L2 v Northampton (a) D2-2 Oct 3 2009

Coca-Cola League Two
Northampton (0) 2 Dyer 77, Johnson
Bradford C (0) 2 Ramsden 50, Boulding 54.
Att: 4,391

Stats: Northampton - Bradford C
Possession: 56 - 44%
Shots on target: 8 - 4
Shots off target: 3 - 5
Fouls: 10 - 11
Corners: 2 - 5

Ref: David Phillips
Yellow cards:
Northampton: Gilligan (43 min).
Bradford C: Rehman (51 min), Eastwood (65 min), J O'Brien (66 min).

Northampton: 1. Chris Dunn, 3. John Johnson, 5. Craig Hinton, 20. Chris
McCready, 11. Andrew Holt, 4. Luke Guttridge (40), 12. Ryan Gilligan, 19.
John Curtis (68), 7. Ben Marshall, 22. Courtney Herbert (56), 9. Steve
Guinan.
SUBS: 26. Simon Brown (GK), 2. Paul Rodgers, 8. Abdul Osman, 15. Alex Dyer
(68), 16. Gary Mulligan (40), 17. Billy Mckay (56), 24. Seb Harris.

Bradford C: 1. Simon Eastwood, 16. Jonathan Bateson, 12. Steve Williams, 5.
Zesh Rehman, 3. Luke O'Brien, 26. Scott Neilson, 4. Michael Flynn, 2. Simon
Ramsden, 8. Lee Bullock, 19. James O'Brien (78), 14. Michael Boulding.
SUBS: 13. Jon McLaughlin (GK), 6. Matthew Clarke, 11. Chris Brandon (78),
20. Leon Osborne, 21. Luke Sharry, 24. Louis Horne.

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Coca-Cola League Two
Northampton (0) 2 Dyer 77, Johnson 90.
Bradford C (0) 2 Ramsden 50, Boulding 54.
Att: 4,391

By Simon Parker (T&A)

City blew a two-goal lead late on as they were held to a third successive
away draw at Northampton.

Simon Ramsden and Michael Boulding - with his first goal of the season - had
set City well on the way to victory.

But Northampton hit back twice in the last 13 minutes as the Bantams had to
settle for their fourth draw in five games.

There were few chances in a scrappy first half. Steve Guinan and Luke
Guttridge fired over for Northampton while Scott Neilson wasted City's best
opportunity with a lack of composure inside the box.

The game improved considerably after the break - and within nine minutes of
the re-start City found themselves two up.

There was a touch of good fortune about the 50th-minute opener as Ramsden's
left footer took a deflection to totally wrong-foot keeper Chris Dunn.

But Northampton could have no complaints about the quality of their second
as Boulding whipped home a crisp volley from a flick from Lee Bullock, his
surprise attacking partner in the absence of the ill James Hanson.

Boulding went close to scoring again before Northampton pulled one back
through sub Alex Dyer.

City had 13 minutes to see the game through. But in the final minute of
normal time, Northampton levelled as right back John Johnson headed home
from a free-kick.

The unbeaten run is now up to nine but this was a case of two points
dropped.






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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4663583.Youthful_City_endure_further_growing_pains/?ref=rss

Players hold inquest as two more points are thrown away on travels
6:50am Monday 5th October 2009

By Simon Parker »


Northampton Town 2, City 2

Sixfields was virtually deserted but the recriminations rumbled on.

City's post-match warm down had turned into a heated debate about how they had let this one slip.

Michael Flynn's angry tone highlighted the frustration as the group of players huddled around the very spot in the penalty area where defender John Johnson ghosted in unmarked to seal Northampton's unlikely comeback.

"The lad ran in behind me," admitted Simon Ramsden. "But if we'd kept a higher line, he would have been offside.

"We've practically dropped back to the six-yard box, which we can't keep doing. We threw points away at Barnet and we've done it again."

Another lead squandered; this time from a comfy 2-0 up with 13 minutes left. Once again City left an away ground miffed at only taking a point.

Maybe, as Michael Boulding put it, this was a sign of the side's general inexperience. A largely youthful, slightly naive squad is going to suffer from growing pains along the way.

City did not play as well as they had done against Barnet or Morecambe but they still seemed to have enough about them to seal a fourth win on the road.

Northampton's late point should guarantee Ian Sampson the manager's job on a permanent basis today. But they were a pretty ordinary side – and once City kicked up a gear after the break, it should have been done and dusted.

Ramsden, back in the side in a midfield anchor role, said: "They were there for the taking if we stepped it up a bit. We got the two early goals in the second half and they couldn't get near us at times.

"Then, for some strange reason, we started forcing the ball and looking quite nervy all over the park. And once they got one back, we were under the cosh."

On the face of it, a ninth game unbeaten should not be scoffed at. With James Hanson back home with flu, City were left with only one fit and firing striker.

There was plenty of pressure on Boulding as he came back in from the cold; especially when he found out on Friday that Lee Bullock would be his make-shift partner.

Bullock used to play up front for Cardiff but it was still a strange twist for a player who has grown accustomed this season to stopping goals rather than trying to score them as a back-four minder.

Chris Brandon could have come back in to play behind Boulding but Stuart McCall wanted a big man to play in the Hanson role, so Bullock was the obvious choice.

To be fair, he made a reasonable fist of it. It was Bullock's header that teed up Boulding for the chance to blow away his frustration with a crisply-taken first goal of the season.

But the absence of Gareth Evans gave City a lop-sided look with a gap on their left which Northampton exploited in the opening stages.

It took City a while to come to grips with the reshuffle, with Boulding forced to drop back to a wide-midfield role at times when the home side had the ball.

Northampton had a few half-chances but the only real scare saw Steve Williams clear a general melee in the goal-mouth.

The best opportunity fell to Scott Neilson, who wastefully skied it just before the break. It summed up a hit-and-miss game for the winger, whose electric build-up play is being let down by a lack of composure when he sees the whites of the keeper's eyes.

By all accounts, Neilson scores every time in training but he has missed some great openings in the last few games.

Saturday's game was still there to be won. Northampton had blown themselves out after the bright start, while City were getting stronger.

A dream start to the second half put the visitors well on their way. Two quickfire corners signalled their extra intent; two quickfire goals confirmed it.

The first enjoyed a slice of luck, with Ramsden the beneficiary – as he had been with his previous goal at Cheltenham.

A low corner pinged around before falling to his left foot 20 yards out. The shot was not the best struck but took "five bobbles and two deflections", in the scorer's words, to completely wrong-foot keeper Chris Dunn.

City's second four minutes later was pure striker's quality. Northampton gave away a cheap free-kick on halfway, Ramsden lofted it on to Bullock's head and Boulding was on to the knockdown in a flash with a decisive left-foot volley.

It was a touch of the Boulding that we had been promised this season. Who would have guessed that nine other players would have got off the mark before he had?

With Evans still out for another two games, it could be the springboard needed to get him up and running.

Simon Eastwood superbly saved from Steve Guinan, somehow pushing his header on to the post with the goal gaping.

His efforts were matched at the other end as Dunn denied Boulding's shot on the turn. It proved a hugely significant moment.

Substitute Alex Dyer had livened up Northampton and his goal 13 minutes from time offered the lifeline they grabbed so eagerly.

But City should have dealt with the danger when Andy Holt's header seemed to hover in the box. Nobody in a black shirt got hold of it, allowing Dyer the room to hook home.

The mood changed. Northampton's belief returned and City stopped playing the way they had been. They could not keep the ball well enough and found themselves getting pushed back.

McCall had been unhappy all afternoon with the number of free-kicks referee David Phillips awarded Northampton around the penalty area. City defended most of them well but inevitably one would get through.

That happened in the 89th minute after Williams leaned on Guinan. Ryan Gilligan's cross was on the money and on-loan Middlesbrough right back Johnson emerged to nod in from close range – and two valuable points were ground into the dust.

McCall said: "It's hugely disappointing to give it away after being in control for long periods. We could have killed off the game on the break.

"It feels like a defeat but the run keeps going. We know what our away form was like from Christmas onwards last season."

Attendance: 4,391



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Photo & video
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/8289853.stm

Bantams World free trial
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/player/LastMatch/0,,10266~1456320~36,00.html

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