Football League Two - KO 15:00
Northampton 2 (0) - 0 (0) Bradford
McKay 61
Tozer 81
At Sixfields Stadium on 25-09-2010
Next fixture
L2 (A) v Rotherham September 28, 2010 K.O. 7.45pm
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Fixtures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html
Pictures
"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/player/LastMatch/0,,10266~1612005~36,00.html
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Match stats
Northampton: Dunn, Tozer, Johnson, Rodgers (Herbert, 72 ) , Gilligan, Thornton (McKenzie, 66 ) , Davis, Holt,
Osman, Jacobs, McKay (Guinan, 86 )
Subs not used: Hall,Wedderburn,Walker,Harris,
Bradford: McLaughlan, Duff, Oliver, O'Brien, Williams, Hunt ( Rehman, 12 ) , Bullock, Doherty ( Osborne, 78 ) ,
Syers, Speight, Moult ( Hendrie, 53 )
Subs not used: Evans, Chilaka, Saxton, Adeyemi,
Bookings: Rodgers (Northampton) Bullock , Rehman (Bradford)
Attendance: 4646
Referee: P Gibbs (West Midlands)
Cobblers Wobblers
4 Shots On Target 1
1 Shots Off Target 0
7 Fouls (Conceded) 13
4 Corners 3
1 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 0
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Monday morning report
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/8414996./
Cobblers 2 Wobblers 0 as Bantams fans left feeling short-changed
7:40am Monday 27th September 2010
By Simon Parker
Northampton 2 Bradford City 0
So City went the same way as Liverpool.
And being dumped in such illustrious company will be no consolation whatsoever for the beaten Bantams and their
beleaguered fans.
The large exodus of away supporters well before the final whistle said it all on another dismal afternoon.
Hopes raised by the late, late show against Gillingham a week before had been quickly shot down.
And this against a team who were supposed to be out on their feet after their midweek night of Carling Cup
giant-slaying.
Northampton were meant to be the team going through the motions.
Northampton were meant to be the team with their heads in the clouds still reliving their fairy tale at Anfield.
Northampton were meant to be the team that would fade away in the final half hour as the effects of Wednesday
kicked in.
Fat chance.
City, supposedly fresh from a free week, looked disjointed, disillusioned and finished very much second best. The
moment the first goal went in, we might as well all have packed up and headed for the M1.
The visitors could not even muster a single shot after the break.
The only two efforts on goal – one of which, thankfully, at least tested keeper Chris Dunn – both came in the first
half.
It was woeful stuff; another no-show in a season that is clocking those up at a worrying rate.
But why should it be like that? How could a side buzzing from victory at the final whistle the week before suddenly
become a collection of lost souls again?
Peter Taylor was left scratching his head like the rest of us.
He had talked all week about the tide turning and how City could kick on from the spark of Steve Williams' dramatic
winner.
Instead, City's expected elevation up the table remained as dormant as the disused Express Lift Tower which
dominates the Northampton skyline between the football and rugby grounds.
Once again, he referred to "nervous" players lacking confidence. But only a string of decent results can improve
that – and to get those, you need that belief which this side are clearly lacking.
City are trapped in a vicious circle and it's depressing to watch. It's a conundrum Taylor must solve and it
doesn't get any easier with Rotherham looming tomorrow night.
Life could not be more different for Northampton.
Their warm-up was accompanied by radio commentary of the best bits from Anfield. The screeching description of
Wednesday's winning penalty was followed by the velvety sound of Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World.
It must be great living on Cloud Nine.
Far from resting tired legs and minds, Cobblers boss Ian Sampson named the same line-up. Taylor, for his part, made
only one change, with out-of-form Robbie Threlfall's back injury denying him a return to the ground where he played
for a month last season.
And for the first 45 minutes, it was a case of as you were. Both teams had two chances apiece and there was nothing
to split them.
For City, there was the early blow of Lewis Hunt hobbling away after falling awkwardly in a tackle with Northampton
winger Michael Jacobs Hunt may not be everyone's favourite defender but he has filled in manfully during Simon
Ramsden's protracted absence. The prospect of losing him with a knee injury for three months now just adds to the
club's woes.
Zesh Rehman was once again thrown in to plug the gap and stuck to the task pretty well. Unless Taylor can squeeze
the budget to bring in another body, Rehman will be expected to take on the accustomed role on a regular basis.
Rehman immediately fed Louis Moult, whose quick feet undid marker Andy Holt before firing off a shot which Dunn
blocked with his shins. That was as good as it got for the visitors.
There was another sniff of a chance when Williams headed wide after Luke Oliver headed a free-kick across goal but
no more. That 38th-minute effort proved to be their last.
Taylor had left Anfield singing the praises of Kevin Thornton's sweet left foot and two first-half free-kicks
served warning. But the goalless score at half-time suggested the City gameplan was on track.
That all changed just after the hour, although the warning signs had been there in the early exchanges after the
re-start when City suddenly struggled to string two passes together.
Lee Hendrie appeared with one or two bright touches, nearly playing in Jake Speight, but he soon faded like the
rest.
And the critical final third of the game – when City had hoped to take over – began instead with a decisive blow
form the home side.
Oliver clipped John Johnson just over the halfway line in retaliation for a foul a few minutes before. Ben Tozer
drove it long, neither centre half got anything on it, and the ball dropped for Billy McKay to whip in on the turn.
City's response was non-existent and Northampton could enjoy applying the finishing touches to a memorable week.
Rehman rescued his goalkeeper on the line after Jon McLaughlin had completely misjudged a Jacobs corner but the
tricky left winger played his part in Northampton's second, with the smaller McKay outjumping the defence to meet
his cross and set up loan centre half Tozer for a goal on his league debut.
With 15 minutes to go, a fair few City fans had seen enough and streamed for the exit. They didn't miss anything.
Even joint-chairman Julian Rhodes decided to call it quits five minutes from time with a face like thunder. It
summed up the mood.
Rotherham's unloved Don Valley Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for City the past two years. How they could
do with that same shot in the arm tomorrow.
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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/8416583./
Taylor's ultimatum to Bradford City players: Shape up or ship out
7:30am Tuesday 28th September 2010
By Simon Parker
Peter Taylor today threatened to dump all his City under-achievers on the transfer list.
Taylor delivered the ultimatum ahead of the derby clash with Rotherham because he is fed up with the poor start to
the campaign.
The Bantams boss believes it is time for his squad to shape up – or ship out.
Taylor blasted: "We're third from bottom after eight matches and have got more chance of being relegated than
getting promoted at the minute.
"I think the boys totally understand the situation. It's not good enough, we're not playing well enough; their
performances are not good enough and they've got to change.
"If they don't, I'm going to draw up a transfer list and they are all going to be on it. It's as simple as that.
"I think Bradford City is a magnificent club to play for at this level. If they don't appreciate that or can't
handle it, then I'm going to make some changes.
"I'm expecting a positive response tonight. If they haven't the confidence or character to perform against
Rotherham, then they are not needed here."
Taylor is ready to make more changes and may opt to switch formation again. But he insists that criticism of the
4-3-3 system he likes to play is way off the mark.
"I know there are experts out there saying why aren't we doing this or that.
"The reason I keep changing things is that I haven't got a clue right now how consistent a player is going to
perform.
"We play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 and I can name a good performance with both those systems, so which one do you go for?
"I know we're not a goal threat at the minute but we played 4-3-3 against Gillingham and created more chances than
the opposition and then we kept the same system on Saturday and never got near Northampton.
"It's a very easy way out for players to hide behind the system but it's down to how the players perform and how
hard they work.
"The staff are doing everything we can to get the best performance out of them but it's about time that it was down
to them."
Third-placed Rotherham are unbeaten at the Don Valley Stadium and top scorer Adam Le Fondre has already netted
eight times in the league – double City's total. But Taylor won there last season and does not see it as a lost
cause.
He added: "At the moment Rotherham are better than us and have got more confident players. It's obviously a big
test.
"But to me, Bradford in League Two shouldn't fear anybody and I'm looking for the players to impress me.
"Le Fondre wouldn't have scored so many if he was in our team right now but he might have got us a goal to nick us
a win and make us more confident.
"Because we're playing poorly, a striker's not going to get a load of chances. Jake Speight's not; Gareth Evans is
not.
"But confidence is such a brilliant thing and with a couple of results, i.e. if we'd beaten Stockport 1-0, then
that would have really helped our season.
"I'm very surprised and disappointed we're in the position that we are. After the way we finished last season I
really expected us to start very well.
"But there's still plenty of time providing we can start putting in the performances, and that's down to the
players."
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Hunt injury adds to Bradford City's misery
7:00am Monday 27th September 2010
By Simon Parker
Peter Taylor branded City's dismal display at Northampton as the worst yet this season.
The Bantams slipped back to third from bottom with Saturday's defeat at Liverpool's cup conquerors.
And right back Lewis Hunt faces three months on the sidelines with a knee injury.
After last week's dramatic win over Gillingham, Taylor was shocked by the latest no-show.
"I've got no excuses," he said. "That performance was as bad and as flat as I've seen us.
"I was expecting the opposite. I really thought we had a good week and should have been flying after the last
result.
"Unfortunately we weren't and that's very disappointing."
Taylor had hoped to cash in on Northampton's fatigue from their midweek Anfield marathon. Instead City were hit by
two goals in the last half hour.
He admitted that confidence within the squad remains fragile as they try to lift chins for tomorrow's Yorkshire
derby with Rotherham.
"You need results (to change that) and maybe that's more than just a late goal against Gillingham.
"The players are looking nervous. We're giving the ball away too easily and having to do too much defending because
of that.
"We've got to be bigger, stronger, braver but it's all right just talking about it.
"We've got to do a lot better because we're playing against another team doing well."
Zesh Rehman is set for a run at right back after Hunt damaged ligaments when his foot stuck in the turf during a
tackle.
Taylor said: "He's going to be out for about 12 weeks. We've lost Simon Ramsden and now Hunty so it's a big blow."
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