Coca-Cola League Two
Bradford C (1) 1 Evans 41
Hereford U (0) 0
Att: 11,107
Stats: Bradford C - Hereford
Possession: 51 - 49%
Shots on target: 11 - 1
Shots off target: 8 - 3
Fouls: 6 - 14
Corners: 6 - 2
Ref: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear).
Red card: Bullock (Bradford C) 82 min. 2nd yellow.
Yellow cards:
Bradford C: Bullock (15 min),
Hereford: Valentine (16 min), Gwynne (67), Sonko (90).
Bradford C: 1. Simon Eastwood, 16. Jonathan Bateson, 5. Zesh Rehman, 12.
Steve Williams, 3. Luke O'Brien, 26. Scott Neilson, 4. Michael Flynn, 8. Lee
Bullock, 11. Chris Brandon (70), 9. Gareth Evans, 17. James Hanson.
SUBS: 13. Jon McLaughlin (GK), 6. Matthew Clarke, 18. Rory Boulding, 19.
James O'Brien (70), 20. Leon Osborne, 21. Luke Sharry, 24. Louis Horne.
Hereford: 1. Adam Bartlett, 5. Keith Lowe, 2. Ryan Green, 27. Daniel
Blanchett, 3. Ryan Valentine, 15. Sam Gwynne, 26. Craig King, 6. Kenny Lunt,
28. Mark Marshall, 22. Mathieu Manset (69), 29. James Walker (78).
SUBS: 30. Christopher Adamson (GK), 4. Richard Rose, 9. Lee Morris (78), 10.
Leon Constantine, 12. Edrissa Sonko (69), 16. Jonny Godsmark, 23. Matt Done.
Next match: (A) Macclesfield, Saturday October 31, 2009. K.O. 3:00PM.
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By Simon Parker (T&A)
Bradford City got back to winning ways against Hereford at Valley Parade
this afternoon.
Stuart McCall's side were well worth the win after back-to-back losses. But
the job was made harder when Lee Bullock was harshly dismissed for two
yellow cards, leaving them to negotiate the final ten minutes with a man
down.
City had controlled the first half without really getting a clear sight of
Hereford's goal.
They finally broke the deadlock four minutes before the interval as Michael
Flynn's shot crashed back off a post and fell straight to Gareth Evans to
tap home.
City twice had efforts ruled out in the second half as they pushed for a
killer second.
Evans and Flynn had chances and James Hanson should have scored with a
header from Jon Bateson's cross.
Hereford pushed forward late on but City saw it through to get back on
track.
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Heavy handed Stewards?
http://bullsnews.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-bradford-steward.html
http://www.boyfrombrazil.co.uk/2009/10/an-ugly-victory-as-hereford-united-fans-get-the-wrong-kind-of-bradford-welcome/
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http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Bradford-City-1-Hereford-United.5765700.jp
Bradford City 1 Hereford United 0: Evans strikes to get City back on track
BRADFORD CITY survived Lee Bullock's late sending off to get back to winning ways after two successive defeats.
Striker Gareth Evans forced home the winner just before the break to claim his fourth goal of the season, but manager Stuart McCall will have been as impressed with how his side held out.
Bullock will feel hard done by after seeing red 10 minutes from time following a harsh second booking, but City held out resolutely to secure a timely win.
City's attacking intent was rewarded after 41 minutes when Hereford failed to clear the danger from a corner.
Bantams midfielder Michael Flynn let fly from the edge of the area and when his shot rebounded off the post, Evans kept his cool to steer the loose ball into the empty net.
City started the second period intent on wrapping up the win, but their ambition was thwarted by the assistant referee's flag.
Winger Scott Neilson was ruled offside when he fired home from eight yards and soon after striker James Hanson had his celebrations cut short after heading in a cross from Luke O'Brien.
Hanson was denied again by a smart save from Adam Bartlett and the visitors' hopes of claiming a point were raised when Bullock was dismissed. But full-back O'Brien made a vital late clearance as substitute Edrissa Sonko looked poised to score.
Bradford City: Eastwood, Bateson, Williams, Rehman, L O'Brien; Flynn, Bullock, Brandon (J O'Brien 69m); Neilson, Evans, Hanson. Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Clarke, R Boulding, Osborne, Sharry, Horne.
Hereford United: Bartlett, Lowe, Green, Blanchett, Valentine; King, Lunt, Gwynne, Marshall; Manset (Sonko 69m), Walker (Morris 78m). Unused substitutes: Rose, Godsmark, Done, Adamson.
Referee: C Webster (Tyne and Wear).
Man of the match: Gareth Evans.
===========================
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4701942.McCall_s_sigh_of_relief_after__big__big_win_/
Ten-man Bantams grind out priceless result that restores self-belief
7:00am Monday 26th October 2009
By Simon Parker
City 1 Hereford 0
It's the oldest argument in the book. Would you prefer to be royally entertained on the edge of the seat every week or be content just watching a winning team?
Ideally, it would be a case of both. But anyone who says the first is a liar.
City have served up some exciting stuff already this season. Witness the belting clash against Crewe a fortnight ago – an absolute treat for any neutral.
But losing teams aren't going to get clapped off so enthusiastically every time by the fans.
All that really matters, as gauged by Stuart McCall's reaction from Saturday's hard-fought victory, is getting the right result.
Back-to-back defeats is hardly the cue for free-fall but given the way last season slid away so unexpectedly from a position of strength in the spring, City fans are understandably twitchy.
Another setback against Hereford, no matter how well City might have played, and a few alarm bells would have begun to clang.
In football terms, Saturday may have been a pale imitation of the previous home game but the final scoreline was priceless for all concerned.
McCall certainly knew it once his side had survived a tricky final ten minutes after Lee Bullock was sent packing. "That was a big, big win for us," said the City boss. "If we'd dropped a couple more points after being 1-0 up, the belief would have started dripping out of the supporters.
"We always aim to go out and try to score lots of goals and be positive but the bottom line was three points to keep us cracking on.
"We created far, far more chances against Crewe and came away with nothing but when you're not winning games the pressure can build each week."
Hereford, let's face it, were strictly average despite a five-match unbeaten run against all the top sides. But City's inability to dig up a second goal, despite their control on proceedings, kept the visitors interested.
And given the worrying tendency to let late leads slip, there were plenty of anxious faces before referee Colin Webster's whistle ensured the agony was over.
That was the only time Webster endeared himself to the Valley Parade faithful. He won few friends – except for Hereford's Kenny Lunt – by giving Bullock his marching orders.
The improving midfielder had enjoyed the freedom of the park for most of the afternoon, with Hereford allowing him space and time to spray the ball around.
But Bullock already had one black mark to his name for an instinctive handball after 15 minutes. He tried to "Maradona" Steve Williams' header past keeper Adam Bartlett and Webster was having none of it.
It seemed a harsh card at the time, though Bullock had no complaints afterwards, but the real bone of contention was the follow-up booking for his challenge on Lunt in the centre circle.
It was a bog-standard foul but nothing more, and nobody thought much about it. That was until Lunt carried on his protests in front of the referee, who then checked back and reached for his pocket.
In terms of punishment for Bullock, the second yellow means nothing. He was already sitting out next week's trip to Macclesfield after his first offence triggered an automatic one-game ban for reaching five bookings for the season.
But it left City with an uncomfortable finale of a game they should have put to bed long before.
A team brighter than Hereford might have made them pay. Instead, despite the odd squeak or two, City saw it through for their first win and clean sheet in October.
Any fears of a hangover from successive losses had been dispelled by their bright approach to the first half.
The pitch wasn't easy after the heavy rain and play was often very narrow, with only Scott Neilson really using the flanks to the full extent. But City moved the ball about briskly, with the recalled Chris Brandon an effective go-between from the midfield to attack.
Hereford, clearly interested in a point, succeeded in keeping City at arm's length. Most of the home shots were limited to outside the box, and while James Hanson was once again dominating every header, the second ball rarely fell to a claret shirt.
Brandon, Gareth Evans and, inevitably, Michael Flynn all had pot-shots but the closest City came to anything was a concerted shout for handball against Ryan Green that was waved away.
They needed something to break in their favour – and it did four minutes before the break.
Brandon's corner, City's fifth of the half, came to Flynn, who smacked it hard and low against Bartlett's right upright. For once, the ball bounced kindly for the Bantams as the rebound fell right into the path of Evans to dig out from under his feet and roll home from six yards.
A scrappy goal but a crucial one and no more than City's control had warranted.
The second period began in the same manner. Brandon forced an early save and then Evans should have done better after Bullock had picked him out in plenty of space.
Simon Eastwood, enjoying a much easier ride than at Dagenham, had only one split-second of discomfort when Bullock sliced an intended clearance towards his own goal. Twice City had the ball in the Hereford net. Twice, to the derision of the crowd, the offside flag went up.
Both calls may have been correct but did the assistant really need to take so long to raise his arm?
Evans, Flynn and substitute James O'Brien had further chances before Hanson missed the best of them from Jon Bateson's inviting cross. His header was well tipped over by Bartlett but a yard either side of the keeper and it was a sure-fire goal.
McCall felt Hereford's heads were ready to drop with a second strike. Instead, as he put it, they were galvanised by City's failure to find that decisive blow.
The visitors threw caution to the wind as John Trewick threw on two fresh strikers to replace the anonymous front pair.
Gambia international Ed Sonko was a particularly lively addition and it needed a well-timed block from Steve Williams to keep one raid in check.
Bullock's departure livened things up, especially when Hereford left back Ryan Valentine – also walking a yellow-card tightrope – escaped similar censor for crashing into Flynn.
Valley Parade held its breath as Mark Marshall's fizzing cross was only partially parried by Eastwood but Luke O'Brien was on to the loose ball before Sonko and three faith-restoring points were secure.
===========================
Bullock will be missed - McCall
Bullock joined Bradford from Hartlepool
Bradford City manager Stuart McCall insists his side can cope without the influential Lee Bullock.
The midfielder will miss Saturday's trip to Macclesfield following his sending off in the weekend win over Hereford United.
"It is not a major disaster in the grand scheme of things because he would have missed next week for five yellows anyway," McCall told BBC Radio Leeds.
"He will of course be a miss, but we can cope for one game without him."
Bullock was sent off nine minutes from the end of City's 1-0 win at Valley Parade for a second bookable offence.
McCall added: "For him to only miss the one game is good, as three matches would have hurt us.
"He has been outstanding for us in the last three or four matches, so we will miss him."
===========================
FINAL HANSON OFFER PUT TO GUISELEY
Bradford City have made a final offer to Guiseley for striker James Hanson,
in a bid to stop the summer signing's fee being decided by a tribunal.
Hanson has scored four goals in 11 starts since signing from City's
non-league neighbours in the summer.
But the two clubs are still to agree a fee for the six foot three
21-year-old.
If a deal cannot be agreed, it is understood that it would be the first time
a league club has been taken to arbitration by a non-league club.
City claim that the Unibond League side want more for Hanson than the
reported four-figure sum they paid for his co-striker Gareth Evans in the
summer.
But now City have moved with a final offer, which would also involve
Guiseley claiming 25 per cent of any future transfer fee and the income from
a pre-season friendly.
"We've gone back to Guiseley and upped the offer," joint chairman Mark Lawn
told the Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
"We don't think we can go any further. It's up to them."
===========================
From the Official BCFC website...
NEW YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Posted on: Fri 23 Oct 2009
Bradford City's Youth Department are pleased to announce new development
sessions specifically for [Note] budding goalkeepers.
The sessions are designed purely for young goalkeepers who are looking to
hone their talent and further their potential in football.
The goalkeeper specific training programme will be taken by professional
goalkeeping coaches, Graeme Kennedy and Kim Farrand. The programme is also
fully endorsed by the club's first team goalkeeping coach, former England
goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.
As per any Bradford City Centre of Excellence development programme, the
sessions could potentially offer a route in the Centre of Excellence itself
for any talented youngsters.
Sessions will be open for children between the ages of 9 - 15 and will be
held at GOALS Soccer Centre, 282 Kings Road, Bradford, BD1 2NR ( the chosen
venue for all Bradford City Centre of Excellence training sessions).
The first session shall commence on Wednesday 11th November at 5:00pm until
6:30pm at GOALS.
Each session shall be subject to a £10.00 administration fee.
Any interested parties should contact either Kim Farrand (07813 081681) or
Graeme Kennedy (07811 822775) to register a place.
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Oh yeah .... City for t'cup ... FA Cup 1st round v Notts County (a) Friday Nov 6th 7.45pm
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http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
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