Npower League Two
Oxford Utd (0) 0
Bradford C (0) 2 A Davies 52, Wells 68.
Att: 6,032
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Stats: Oxford - Bradford C
Possession: 45 - 55%
Shots on target: 1 - 6
Shots off target: 4 - 8
Fouls: 8 - 13
Corners: 2 - 7
Ref: Andy Davies (Hampshire).
Yellow cards:
Oxford: Cox 59', Constable 75'.
Bradford C: Hanson 45+2.
OXFORD UTD: 1. Ryan Clarke, 2. Damien Batt, 4. Michael Raynes, 6. Jake
Wright, 23. Luke O'Brien 61, 8. Simon Heslop 61, 19. Lee Cox, 17. Tony
Capaldi, 15. Alfie Potter, 9. James Constable, 29. Tom Craddock.
SUBS: 21. Wayne Brown, 10. Deane Smalley, 14. Sean Rigg 61, 20. Peter Leven
61, 22. Harry Worley, 24. Daniel Boateng, 28. Tyrone Marsh.
BRADFORD C: 1. Jon McLaughlin, 23. Rory McArdle, 6. Luke Oliver, 5. Andrew
Davies, 3. James Meredith, 7. Kyel Reid 81, 18. Gary Jones, 24. Nathan
Doyle, 14. Will Atkinson, 9. James Hanson, 21. Nahki Wells 69.
SUBS: 12. Matt Duke, 2. Stephen Darby, 4. Ricky Ravenhill, 11. Garry
Thompson 69, 16. Carl McHugh, 17. Alan Connell, 20. Zavon Hines 81.
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Final whistle - match report
By Simon Parker (T&A)
Bradford City's first away win of the season made it three in a week for
Phil Parkinson's bubbling Bantams.
Two second-half goals from corners from Andrew Davies - his third of the
season - and Nahki Wells clinched a comfortable three points at out-of-sorts
Oxford.
The home side were consigned to their fifth straight defeat but that was no
concern to City and the 393 travelling fans.
City looked confident in the opening stages and had the first shot of the
game after 15 minutes when Kyel Reid blazed wide from 25 yards.
Home keeper Ryan Clarke got himself into trouble when he chased a long ball
from James Meredith. Wells got there ahead of him, leaving Clarke in no
man's land, but the angle proved too tight for the Bermudian and the keeper
recovered to make a save.
Tony Capaldi, a left back playing in midfield, fired Oxford's first effort
harmlessly off target but City seemed to lose their spark as the first half
went on. It was a flat game with little going on at either end.
James Hanson headed off target and was booked right on half-time for a
challenge on Michael Raynes.
But City picked it up straight from the restart and were soon in front.
Gary Jones had a free-kick saved and then Kyel Reid's drive through a crowd
of players was turned behind by Clarke. But from the corner, Jones picked
out Davies who rose to head home.
City almost had a quick-fire second as Reid picked out Atkinson whose angled
header just beat the post.
James Constable fired over the bar when the visitors were briefly down to
ten men after Luke Oliver received treatment.
But City tightened their grip by pouncing from another Jones corner. Rory
McArdle flicked on at the near post and Wells diverted it in from a couple
of yards.
Jon McLaughlin prevented a Morecambe-style immediate riposte by beating away
Peter Leven's free-kick.
And it should have been 3-0 when sub Garry Thompson released Atkinson. With
Hanson waiting for a tap-in, the midfielder went alone and his shot was
blocked, Jones firing the rebound into the car park.
Leven bent another free-kick over before Hanson headed wide as City
maintained their control to see out the game.
Oxford were booed off at the end as City milked another impressive result in
front of their supporters.
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When the dust settled - match report
Full marks to Bantams as they win with a degree of comfort
8:00am Monday 24th September 2012
By Simon Parker
Oxford United 0 Bradford City 2
If Oxford University ran a course on how to win away games, this could have been the template.
The three-quarters built Kassam Stadium may be far removed from the dreaming spires of the city's academia; shoved on an out-of-town industrial estate.
But this was a lesson that even the keenest student could learn from. A master and pupil afternoon which saw the visitors pass out with honours.
City's first league win off Valley Parade soil could not have been more comprehensive. This was a 90-minute study in how to nullify your hosts, especially those with such shaky self-confidence, and then clinically pick them off.
The first half was a drab spectacle with hardly a chance of note. But that was half the job done for the Bantams as they removed what sting Oxford might have possessed on the back of a morale-sapping run of four straight defeats.
Then Phil Parkinson's men stepped it up after the break and killed the contest with two mercy shots from corners, inevitably delivered by that man Gary Jones.
No wonder Parkinson looked as relaxed as a tourist taking a Saturday afternoon stroll through the city's architecture.
"I always felt comfortable on the touchline and you don't always get that away from home," he said.
"We had control of the game. Gary and Doyley (Nathan Doyle) are so disciplined (in midfield) but they're also good footballers, which gave us control of the ball."
City had done their studies at Apperley Bridge 48 hours earlier as Parkinson and Steve Parkin chaired a team meeting to outline the formula for unlocking that opening win on the road.
Rather than telling the players what should be done, the management threw the floor open.
Parkinson added: "I said to the lads that there was a still a question mark about us because we hadn't won away in the league.
"We had a general chat and I asked them 'you tell me what we need'. They gave us the answers.
"They understand it's about the discipline of the team and work ethic and accepting that things are going to go against you away.
"We did that on Saturday and dealt with it to a man. Everything they talked about, they delivered."
Nahki Wells got the nod over an unlucky Alan Connell as Parkinson looked for extra pace to unhinge Oxford's centre halves. Will Atkinson replaced Zavon Hines in a more conservative midfield against a side who used three in the middle.
You would have thought City had the extra man in that engine room as Doyle and Jones dictated the play, quickly nullified any Oxford threat and generally swaggered about the place.
But there was only one moment of note for 45 minutes when keeper Ryan Clarke had a rush of blood and came rushing out for James Meredith's long clearance.
Instead Wells got in there first but the angle was tight and by the time he had adjusted for a proper shooting position, Clarke was able to recover and bat away.
Oxford looked like a side who had forgotten how to win. Too many loose passes revealed their nerves on the ball and the crowd were silent and twitchy.
Luke O'Brien had a steady debut against his former club and didn't display any obvious rust in his first proper run-out since March. But too many of his Oxford team-mates simply lacked belief.
The near 400-strong away following knew this was as good a chance as any for City to open that win column.
The Bantams were winning battles across the pitch, none more so than on the left flank where the excellent Meredith dovetailed dangerously with Kyel Reid. Right back Damian Batt didn't know what day it was at times.
Reid forced Clarke into a sprawling save through a crowd of legs but the resulting corner proved Oxford's undoing. Jones picked out the far post where Andrew Davies came barrelling through to hammer his third goal of the season.
Unlike the previous two, there was no doubt about his intentions this time as the centre half elevated himself to City's second top scorer. He had the war wounds to prove it.
Parkinson has worked long and hard to see his side capitalise on their height at set-plays. Davies has responded more than anyone.
His boss said: "Andrew's a good finisher – you see that in training when we play small-sided games and he's one of the best.
"You need bravery in the box because to score goals you don't often get a clear header looping over everyone.
"You have to go in there with intent, which Andrew certainly did. He's gone in where angels fear to tread."
James Constable fired over while City were temporarily down to ten men after Luke Oliver went off for treatment. It was a mild warning but hardly a concerted response.
Oxford's brittle resistance finally snapped from another corner. This time it was the near post where Rory McArdle, who had a rock-solid game at right back, appeared from nowhere to flick on goalwards.
The ball was probably going in anyway but Wells made sure on the line and the result was guaranteed.
Jon McLaughlin risked his sore hip, flinging himself to his right to double-fist away a free-kick from Peter Leven – Oxford's only effort on target. But City's dominance should have been rewarded with a third goal when Garry Thompson cleverly freed Atkinson to dance past some tired, half-hearted challenges.
Ploughing into the box, he picked the wrong option by shooting instead of finding the unmarked James Hanson for a tap-in. Clarke blocked and Jones blazed the rebound into the car park behind the goal.
It hardly mattered as Oxford trudged off to a crescendo of boos from those fans who had not made an early exit. The City section, fittingly bathed in the late afternoon sunshine, bounced with the players.
As Parkinson said later, nothing beats an away win. Stick to this crib sheet and there could be plenty more to enjoy.
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LAWN COUNTING COST OF CUP RUN
By Simon Parker, (T&A Bradford City Reporter)
Bradford City could lose money from their first League Cup third-round
appearance for 11 years.
The Bantams face fellow League Two side Burton on Tuesday aiming for a spot
in the Capital One last 16.
But the unexpected cup run, which included a shock win at Watford, has not
earned them anything because there is no prize money in the early rounds.
That was stopped last season but the players still receive win bonuses for
going through as part of an agreement with the union.
City joint-chairman Mark Lawn admitted: "If we don't get a good crowd
against Burton then, with the bonuses we have to pay the players, we could
technically make a loss. That's ridiculous at this stage of the competition.
"They have changed the whole aspect. There's no win bonuses for getting
through the rounds until you reach the semi-finals and then you have to win
that to receive £25,000.
"People call the Johnstone's Paint Trophy a Mickey Mouse cup but at least
you get money for winning each round. It may not be much but at least it
covers the costs, which is more than you get in this one."
City received £11,000 as their share of the net receipts from last month's
win at Vicarage Road. But they estimate that half of that disappeared on
player bonuses with travel costs on top.
Lawn added: "When we're playing Watford, we aren't a big draw for them so
it's hardly going to fill the ground, particularly on a Tuesday night when a
lot of fans don't come out anyway.
"The bonuses were set by the PFA (Professional Footballers Association) when
teams were getting prize money. Now they won't let you alter bonuses unless
the players agree to it as a group and who's going to do that?
"So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. It's a good competition but
we're not going to win it and from a monetary point of view it's not the
best.
"We need to get a big draw if we get through with some Sky money. Man United
or Arsenal away would do but knowing our luck it will be Crawley!"
Not that Lawn is expecting an easy ride against the only other survivor from
the bottom division. Burton have won three on the bounce and will be just as
confident of making it to the big boys.
He said: "We have got to be wary because they are winning games and scoring
goals. Burton are certainly a lot better than last year and have been on top
form.
"But it's good to see us playing well at home. The fans deserve it and they
are getting good value for money at the moment."
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