Coca-Cola League Two
Notts County (3) 5 Davies 17, Hughes 39 , 43, pen 55, Moloney 86
Bradford City (0) 0
Att: 9,396
Stats: Notts C - Bradford C
Possession: 58 - 42%
Shots on target: 11 - 3
Shots off target: 7 - 4
Fouls: 15 - 12
Corners: 4 - 5
Ref: Phil Gibbs
Yellow cards:
Notts C: Roger (66 min)
Bradford C: Bullock (16 min)
Both for unsporting behaviour.
Notts C: 1. Russell Hoult, 2. Brendan Moloney, 5. Graeme Lee, 6. John
Thompson, 18. Stephen Hunt, 20. Craig Westcarr (77), 8. Richard Ravenhill,
10. Neal Bishop, 11. Ben Davies (46), 9. Lee Hughes (63), 19. Luke Rodgers.
Subs: 12. Kevin Pilkington (GK), 4. Mike Edwards, 7. Matthew Hamshaw (77),
14. Sean Canham, 15. Karl Hawley (63), 17. Jamie Clapham (46), 22. Delroy
Facey.
Bradford C: 1. Simon Eastwood, 2. Simon Ramsden, 5. Zesh Rehman, 6. Matthew
Clarke (58), 3. Luke O'Brien, 11. Chris Brandon (69), 4. Michael Flynn, 8.
Lee Bullock, 15. Joe Colbeck (58), 10. Peter Thorne, 14. Michael Boulding.
Subs: 13. Jon McLaughlin (GK), 9. Gareth Evans (69), 12. Steve Williams
(58), 16. Jonathan Bateson, 17. James Hanson (58), 20. Leon Osborne, 25.
Steve O'Neill.
Next match: League Cup Round 1
(A) Nott'm Forest, Wed 12 August, 2009. K.O. 7:45PM.
DREAM START FOR ERIKSSON
By Simon Parker (T&A)
A Lee Hughes hat-trick subjected dismal City to the first day from Hell at
Meadow Lane.
It was a dream start for Sven Goran Eriksson in his new role as Notts
County's director of football.
But while the former England boss was full of smiles in the directors' box,
the Bantams slunk away after an embarrassing beating.
Last season's 3-1 loss here was bad enough; but that was nothing compared to
the way they were sliced apart by the title favourites this afternoon.
There was little in it for a quarter of an hour. But things unravelled
quickly once Ben Davies had headed home after 17 minutes.
City's defending was wretched from that point and Zesh Rehman completely
missed a long ball allowing Hughes to go clear for his first goal.
And Notts County were 3-0 up by half-time - just like in February - when
Hughes stabbed home at the second attempt.
The debutant sealed his hat-trick soon after the break from the penalty spot
after Matt Clarke bundled over Luke Rodgers.
Clarke's personal nightmare was ended when he was subbed just before the
hour.
But the stunned 2,289 travelling fans still had another 30 minutes to suffer
before referee Phil Gibbs put them out their misery.
Rodgers and sub Karl Hawley both went close to adding to County's tally as
the fed-up away supporters streamed out.
Eighty per cent of them had disappeared by the time right back Brendan
Moloney skipped his way through the soft City defence to net the fifth three
minutes from time.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4536806.City_left_sick_by_dose_of_Sven_flu/?ref=rss
Hughes hat-trick sinks woeful defenders
2:00pm Sunday 9th August 2009
By Simon Parker
Notts County 5, City 0
The lines of sweaty, fed-up fans stuck outside the ground were proof that Sven-mania had hit Meadow Lane.
Some supporters had to wait for nearly an hour to buy a ticket for the hottest show in town.
Little did they know at the time but the City fans among them spent far longer in the queue than their team were in
the game.
Sven Goran Eriksson's welcome bash went with a swing all right. City might as well have turned up festooned with
balloons, streamers and party poppers.
The former England boss could have been forgiven for thinking his new employers were up against San Marino, Andorra
or Liechtenstein. The resistance – after the first 15 minutes or so – was that minimal.
By the time that referee Phil Gibbs finally put an end to their misery, the Bantams had sunk to the heaviest
first-game thrashing in their history.
And the scoreline did not flatter County, who could have rattled in more but for a few decent saves from Simon
Eastwood.
So much for County wilting under the media spotlight. Instead it was City doing their best rabbit in the headlights
impression, particularly the two centre halves.
The travelling army began the game by dishing out merciless stick to Graeme Lee but it wasn't long before City's
current central pairing were facing their fury.
Without Lee's presence at the back, this was the chance for Matt Clarke and Zesh Rehman to show they could cope
with the job of muzzling arguably the division's deadliest strike force. Unfortunately, they were not up to it.
Clarke looked shaky from the start, while Rehman committed the blunder for the second goal that killed City's
afternoon stone dead.
The opening quarter of an hour gave no warning of what was to follow. True, County looked dangerous with every
attack but City were holding their own on and off the pitch, with the travelling army in their usual powerful
voice.
A Luke Rodgers effort smartly saved by Eastwood was matched at the other end by Joe Colbeck's header from a superb
angled pass by Simon Ramsden.
But Craig Westcarr was looking a bundle of tricks on County's right wing and it was his ball down the line that
sparked the opening goal. Rodgers hooked it back over Clarke and into the mix, where Ben Davies nodded home via the
post.
A presumptuous chorus of "It's just like watching Juve" broke out from the home fans; City's 2,200-strong followers
began to fear the worst.
The contest was effectively nailed six minutes before half-time on a fatal misjudgement from Rehman.
Ricky Ravenhill's long ball bounced a couple of yards in front of the City defender and carried it over his
despairing reach. Suddenly Lee Hughes was away and even with 40 yards to cover to goal, the outcome was inevitable.
Hughes is no League Two striker – and he demonstrated the prowess that was thrown away by his spell in prison,
coolly advancing on Eastwood and rounding him to slot home.
Now it felt like last season revisited. Several of the names may have been changed but the action that followed was
depressingly predictable.
As City heads crashed against chests, County made it 3-0 before the break. Westcarr again proved too much for Luke
O'Brien and whipped in an early cross which Hughes bundled in at the second attempt, despite Eastwood's best
efforts on the line.
Sven's smile radiated from the directors' box. It may not have felt quite the same as beating Argentina but it was
a great start and he milked it with every well-wisher.
For City, surely it could not get any worse. Stuart McCall, as he had done in the same dressing room last term,
demanded pride to keep the final scoreline in some kind of check. But the second half proved no different.
Hughes immediately tested Eastwood at the near post, blazing the rebound over the bar as his hat-trick beckoned.
He did not have to wait much longer for his debut milestone. County's next attack two minutes later did the trick.
Rehman failed to cut out another ball over the top and Rodgers was man-handled to the ground after slipping
goalside of Clarke, allowing Hughes to clinch his treble with a confident penalty.
Clarke was hauled off along with Colbeck as McCall switched in vain to a 4-3-3. Chris Brandon, who had spent most
of his afternoon looking to cut in from the left, was moved to the right side, while Steve Williams got his first
professional outing.
County's control was so complete that Hughes left to a standing ovation minutes later.
James Hanson was given a late run-out but City's pain was still not finished. Michael Flynn, who showed bite on
occasions, whipped a half-volley over the bar but it was no more than a pebble against the tide.
City's attacking intentions had long disappeared but County were hunting more goals through Rodgers, substitute
Karl Hawley and Lee with one of those thudding free-kicks.
The pressure predictably brought a fifth four minutes from time. Right back Brendan Moloney, no doubt bored with
the lack of activity at the other end, bolted forward to take a Rodgers pass and drifted inside Lee Bullock and
Williams before gleefully finding the roof of the net.
The vast majority of City fans had missed it. Most had drifted away disillusioned well before the closing stages.
Peter Thorne was stunned at the way his first outing as skipper had panned out and admitted: "It's an eye-opener. I
wasn't expecting to be talking about a 5-0 defeat.
"We knew that Notts County are a good team. Anyone who can bring in the sort of players they can and pay those
wages is going to be up there.
"But I really felt we'd give them a better game. We gave them goals and that's worrying."
Luckily, a first-day defeat is not terminal. Gillingham still celebrated promotion last season despite taking a 7-0
walloping at Shrewsbury early on.
But Saturday's dose of "Sven flu" was a terrifying shock to the system. The soft underbelly tendencies which cost
City dear in the run-in last term were exposed for all to see once again.
And with Nottingham Forest waiting in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, their troubles on the Trent are not over yet.
Attendance: 9,396
===========================
Super Notts humiliate Bradford
By Jacob Daniel Saturday, 8th August 2009
Notts County 5-0 Bradford City
Notts Line-Up - Hoult, Moloney, Lee, Thompson, Hunt, Westcarr (Hamshaw), Bishop, Ravenhill, Davies (Clapham),
Hughes (Hawley), Rodgers
If the summer felt like a parallel universe to Notts fans, then there isn't a metaphor to describe today. All the
hype, all the media interest and all the pressure seemed justified as a rampant Magpies side demolished third
favourites Bradford City at Meadow Lane. Experienced forward Lee Hughes bagged an impressive hat-trick but in
truth, if anything, Notts could be disappointed not to have made it an even more painful afternoon for the visiting
Bantams. We may have shut up the likes of Stuart McCall, Gareth Evans and Michael Boulding who've been belittling
Notts in the previous week, however.
As over 9,000 piled into Meadow Lane there was a sense of expectation as the teams took to the pitch, but it was
the visitors who settled and had the better possession in the first ten minutes, but Notts carved out the first
chance. Luke Rodgers latched onto a lofted through ball but was forced wide and fired a shot that was comfortably
saved by Simon Eastwood in the visiting goal. Bradford created their first chance soon after, with ex-Notts full
back Simon Ramsden whipping in a cross that was met by Joe Colbeck, but his header was comfortably saved by Russell
Hoult.
Colbeck had the next effort on eleven minutes also, firing in an effort from the edge of the box that was once
again easy for Hoult. Five minutes later Notts got their first however, that sent the Meadow Lane crowd wild. A
teasing Craig Westcarr cross was flicked on by Luke Rodgers into the path of Ben Davies who planted a header into
the back of the net, via the inside of the post. Davies skidded along the Meadow Lane turf to celebrate his first
goal in black and white and from this moment the Magpies were completely in control of the match.
Brendan Moloney had the next effort for the hosts as the full back cut inside and fired a low, left-footed shot
straight at Simon Eastwood, with Luke Rodgers also heading wide from close range when offside. Notts were now
monopolising possession and looked like scoring every time they came forward and the Magpies got a deserved second
five minutes before the break. A ball forward was missed by the hilariously bad Zesh Rehman, allowing Lee Hughes to
latch onto it and calmly round the floundering Eastwood and roll the ball home. Hughes' celebration was amusing,
but not taken to heart by the visitors judging by the missile-throwing reaction.
Rodgers wasted another chance for the Magpies, firing a shot straight at Eastwood from the edge of the box, but on
the stroke of the break things got even better for the hosts, as the impressive Craig Westcarr skipped away down
the left and swung in a brilliant cross that was bundled home by Hughes from close range. The new Notts hero was
booked for his celebration but looked delighted to have opened his competitive Notts account in style with a brace.
Notts received a standing ovation as the half time whistle blew, with Notts completely in control of the match.
After the break the match continued in much the same vein, with the Magpies continuing to keep the visitors on the
rack. They got a chance to make it four within ten minutes also, with the hard working Luke Rodgers racing onto a
pass from Neal Bishop and being hauled down by Matt Clarke to give the Magpies a penalty. There was no doubt who
was to step up to take it, with Lee Hughes grabbing the ball and confidently smashing the penalty down the middle
to complete his first hat-trick for his new club.
Hughes then had a chance to get his fourth of the game but he narrowly headed a corner over the bar and Ricky
Ravenhill also tried to get in on the act, dragging a long range effort narrowly wide of the post. Hughes lasted
just over an hour before his afternoon came to the end, with the hat-trick hero leaving the field to a standing
ovation from the Meadow Lane crowd. New signing Karl Hawley entered the fray for his Magpies debut, hoping to get
in on the act and bag his first Notts goal. Matt Hamshaw also came on having missed parts of pre-season through
injury, replacing the superb Craig Westcarr.
Luke Rodgers had the next chance to get on the scoresheet, latching onto yet another ball over the top which had
terrorised the Bradford defence all afternoon. Rodgers did brilliantly to cut inside but could only dink a left
footed shot narrowly wide of the post. The fifth goal would come however for Notts, with right back Brendan Moloney
marauding forward and after a neat passing move he picked the ball up on the edge of the box, danced round three
Bradford defenders and chipped the ball over the 'keeper to bag himself the best goal of the lot.
The Bantams did manage to have a shot before the end, Gareth Evans firing a left footed long ranger miles wide of
Hoult's left post, but in the end it wasn't just a victory for the Magpies, it was the kind of beating that leaves
a side struggling to pick itself up. However, for all Bradford's hopeless defender and lack of firepower, Notts
were brilliant at the back, passed the ball with confidence in midfield and looked like scoring every time they got
near the Bradford box. More of the same would be lovely, and will possibly now be expected, but if Notts can play a
fraction as well as they did today for the majority of the season then a good campaign is in store.
Notts County 5 (Davies 17, Hughes 39, 43, 55, Moloney 86)
Bradford City 0
Attendance - 9,396 (2,289 Bradford)
===========================
From the Official BCFC Website...
McCALL: NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Bradford City manager Stuart McCall was left a disappointed and frustrated
man after his side made a horrific start to the new campaign.
Individual errors coupled with red hot performances from Notts County's pair
of debutant strikers Lee Hughes & Luke Rodgers meant City were on the wrong
end of a 5 - 0 scoreline.
" It was not good enough" fumed McCall.
" We had worked all week on how to cope with their (Notts County's) threats
and we just did not do as expected.
" (Lee) Hughes and (Luke) Rodgers are always going to give defences
problems, but we didn't help ourselves by some woeful defending.
" We knew coming here, we had to defend really, really well and simply put
we didn't do that.
"Overall really no one came out with any credit".
After such a defeat, McCall felt it was key to bounce back strongly.
" It is the worst possible start it could be, but we have a cup match on
Wednesday (against Nottingham Forest) and then back to the league on
Saturday and we have to bounce back.
" It is a poor start to a season, no doubt, but it is how we react from here
that is important.
" I don't expect the players to turn up with the joys of spring on Monday
morning, but we will get back to work on things and go again.
" We have to look at ourselves collectively and individually and show some
guts to take this on the chin and come back, which I am sure we will.
" It is a horrible feeling to start the season with, the only good thing to
come from today is that it is only 3 points lost and we have 45 league games
left to put things right."
===========================
Notts County manager Ian McParland hailed his side after they started the new season with a stunning 5-0 victory
over Bradford.
In their first game since the arrival of new director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson, County produced a
sensational display to leave the Meadow Lane faithful drooling.
"It was a treat to watch and the big difference for us this season is that we have more energy in midfield and
players who can put the ball in the net," said a delighted McParland.
Lee Hughes marked his debut with a hat-trick and there were also goals for fellow debutants Ben Davies and Brendan
Moloney as the hosts recorded an opening-day victory for the first time in nine years.
McParland added: "We went 11 games undefeated in the early part of last season, but drew nine of them. Hopefully,
this time, those draws will become victories and we can build on this fantastic start.
"It's good for me that all the goals came from debutants. Hopefully, that means I have made the right choices in
the players I have signed.
"Pre-season has gone very well and, if we continue to show the same commitment, honesty and togetherness, we will
be fine."
===========================
If you haven't had enough yet, some links
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/aug/08/sven-goran-eriksson-notts-county-bradford-city
BfB
http://www.boyfrombrazil.co.uk/2009/08/former-england-manager-gives-city-a-lesson/
===========================
Facebook page:
http://bcfc.gregshepherd.com/link.php?id=30
or search for
"City Forward! Mailing List"
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http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
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CFML since February 1997 is edited by Greg S. in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas
http://www.facebook.com/greg66
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