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Signings, Loans and Injuries
Doubt over Marcel Seip as ankle playing up again.
bullock back from virus and trained today, Monday
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Match Media & Stats
Pictures
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Phil Parkinson rues missed chances as Bradford City's latest road trip ends in more frustration
6:20am Monday 19th March 2012
By Simon Parker
Aldershot 1, City 0
The Duchess of Cambridge wowed the crowds as she dished out shamrocks to the Irish Guards stationed in the army barracks.
Just down the road, shoppers in the town centre were tucking into the Italian market. There was clearly plenty to enjoy in Aldershot on St
Patrick's Day.
That is unless you were a travelling City fan or player. For them it was the same old misery that always accompanies the trek to north Hampshire.
For the fourth year in a row, the Bantams came away pointless. For the third season on the trot, they'd lost 1-0 in a nothing match. Away trips
don't get much more miserable than this.
A week that had begun with the buzz of a richly-deserved win over play-off contenders Oxford ground to a depressingly familiar end with a second
straight long-distance defeat.
To make it worse, Aldershot's goal came from their only shot on target. A scruffy winner, tapped in from close range, settled a scruffy match.
And City came off to hear the news that their advantage on the relegation spots had been cut to four points.
Dagenham's win maintained Macclesfield's woeful spiral towards the bottom two – but Plymouth's over Shrewsbury was unexpected and unwelcome.
While there are still six teams behind them – and the goal difference remains infinitely better – City have got work to do.
There may be no need for panic but an urgency is required again, starting at Gresty Road tomorrow night after yet another coach journey.
"They had one chance," sighed a frustrated Phil Parkinson. "We've had three or four and deserved something.
"But those chances need to go in. Do that and then their goal wouldn't be anything more than a consolation.
"We lacked a bit of sharpness first half but still had chances. I thought we looked better in the second and had the impetus in our play – that's
the disappointment for the lads."
Parkinson had shuffled his pack once again, with five changes from Wimbledon. Chris Dagnall was thrown straight in after completing his loan move
the day before. Simon Ramsden, the man who never loses, was also fit again to bolster the back four.
The most significant difference was in midfield with Ricky Ravenhill, back from suspension, and Michael Flynn replacing Lee Bullock and David
Syers.
Bullock did not travel after being quarantined with a family virus. Syers, having looked strong on his return at Kingsmeadow, was on the bench
and not called upon until the late hurrah.
His arrival in a treble substitution sparked City into late life as they pressed in vain to cancel out Namibian Wilko Risser's first goal in
English football.
It should have done enough to earn Syers a recall to the starting line-up at Crewe, though Parkinson felt he was right not to push him into
another 90 minutes on Saturday so soon after his comeback exertions.
He said: "I just thought it was a big ask for Dave to go again after the other day. He'd been out (injured) and then put so much effort in when
we played with ten men for a long period.
"That's why I went with Flynny and Ravenhill again. It's getting that balance right when you're picking the team for so many games.
"We don't want to put too many combinations out there that haven't played together but they obviously have before. But equally we've got to pick
a team that is fresh and sharp.
"That's the challenge we've got again for Crewe. We need a team with good legs in them."
Parkinson will first sit down with Football League referees chief David Allison today to talk over some of the contentious decisions that he
feels have not gone City's way of late.
There looked like another one to add to the collection when Dagnall was knocked over by keeper Jamie Young after seizing on a blunder from Darren
Jones. Parkinson bawled at the fourth official, loudly demanding: "How's that not a penalty?"
But Stuart Attwell, whose general performance was a breath of fresh air compared with Darren Deadman's midweek showmanship, evened the score by
ignoring a stronger-looking Aldershot claim when Luke Oliver's outstretched leg ravelled itself round Risser.
The worst-case scenario would have been a spot-kick and a red card as last man for the big fella, who otherwise was as solid as ever.
Defensively, there was nothing wrong about City's game. No blame could be attached to the only goal, Rob Sinclair's deflected cross looping
against the bar before Risser beat Marcel Seip to the close-range rebound.
The Bantams came up short at the other end, lacking creativity and supply out wide and a cutting edge when the chances did come around.
Kyel Reid had been outstanding in the previous two games and still carried the fight to Wimbledon even when the ten men were seemingly on the
ropes.
But Saturday passed him by as the winger found himself starved of the ball. There was only one trademark run – and that should have produced a
City goal towards the end of the first half.
Flynn supplied him in space and Reid stepped on the accelerator to beat Ben Herd and deliver the perfect cross. Will Atkinson attacked it and
missed but the ball bounced off a defender and sat up invitingly for Dagnall.
The opportunity beckoned to follow the lead of Kevin Ellison, the last player to score on his Bantams debut 13 months ago. But his shot clipped a
defender from ten yards out and flew left.
Dagnall's movement and anticipation for James Hanson's flick-ons suggested that he will be the quality addition that City are expecting to
rubberstamp their League Two security. But he will be frustrated not to have opened his account.
City's long throw-ins proved an effective route of attack and James Hanson nodded one into Dagnall's path. But he could not get enough power
behind a snatched effort which Young saved at his near post.
Aldershot had only managed one corner up to this point without testing Jon McLaughlin once. Then substitute Sinclair, who livened up Aldershot's
left side, found the room to cross and a striker who had come to League Two via Namibia, Germany and Malta bundled the ugliest of winners.
Syers led the late charge, with Andrew Davies adopting his customary emergency striker role. A few corners bobbled around the box and Nahki
Wells, another of the subs, hit the side-netting. But the home side's one shot, one goal policy proved enough.
Meanwhile, Kate was long gone and the Italians had packed up. They must have known what was coming.
Attendance: 2,763
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YP Monday morning match report
Disappointed Parkinson looking for fresh legs to guide Bradford to safety
Published on Monday 19 March 2012 11:16
WILKO Risser broke the Bantams' hearts as his late winner kept the hosts' play-off hopes alive and left Bradford looking over their shoulder at
the foot of the League Two table.
It was a defeat that leaves Bradford still only four points clear of second-bottom Hereford, and that is clearly something of major concern for
City manager Phil Parkinson.
He said: "It really hurts when your opponents' only meaningful chance turns into the goal that has won the match.
"Now we face a challenge against Crewe on Tuesday evening. Do we change the team around or not?
"We have to make sure we get a team out for that game that has plenty of sharpness and freshness in the legs.
"We're too close to the relegation zone and so we need to do something about our predicament very quickly."
Chris Dagnall – who only signed for the Bantams on loan from Barnsley 24 hours prior to the game – was lively throughout the first half and was
twice denied by some brave goalkeeping from Jamie Young.
Just before the interval Shots midfielder Michael Doughty went close when his arrowing drive fizzed inches past the post.
Just before the hour mark Dagnall was again thwarted by Young as his sweetly-struck shot was palmed desperately round the post.
The decisive goal came with 20 minutes to go. Rob Sinclair – signed on loan from Stevenage – was afforded too much space down the Bantams' left.
His cross was only tipped onto the crossbar by Jon McLaughlin, but there was Risser who was perfectly placed to slam home the rebound from close
range.
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Bradford City hold "constructive" talks with referee supremo
7:10pm Monday 19th March 2012
By Simon Parker
City have described this afternoon's talks with Football League referees' appointment boss David Allison as "constructive".
Allison met Phil Parkinson and joint-chairman Mark Lawn at Valley Parade after agreeing to listen to their grievances over recent decisions.
Parkinson contacted the league after last Tuesday's defeat at Wimbledon when referee Darren Deadman awarded two home penalties.
The City chief branded his performance "awful", calling it "the straw that broke the camel's back."
Allison was shown DVD clips of particular incidents that the Bantams feel have gone against them.
Lawn said: "It was a constructive meeting. There were useful points made on both sides."
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Lawn works out the safety tally for City
Published on Tuesday 20 March 2012 07:49
BRADFORD City joint chairman Mark Lawn believes 50 points will be enough to guarantee Football League survival for the club.
The Bantams, 18th on 39 points, have been dragged back into the dogfight at the bottom of League Two by two defeats in a week.
Now, ahead of tonight's trip to Crewe Alexandra, Lawn said: "As soon as we can get to 50 points the better for everyone – we need to get to 50 to
be safe."
Lawn met referees chief David Allison yesterday afternoon along with fellow chairman Julian Rhodes and manager Phil Parkinson to discuss
grievances City have had with officials this season.
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Ricky Ravenhill urges Bradford City to keep calm in fight to climb out of danger
7:30am Monday 19th March 2012
By Simon Parker
Ricky Ravenhill issued a "keep calm" plea as City were pulled back into the League Two relegation picture.
They head for Crewe tomorrow with the gap to the bottom two slashed to four points following Saturday's 1-0 loss at Aldershot.
Back-to-back away defeats have left the Bantams still hovering just above the drop zone – but midfield battler Ravenhill feels there is no need
to panic.
He said: "It's still in our hands. We're where you want to be (in the dogfight) at the top half of it and not in the bottom two.
"We don't need to get tense about the situation. You could feel a bit of that in the first half when we weren't quite at it.
"Let's just go out and play football because we've got good enough players. There's no need for that tension.
"We want to put this season to bed and just need a couple more wins to take us away from that zone. Then everyone can relax and finish the
season."
Aldershot scored with their only shot on target in a scrappy game and Ravenhill admitted: "That's the way things have been going.
"They had one chance, the ball loops in off the bar and then they get the tap-in. It hurts but we've got to pick ourselves up again.
"Crewe let you play and we seem to perform better against the teams who play more football. We get dragged down in games like Saturday which seem
to go against us."
City looked to be heading for mid-table security after beating Oxford before the two losses on the road. But Phil Parkinson remains confident
they can bounce back.
He said: "We're getting dragged back in and the players are aware of it but we've got to be strong.
"It's really important we get a result against Crewe. We'll pick a team that can hopefully put in a really good performance."
Chris Dagnall had a couple of opportunities on his City debut and Parkinson believes the on-loan Barnsley striker will get more influential as he
gets used to the team.
He said: "I thought Chris looked bright. He tired towards the end, which is why we took him off, but he looked on it and he'll benefit from the
game "He will improve from the performance and he'll be ready to go again at Crewe."
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