of the dug-out, which did not impress his manager.
Rochdale had regained their early zip and, as City became ragged, Paul Arnison was booked for cynically blocking Buckley.
There was an air of inevitability about the outcome, with the home side threatening to add to their tally.
Arnison was on thin ice after a second nibble at Buckley and McCall sensibly took him off straight away.
His team's discipline was falling away and Furman also went into the book after clattering Kennedy.
And Rochdale got the chance to make it 3-0 in the 74th minute with a second highly-contentious penalty. Clarke's strong challenge on Le Fondre was deemed to be dangerous by the referee and the striker sent Evans the wrong way from the spot.
Nicky Law managed to slip round the back of the Dale defence but his dangerous cross was cleared by Stanton's diving header – nothing was going City's way. Jones then produced his best run of the night to feed Boulding but there was no power in his shot.
The yellow cards were flowing and Zesh Rehman was shown City's fourth – and the seventh overall – for another foul on Buckley.
It was boiling over on and off the pitch, with David Wetherall and Jacobs getting involved in a heated argument with the Rochdale bench.
Mathieson stopped play to talk to McCall – and sent Jacobs to the stands.
There was still time for Law to become the eighth player to go into Mathieson's book.
===========================
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Rochdale-3-Bradford-City-0.5059209.jp
Rochdale 3 Bradford City 0: Bantams on spot
Bradford City conceded ground to promotion rivals Rochdale at Spotland.
Two second-half penalties from Adam Le Fondre and a Rory McArdle header saw the hosts leapfrog the visitors, who were frustrated in the first half by a string of fine saves from Rochdale keeper Frank Fielding.
Peter Thorne had City's first chance ADVERTISEMENTof the night, a fortuitous rebound sending him through one-on-one against Fielding, who raced off his line to narrow the angle and pulled off a good save to parry the striker's effort.
Graeme Lee's long-range freekick then took a deflection on its way through to goal, Fielding reading it well and adjusting his position to avert the danger.
Rochdale took the lead in the 50th minute, Mark Jones' freekick headed past Rhys Evans by McArdle. The second followed soon after, Barry Conlon judged to have handled Joe Thompson's flick in the area and Le Fondre rifled home the spot-kick.
Referee Stewart Mathieson pointed to the spot again in the 73rd minute when Matthew Clarke felled Le Fondre, the striker going on to net his second penalty of the night.
Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Stanton, McArdle, Kennedy; Thompson, M Jones, Keltie, Buckley (Adams 91); Le Fondre, Thorpe (McEvilly 80). Unused substitutes: Russell, Flitcroft.
Bradford: Evans, Arnison (Rehmen 71), Lee, Clarke, O'Brien; Colbeck (Bullock 57), Furman, Law, S Jones; Conlon (Boulding 57), Thorne. Unused substitutes: Nix, Convey.
Referee: Stewart Mathieson (Cheshire).
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcheadlines/4192103.Penalties_a_sore_spot_for_McCall/
Penalties a sore spot for McCall
7:00am Wednesday 11th March 2009
Stuart McCall admitted City felt "very hard done by" after losing promotion ground at rivals Rochdale last night.
The Bantams went down 3-0 at Spotland and assistant boss Wayne Jacobs was ordered to the stand after a bust-up with home manager Keith Hill.
It was City's third away defeat in a row and burst the bubble after the 5-0 thrashing of Aldershot.
Two of Rochdale's goals were penalties and McCall, whose side were backed by a huge following, felt both calls were dubious.
He said: "They were very, very harsh. Baz (Barry Conlon) said his hands were down by his side for the first one and the ball got headed against him.
"And then Clarkey (Matt Clarke) has won the ball cleanly. Even their manager turned round and shook his head.
"The referee said afterwards that he didn't touch it but I'm 60 yards away and I was sure he got the ball.
"It's very hard to take because their keeper has had to make three fantastic saves. Just before the first goal, Graeme Lee's had a free header six yards out that looks an absolute goal but he gets his hand across and somehow keeps it out.
"That's the thin margins in football. If we'd taken our chances, it would have been a very different game but two decisions go against us and we're left feeling very hard done by."
City had forced their way back into the game after a timid opening when they spent the first 20 minutes under the cosh.
McCall admitted he was mystified by the poor start following the back-to-back home wins.
"We needed shaking. Everyone was making mistakes or wrong decisions and it was as if we were caught in the headlights. If I'd had a time out, I would have used it.
"There looked like a bit of nervousness out there, maybe because of the number of fans. Rochdale came out of the traps and we never; we were second best a lot of times during that spell, which really surprised me, and I was very annoyed at half-time."
Referee Scott Mathieson booked eight players, five from City.
===========================
Gillespie can be a City hit
Lawrie Sanchez believes Keith Gillespie's short-term deal with City will
turn out to be a winner for both parties.
Stuart McCall snapped up free agent Gillespie for the rest of the season
after the experienced winger impressed while training with the club.
Former Northern Ireland boss Sanchez believes the much-capped
international can prove a shrewd capture for the promotion run-in.
Sanchez said: "Keith is an out-an-out winger and there aren't that many
in the game. He's a throwback to the old-fashioned winger that took full
backs on and just concentrated on getting crosses in.
"The Bradford strikers will be pleased, certainly Thorney (Peter Thorne)
with his heading ability. Keith doesn't score many goals but he does
provide an awful lot of opportunities for the centre forwards to finish.
"I know how much David Healy appreciated the service he gave him for the
national team."
Gillespie began his career with Manchester United as a contemporary of
the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs and has played the bulk of his
games in the Premier League for Newcastle and Blackburn. But he has been
without a club since leaving Sheffield United in January.
He is currently fourth in Northern Ireland's all-time list with 84 caps
– and Sanchez reckons that will be another spur to do well with City.
He said: "Keith will be looking and hoping that he gets up to the 100
mark at least, which means he needs to stay in international football
for another season and a half.
"I don't think he has to prove himself at that level but if he wasn't
playing regularly professionally then it would be very difficult to put
him in front of one who is.
"That's part of the reason that he will have been keen to join Bradford
because he needs to be playing regularly after being left out of the
last international squad.
"Keith is a free spirit and obviously quite head strong but on the field
he is a player that gives his all and is committed to winning.
"His off-the-field activities could be a little bit questionable but
with me and Northern Ireland he was exemplary.
"I think it's a very positive move. As long as he's fit, Keith has got a
good engine on him to get up and down the field and he'll be an
excellent signing for the club."
McCall gave Gillespie a first run-out in last night's reserve game at
Barnsley.
"Looking at the bigger picture, we have ten games to go which will be a
tense, nervous time and Keith has had experience at the highest level,"
said the City boss. "He has fantastic ability and will be a big addition
to the squad.
"Keith initially just came in for training and had no pressure put on
him but he is desperate to play, putting himself in the shop window."
===========================
Both Graeme Lee and Dean Furman feature in the League Two team of the week for 09/03/09.
You'll see from the date the team was chosen before last night!
http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/25/33/0,,10794~144165,00.pdf
===========================
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=46810838356
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
***
Texas Bantams Blog
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
***
CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
***
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