L2 v Bury (a) L1-2 Jan 19th 2010

Note: City borrowed a set of shirts off Bury as both the City kits clashed colours according to the ref!

Bury    2 (2) - 1(1) Bradford  
                     Jones 17
Lowe 32(p)
Sodje 23 (og)
   
  At Gigg Lane on 19-01-2010  



Bury: Brown ,Scott ,Sodje ,Futcher ,Dawson ,Buchanan ,Barry-Murphy ,Jones ,Worrall ,Morrell ,Lowe
Subs not used: Newey,Allen,Baker,Racchi,Belford,McCartney,

Bradford: Glennon ,Ramsden ,Rehman ,Clarke ,Luke O'Brien ,Bateson ,Flynn ,Brandon (Rory Boulding ,74 ) ,Neilson

,Evans (Daley ,61 ) ,Michael Boulding
Subs not used McLaughlan,Horne,James O'Brien,

Bookings: Futcher ,Sodje (Bury) Bateson (Bradford)

Attendance: 2930


Referee: S W Mathieson (Cheshire)

Match Stats  
                Bury  Bradford City  
Shots (on Goal)  8(6)  16(8)  
Fouls               9  10  
Corner Kicks        7  7  
Offsides            2  1  
Time of Possession  51%  49%  
Yellow Cards        2  1  
Red Cards           0  0  
Saves               6  7


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Other news
Notts County (h) rearranged for Tuesday March 23rd
Aldershot (a) rearranged for Tuesday March 2nd


photos
http://www.buryfc.co.uk/page/MatchAction/0,,10422~1938161,00.html

video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/8471397.stm




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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sportbcfcmatch/4860006.Bantams_go_down_fighting/

Final score the only difference between sides as City go down fighting
7:50am Wednesday 20th January 2010

By Simon Parker

Bury 2 City 1

City were left scratching their heads after leaving Gigg Lane empty-handed last night.

Bury's victory lifted them into an automatic promotion place; City's defeat kept them wedged in the ugly half of

the table in a lowly 15th.

But you couldn't see any difference between the sides.

The stats – and second-half domination – finished well in favour of the visitors. But, as we know only too well

this season, that counts for absolutely nothing.

Stuart McCall had predicted his players would fight like "caged tigers" after their mid-season hibernation and they

certainly did, giving it all after the break in a fruitless search for a point.

But when the final whistle sounded, City were reflecting on another chance gone begging with the gap to the

play-offs an imposing eight points.

McCall has been wondering if City's luck will change in the new year but the pre-match omens did not suggest that.

While Bury had emerged unscathed from their impressive weekend win at Bourne-mouth, City's first outdoor training

session of the year produced two key casualties.

Lee Bullock (calf) and James Hanson (back) both suffered from the switch back to soft ground on Saturday after

weeks stuck indoors.

Hanson's absence – only the second game he has missed in three months – meant a change of focus up top. Michael

Boulding, making his first start since injuring an ankle against Rotherham, partnered Gareth Evans to leave Bury's

giant centre halves with a different challenge to the aerial battle they had expected.

City lined up 4-3-3, with Simon Ramsden taking up the midfield holding role that Bullock has made his own. Matt

Glennon made his debut in a side that showed only two survivors – the centre halves – from the 1-0 loss at Bury a

year ago.

There was also a very different look about the kit – City had to wear Bury's white shirts from last season. Referee

Scott Mathieson decided both their home and away kits clashed with the chocolate half of the special shirt Bury are

wearing to mark their 125th anniversary!

It left the backroom staff frantically picking through the kit bags to find the right sizes for the players –

hardly ideal preparation.

But City could still have been in front inside 20 seconds as Chris Brandon's cross was met by Scott Neilson, whose

side-foot volley from six yards out was superbly kept out by Wayne Brown.

Not to be outdone by his opposite number, Glennon's first touch for his new club was an alert dive to his left to

deny Ryan Lowe.

It was an explosive opening and Bury threatened again as 6ft 7in Ben Futcher outjumped everyone to nod goalwards

from their second corner. It beat Glennon but Jon Bateson was on the line to save the day.

Efe Sodje got away with a foul on Neilson and then escaped a booking when he pulled down Boulding, who had slipped

goal side of him after a lovely pass from Brandon. Michael Flynn's free-kick curled a yard over.

Sodje, wearing his trademark bandana, duly got his yellow card in the 13th minute after going through the back of

Boulding.

But five minutes later Bury – who were setting a high tempo – were in front. Lowe beat Rehman wide on the right to

release David Worrall into the box and as Glennon advanced to narrow the angle, he squared for Mike Jones to shoot

past Bateson and Matt Clarke on the line.

Brandon looked City's best player and was at the heart of their equaliser within five minutes. Bursting into the

box onto Neilson's touch, he looped a cross to the far post, where Boulding headed back across goal – only for

Sodje to turn it into his own net.

Back came Bury, though, to regain the lead from the spot just after half an hour. Jones put Stephen Dawson through

and the home skipper tumbled as he took a touch wide of Glennon.

The keeper had a good record of saving penalties for Huddersfield and guessed the right way but Lowe's kick was

perfectly placed in the bottom corner.

City had it all to do again but Flynn, with a thumping free-kick, and Neilson immediately kept Brown on his toes.

It remained an open contest, although City were guilty of being a bit sloppy at times and defensively they looked

shaky. Bury were playing with the confidence of a side beaten only twice in 17 attempts.

The tendency to hit the ball longer was also creeping in after their promising inter-play in the early stages. And

without Hanson's head to aim at, the high passes were mopped up by Bury's bruising backline.

Glennon was soon into action after the break from David Buchanan's blast after the left back had picked up Rehman's

tentative clearance.

Boulding's battle for headers against Futcher remained a mismatch and the City striker claimed in vain for a

penalty when the defender leant on him to clear a free-kick.

The game was evenly poised as Evans, who had contributed little, made way for Omar Daley at the hour point. The

Jamaican's first touch was a foul on Paul Scott to give Bury a free-kick in dangerous territory. Sodje nodded in

with a diving header but the flag was up for offside.

Ramsden slammed a long shot against Futcher's arm but another City shout for a penalty was waved away by Mathieson.

The ref then booked Bateson for clipping Buchanan's heels.

Futcher again appeared to handle as he took the ball off Brandon in midfield. Ramsden reacted furiously with the

official as Bury almost made it three from Andy Morrell's shot on the turn.

City were then cursing the woodwork after Ramsden set up Brandon for a sharp chance that beat Brown but pinged back

off the post. It was becoming that sort of night.

Daley whipped in a cross which Boulding flicked off Futcher for a corner which Clarke headed wide.

Mathieson further annoyed the away fans by calling over a steward to move the City Gent mascot back behind the

advertising boards at that end of the ground. Another petty act of officialdom.

Flynn crept into the box for a decent effort before McCall made his second switch. Brandon surprisingly made way,

sprinting off the pitch as if to demonstrate he was far from finished, as Rory Boulding joined his brother up

front.

Luke O'Brien, bombing forward at every chance, drilled in a good cross from the byline which Sodje diverted over

his own bar. Again Clarke won the corner but his header was straight at Brown – leaving the big defender holding

his head in frustration.

City had controlled the possession since the break, tightening up considerably, but a second equaliser remained

elusive. Neilson was checked five yards outside the Bury area and Ramsden's free-kick deflected behind off the

wall. Rehman's header from the corner was fumbled by Brown and Boulding unsuccessfully tried to jab in from a mad

scramble.

City were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Bury's goal. O'Brien's dogged diagonal run found Daley, who

teed up Rehman, but the skipper flashed his first-time drive off target.

Rehman then prevented a killer Bury third, clearing well off the line after Morrell had turned inside O'Brien.




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From Tuesday

by Simon Parker »


James Hanson's transfer tribunal has been delayed again.

City were due to find out tomorrow how much they would have to pay Guiseley for the top-scorer.

But the independent panel has been postponed and a new date is yet to be fixed.


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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/4860012.McCall__I_feel_so_sorry_for_the_players/

Defeat is hard to swallow as City boss McCall rues more bad luck
7:00am Wednesday 20th January 2010

By Simon Parker

Stuart McCall cursed City's luck after they lost further ground with last night's defeat at Bury.

The Bantams went down 2-1 at Gigg Lane to drop to 15th – eight points off the last play-off spot.

But they controlled large chunks of the game against the third-placed Shakers, adding to McCall's frustration at

another hard-luck story.

"How many times have we said that this season?" he admitted. "I'm running out of ways to describe it.

"It's easy for a manager to have a pop at players in the dressing room but I've not been able to do that this

season.

"Last year there were a lot of disappointing performances towards the end. We were getting beaten away from home

and I couldn't take anything out of it.

"But that's certainly not the case with us now. I just feel for the players because they are putting everything in.

"Alan Knill (Bury manager) said we certainly didn't deserve that. The effort, pressure and desire from everyone was

there for all to see."

City, who were missing James Hanson and Lee Bullock through injury, hit back from Mike Jones's opener to level with

an Efe Sodje own goal. But Ryan Lowe's 31st-minute penalty clinched it after a foul by debut keeper Matt Glennon.

Chris Brandon struck the post in a one-sided second half but City slipped to their first away defeat in the league

since October. They now face two more away trips, at Lincoln on Saturday and then Torquay.

McCall added: "There was nothing between the sides and it was just down to who would get the rub of the green. You

could be despondent but the players didn't hide or buckle.

"With the run we're having at the minute where things aren't going for us, you've just got to believe that it will

change.

"We haven't got what we deserve yet again but keep playing like that and I'm sure it will start to go for us.

"Looking at the points tally is not good news and is hard for us but I don't have to pick the players up because

they know that we are good enough."