Npower League Two
Bradford C (0) 1 Hanson 59
Fleetwood (0) 0
Att: 9,224
Read this article online
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/
CFML Daily News
http://paper.li/f-1315926867
Current table
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/tables/cc_league2.html
Fixtures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/clubhouse?teamId=387&lang=EN
The "Social media Corner"
http://paper.li/f-1315926867
Official Mobile app
http://communicatoremail.com/IN/Y2tx0dX-0UIRu4P1_588C9Eehl64XmQ-JA8WroOSpEQ/WebView.aspx
===========================
Signings, Loans and Injuries
===========================
New Section - Ticket Office Mess Up of the Week
Club announcement - FlexiCards
PUBLISHED 15:02 22nd August 2012
The football club is aware of the unfortunate problems some supporters experienced getting into the Coral Windows Stadium last night (Tuesday) before the Fleetwood Town match.
Following an operational review after this game, the club can reveal that they will look to address these issues in two ways. . .
Bringing in additional support to ensure that all turnstiles are open, and that FlexiCard holders (either pre-paid or paying cash) can use any appropriate turnstile within the ground. This should help alleviate any queues.
In addition to this, on Saturday (25 August - the AFC Wimbledon fixture) the original Ticket Office A, which is situated next to the old club shop, will be open to service those customers who are picking up Season Tickets or FlexiCards ONLY.
Thank you for your continued support
===========================
Match Media & Stats
Pictures
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sport_bantams_pics2011/
"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/player/LastMatch/0,,10266~1612005~36,00.html
BBC highlights (uk only)
Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results
Stats: Bradford C - Fleetwood
Possession: 51 - 49%
Shots on target: 5 - 5
Shots off target: 6 - 6
Fouls: 15 - 11
Corners: 5 - 3
Ref: Scott Duncan (Newcastle).
Yellow cards:
Bradford C: None
Fleetwood: Howell (19 min), Brown (43), Beesley (70).
BRADFORD C: 12. Matt Duke, 23. Rory McArdle, 5. Andrew Davies, 6. Luke
Oliver, 3. James Meredith, 20. Zavon Hines (65'), 18. Gary Jones, 24. Nathan
Doyle (77'), 7. Kyel Reid, 21. Nahki Wells (87'), 9. James Hanson.
SUBS: 1. Jon McLaughlin, 2. Stephen Darby (87'), 10. Ross Hannah, 11. Garry
Thompson (65'), 14. Will Atkinson (77'), 16. Carl McHugh, 17. Alan Connell.
FLEETWOOD: 1. Scott Davies, 2. Shaun Beeley, 5. Steve McNulty, 28. Youl
Mawene, 3. Dean Howell, 11. Barry Nicholson, 18. Jamie McGuire (81'), 20.
Damien Johnson, 12. Junior Brown (81'), 26. David Ball (56'), 9. Jon Parkin.
SUBS: 16. Chris Maxwell, 10. Lee Fowler, 13. Alan Goodall, 14. Andy Mangan
(56'), 15. Conor McLaughlin, 19. Steven Gillespie (81'), 27. Alex Marrow
(81').
===========================
Tuesday evening match report
By Simon Parker (T&A)
City claimed their first win of the new season with a battling performance
against big-spending new boys Fleetwood.
The game began in cagey fashion but the first real opportunity fell to City
from their opening corner as Hanson 's header was blocked in front the line
by Dean Howell.
Fleetwood were denied by the woodwork when Jon Parkin cleverly released
David Ball on goal. The midfield drove over Matt Duke but the shot bounced
back off the bar.
City were denied by the same bar at the start of the second half as a
first-time shot from Zavon Hines deflected against it.
But City's strong start to the half got its reward after 59 minutes when
Hanson rose to head home a Gary Jones corner.
Nahki Wells was denied by Scott Davies before Fleetwood hit the woodwork
once again through sub Andy Mangan.
Davies denied Kyel Reid a second but City, for whom Nathan Doyle was
outstanding in centre midfield, were worth the three points.
===========================
Wednesday morning match report
Hanson header gives Bradford City a Fleetwood smack
6:30am Wednesday 22nd August 2012
By Simon Parker
City 1, Fleetwood 0
City's new era was sparked into life by a familiar old head last night.
The season is up and running after a first victory against Football League new boys Fleetwood.
And amid all the changes and upheaval of the summer, it was the dependable James Hanson who delivered the killer blow.
Hanson was as deadly as ever to convert Gary Jones's corner, although this was a game won all over the pitch against the second favourites for promotion.
Fleetwood had visited Valley Parade once before in 1949 – and were blitzed 9-0 in an FA Cup tie.
There was no likelihood of repeating that cricket score but Phil Parkinson did name a very attack-minded line-up – and got his reward.
The City boss has been accused by some of playing it too cautious on occasions but there was no hint of that in a side that included both Kyel Reid and new boy Zavon Hines on the flanks.
With such positive-minded widemen, Parkinson switched Rory McArdle to right back to give Hines more experienced defensive back-up. That allowed for Andrew Davies to return at centre half.
Even at this early stage, Parkinson's hand had been forced to some extent by the injuries in central midfield. He gave Nathan Doyle his first start in there, while Nahki Wells replaced Alan Connell up front after coming off the bench to score at Gillingham.
Fleetwood goalkeeper Scott Davies had to come smartly off his line to clear from Hines as Luke Oliver 's clearance nearly gave the winger an early chance to stretch his legs.
There was little pattern to the opening exchanges – or the officiating as the assistant flagged for a City goal-kick when Oliver had clearly risen above Jon Parkin to head behind his own goal.
Despite the £50,000 summer facelift, a section of the Valley Parade pitch showed evidence of the pre-match monsoon with water spraying up in challenges.
Reid tried to liven proceedings with an angled run to the edge of the box but Steve McNulty slid across to block his shot behind.
Hanson got on the end of the corner from Jones but a combination of Davies and left back Dean Howell stopped it from crossing the line.
Howell then flattened Hines to receive the game's first booking – and the first yellow card in the Football League for referee Scott Duncan. Oliver should have done better with his header from the resulting free-kick.
Parkin, the imposing target man known throughout his career as 'The Beast', was throwing his weight around for Fleetwood and drew a foul from Davies right on the edge of the City box. It looked a dangerous situation until Howell slammed the free-kick harmlessly into the wall.
But Fleetwood should have grabbed the lead after 26 minutes with a stunning counter-attack. Parkin cleverly spun Oliver from Howell's clearance before flicking a pass into the path of David Ball.
The £250,000 capture from Peterborough advanced on Matt Duke but fired against the bar in front of a relieved Kop. It was a warning for the home defence, who had handled Parkin fairly well up to that point.
Chances remained at a premium, although McArdle's angled cross from deep just eluded the stretching Hanson, to the frustration of Parkinson leaping to head an imaginary ball on the touchline.
Parkin was getting annoyed with the number of fouls he was being penalised for and was lucky to escape a card for throwing the ball away.
There was certainly no lack of commitment in City's play and one promising move came to a sharp end when McArdle was clattered by Junior Brown, who did go straight in Duncan's book.
The hosts were picking up the tempo as half-time approached but Hanson could not direct his header from a Jones corner.
Considering his lack of football so far, Doyle looked the part alongside Jones and the pair kept City ticking along. The fans were appreciating the effort they were putting in.
Parkin still felt hard done by with the officials and his argument continued after the half-time whistle when he made a beeline for Duncan – to a chorus of jeers from the TL Dallas Stand.
It was City's turn to curse the Kop woodwork as they went within inches of grabbing the lead at the start of the second half. Howell's clearance was hit back first time by Hines, whose shot clipped off Wells and up on to the bar.
Hines was straight back in the thick of it, teasing Howell with a series of step-overs as City probed for a breakthrough.
With Hines one side and Reid the other, City had the options to stretch the visitors. Hines again tormented his way beyond Howell and Hanson appeared to be clattered from behind by McNulty as he received the pass in the Fleetwood D.
But the referee waved play on, indicating the big defender had won the ball cleanly – to the fury of Parkinson and Steve Parkin.
He did blow for Howell's handball as Jones looked to attack down the right. Oliver headed the free-kick into the side-netting, although an unsighted section of the Midland Road Stand did think he had scored.
But City's bright start to the half was finally rewarded in the 59th minute after Wells and Hanson linked neatly to force a corner. Jones drifted it to the back post, where Hanson found room to power in his second goal of the fledgling campaign.
City could have extended their lead five minutes later as Reid cut back invitingly for Wells. But the Bermudian scuffed his shot into the ground and Davies was able to beat it away at his post.
Hines made way for Garry Thompson to huge applause before City enjoyed a second escape. Howell cut in from the right to cross into the danger area, where substitute Andy Mangan headed past Duke – but again the keeper was spared by the frame of his goal as the ball bounced back out off the inside of the post.
Shaun Beesley picked up Fleetwood's third booking for a trip on Wells but the referee was unmoved when Reid went down in the box under two red bodies.
Fleetwood were far from out of it and Mangan slipped behind the centre halves to rattle off another effort straight at Duke.
Doyle's excellent night ended with 13 minutes left and the standing ovation had barely died down when Reid forced a save from Davies before lashing the rebound wide.
Reid then left Beesley floundering on the sodden floor, not once but twice, before his cross was nodded wide by Hanson.
There were a couple of hiccups in the four minutes of added time, particularly when a Howell cross fizzed menacingly across the goalmouth, before the points were secure.
Attendance: 9,224
===========================
Parkinson: Beating Fleetwood was just the start from Bradford City
8:30am Wednesday 22nd August 2012
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson insists there is a lot more to come from City after notching their first win of the season.
The Bantams boss was delighted after James Hanson's second-half header saw off Fleetwood at Valley Parade Tuesday night.
And he is convinced that the new-look line-up can improve the longer they spend together.
"We've got some strong players but we know we've got a lot of work to do because we've got so many new ones," said Parkinson.
"It's going to take a lot of time on the training ground to keep improving what we've got.
"After losing our first game, it's so important to get that first three points. It gets the season off and running and settles all the new players down.
"They've seen what this crowd are all about. There was a passage of play when we won a few tackles and the crowd were off their seats cheering.
"The fans will respond to that and they saw a really good performance."
Parkinson admitted it was a gamble to start with Zavon Hines, Nathan Doyle and Andrew Davies, who had all seen little game time up to yesterday.
He said: "By rights they probably needed more football. There was always that concern but those three players were tremendous.
"With Doyley, if there'd been a reserve game today we'd have played him 60 minutes because we played him 45 last week. That's his progression.
"But we thought we might as well throw him in the first team and get his match fitness there because he's a key player.
"He played really well and we brought him off because he was tightening up all over and there's no way we wanted to risk injury.
"It was a really tough game. Fleetwood are very good side and have got probably the best striker in the league in big Jon Parkin. He was a massive threat to us but I thought we handled him well.
"It looked to me at times like a game above League Two standard with some of the quality of the football from both teams."
Hanson, who also scored the Capital One Cup winner at Notts County, netted from a Gary Jones corner – an area that was much improved on Saturday.
Parkinson felt the striker had earned his goal for his efforts at sweltering Gillingham.
"Hans was immense down there and his performance probably didn't get the credit it deserved because we got beaten," he said.
"He ran himself into the ground for the team in very difficult conditions. It was always going to be a big ask for him to do it again but he led the line great.
"It was also a very good delivery from Gaz. Every set-piece he took was on the money."
===========================
The opposition view
Town graft fails to unlock City
Jamie Maguire rises above a City attack and (below) Scott Davies covers his near post.
By Liz Owen
Published on Wednesday 22 August 2012 10:56
Bradford City 1, Fleetwood Town 0.
Fleetwood suffered the first defeat of their Football League campaign, losing to a determined Bradford City side in front of over 9,000.
Town were by no means outplayed and once more had various goalscoring opportunities, with the goalpost denying them on several occasions, but unlike Saturday's fixture, they were punished by their opponents.
Manager Micky Mellon made one alteration to the side which drew 0-0 with Torquay at the weekend, with Junior Brown impressing enough for a place in the starting line-up at the expense of Andy Mangan.
Bradford boss Phil Parkinson gave Zavon Hines his league debut, while Nathan Doyle made his first league appearance for City since 2007 after re-signing for the club in the summer.
Nahki Wells' goal in their 3-1 defeat to Gillingham earned him a promotion from the bench, while Andrew Davies made his first start after signing permanently for the club from Stoke City.
Brown was busy for Town, holding off pressure to thread a low ball across the penalty area after 10 minutes which was deflected just out of Jamie McGuire's reach.
City 'keeper Matt Duke punched clear a Barry Nicholson free-kick after 11 minutes, while McGuire headed over the bar from a corner two minutes later. A long ball in to Jon Parkin from Shaun Beeley resulted in a foul given against the striker in the box.
Town looked nervous to begin with, while Bradford moved quickly going forwards, particularly pacey winger Kyle Reid. The player in question made a darting run into the area after 18 minutes, turning past Steve McNulty in the process, but Beeley was on hand to block his subsequent shot.
Youl Mawene met the resulting corner and his header deflected erratically off Dean Howell, standing behind him, to create a minor moment of panic for Town.
Luke Oliver nodded well over from a Gary Jones free-kick, while at the other end of the pitch Parkin won a foul on the very edge of the area, but Howell's set-piece was disappointing, a low cross which struck the Bradford wall and went out for a throw-in.
Mawene headed wide from another set-piece before Town had their best chance of the half on the 26th minute.
Parkin spotted David Ball racing into space and sent a delightful through ball into his path, which the 23-year-old latched onto with ease to unleash a curling strike against the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Damien Johnson, quietly productive for Town, set up Ball again 13 minutes later, who showed good control but his shot was blocked.
On the 33-minute mark Brown showed awareness to touch the ball with his head to the left where Parkin was lurking, but the striker's volley was rather soft and easily caught by Duke at his near post.
Beeley was more than a match for another Reid-charge down the left, while Rory McArdle's cross was too high for James Hanson to reach. Nahki Wells' backheel to Reid thwarted Town's full-back moments later, but Howell was on hand to clear the danger.
The Bantams started strongly after the interval, a cross from Reid headed clear by Mawene and an angled strike from Hines deflected onto the crossbar. It was Hines on the attack again moments later, charging past Beeley but succumbing to the effects of a marginally waterlogged pitch, as the move was slowed right down due to the damp turf.
Mellon made his first substitution after 56 minutes, bringing on Mangan in place of Ball.
Bradford rippled the net after Oliver's strike narrowly crept past the outside of the post on the 57th, but the home supporters were celebrating for real three minutes later.
Good work from Jones in the middle set Wells off on a run down the left flank past McNulty. A corner was won and it was Hanson with a simple header at the far post from Jones' inswinging cross to send the crowd into raptures.
Town almost replied immediately as Beeley won a corner which just evaded the head of Mawene.
The ball fell to Parkin, who showed great skill to cut inside and turn past James Meredith only for Duke to save his efforts.
It was Bradford, however, who were dominating the second half, backed by an extremely vocal crowd at Valley Parade. A superb attacking move saw Reid cut the ball back into the area for Wells, which forced an excellent diving save from Scott Davies.
Fleetwood still continued to push their opponents and Mangan came so close to equalising, heading a perfect cross in from Johnson against the post on the 68th minute, with the Bradford defence quickly clearing the danger.
Five minutes later, Barry Nicholson played an accurate ball into Mangan from the halfway line, who made a deft first touch with his chest to bring it down to his feet, but his shot from the edge of the area was uninspiring and Duke collected his efforts untroubled.
City maintained their threat as Davies stopped Reid's strike from inside the area, the midfielder ballooning the rebound high and wide.
A double substitution was made eight minutes from time, Mellon bringing on Steven Gillespie and debutant Alex Marrow for Brown and McGuire respectively as the manager put all his efforts into finding an equaliser.
As the game faded, Nicholson's cross into the area just cut past the corner of the post, Parkin unable to reach it, while the midfielder sent a free-kick into the stands during the dying stages.
MATCH MARKS
Scott Davies 6 - Not threatened until second half where he made some good stops.
Shaun Beeley 6 - Was sharp both at the back and going forwards.
Dean Howell 6 - Likewise, linked up well with Brown.
Steve McNulty 6 - Pace of Bradford wingers a threat but tidy at the back.
Jon Parkin 7 - Carried on good form with plenty of action up front.
Barry Niocholson 6 - Creative and provided forward line with good service.
Junior Brown 7 - Looked bright and dangerous.
Jamie McGuire 6 - A little subdued compared to normal but worked hard.
Damien Johnson 6 - Composed on ball and sent in many a cross from deep midfield.
David Ball 6 - Busy and hassled defence, should have scored.
Youl Mawene 7 - Solid got a head to everything and intimidating at set pieces.
===========================
No comments:
Post a Comment