L2 L0-1 (H) Port Vale Saturday September 29, 2012. K.O. 3:00PM. #bcafc

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BCFC                    PV
17(11)    Shots (on Goal)    4(3)
12    Fouls    10
6    Corner Kicks    5
1    Offsides    3
50%    Time of Poss.    50%
0    Yellow Cards    4
0    Red Cards    0
4    Saves    8

Bradford City: McLaughlin, McArdle, Davies, Oliver (Connell 81), Meredith, Atkinson (Hines 62), Jones, Doyle, Reid (Thompson 87), Hanson, Wells.

Unused substitutes: Duke, Darby, Ravenhill, McHugh.

Port Vale: Neal, Duffy (Yates 74), McCombe, McDonald, Taylor, Myrie Williams, Loft, Burge, Vincent (Morsy 84), Pope, Dodds. Unused substitutes:

Johnson, Owen, Shuker, Williamson, Lloyd.

Referee: P Tierney (Wigan).

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Final whistle - match report


Bradford City 0 Port Vale 1

4:57pm Saturday 29th September 2012

By Simon Parker

City suffered their first home defeat of the season this afternoon against promotion rivals Port Vale.

Tom Pope's ninth goal of the campaign – following a rare blunder by Gary Jones – proved the difference in an entertaining game.

Nahki Wells nearly celebrated his new contract with an instant goal after 20 seconds but Chris Neal blocked with his legs. Then James Hanson

headed into the side-netting from the corner.

It was a start as bright as Vale's away kit and Clayton McDonald just managed to recover in time after his slip almost let in Wells.

Hanson then wasted a great chance after 16 minutes. Nathan Doyle's blast from outside the box cannoned off a defender into his path but the

striker missed the target.

Another Hanson header was saved but the Bantams continued to play with pace and tempo. Vale were certainly the best side to visit Valley Parade

but they remained under the cosh as Richard Duffy made successive blocks from both City strikers.

City also had a huge shout for hand ball waved away from right under the assistant's nose.

But it was Vale who seized the lead eight minutes before half-time after a blunder by Jones. The skipper's header back towards Jon McLaughlin

fell well short and Pope intercepted to finish confidently.

McLaughlin then hung on to Pope's header from a corner just before the end of an enthralling first half.

The City keeper made two more key saves soon after the break from wingers Jennison Myrie-Williams and Ashley Vincent.

City still pushed for a way back but there was a ragged edge to their play with promising build-ups let down by a poor final pass.

Nathan Doyle went close 12 minutes from time when his goal-bound drive was blocked in the six-yard box by McDonald.

And City were twice thwarted by Neal in stoppage time. He tipped over a Wells shot before clinging on to Hanson's header from the corner.

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When the dust settled - match report


Impressive Bantams have pockets picked as Port Vale steal all three points

6:50am Monday 1st October 2012

By Simon Parker

Bradford City 0 Port Vale 1

The season is not even two months old but City have smashed several hoodoos already.

It's been their best start at home for over half a century and the longest run in the League Cup for nearly a quarter.

There was even the success in pinning down Nahki Wells for the longer term, the type of deal that the club have too often been accused of failing

to push through with their top players.

But not everything has changed. Port Vale still prove to be an annoying thorn in the side.

It is now six years since they were last beaten in open play at Valley Parade , barring the Simon Eastwood penalty shoot-out heroics in the

Johnstone's Paint Trophy. That was City's only success in the last nine meetings between these regular sparring partners.

It hasn't always been that way. Colin Todd beat Vale five times in a row at the City helm including the last league win on home soil in September

2006.

But Vale have possessed the Indian sign over West Yorkshire ever since. And judging by the evidence on Saturday, it is going to take some

shifting.

Excuse the cliché but City will play worse than that and win comfortably; much worse.

As an all-round team display, they performed far better than in the crushing wins over Barnet and Wimbledon. The pace and style of their football

at times was a joy to watch.

The fact that they trudged away empty-handed should not be a cause for doom and despondency; far from it. If anything it was further proof that

City have the quality to sustain a genuine challenge after all these years of false hope.

Vale boss Micky Adams has been round the block long enough to know a smash-and-grab win when he sees one. He admitted that his side spent a long

time under the cosh.

But credit the visitors for holding out as they did. To coin a memorable metaphor from Chris Kamara, they defended like beavers – and the dam

refused to burst no matter how forceful the home pressure.

There was no bigger presence than giant centre half Clayton McDonald, whose catch-weight contest with Wells was one of the afternoon's most

enjoyable sub-plots.

Nobody was more desperate to score than the Bermudian, with that fresh three-year contract still warm in his pocket.

The true fairytale story was written for Wells to get the winner with his fourth goal in a week. But the way keeper Chris Neal defied him feet

first inside the opening 15 seconds set the tone of the events to follow.

James Hanson had the goal ruffling from the resulting corner. But it was the side-netting and those unsighted fans who cheered in the main stand

were quickly drowned out by the catcalls of the season's largest away following.

An early strike then would surely have set City on their way to a fifth win in a row for the first time since the Premier League promotion

campaign.

But like a woozy boxer hanging on the ropes, Vale managed to duck and dive and avoid that knockdown blow.

They still took a while to come to their senses and Hanson should have struck from close-range after Nathan Doyle's deflected drive dropped

straight at his feet.

And then there was the penalty shout that referee Paul Tierney turned away. The fussy Wigan official was happy to give everything else but he

baulked at the big one when the ball spun up and appeared to strike Robert Taylor on the forearm.

It was straight in line with the assistant but his flag stayed down to the bemusement of all concerned. Vale survived once more – and cashed in

with a goal from their first attack in anger while the home crowd were still chuntering.

The Vale goal sent shockwaves through the place.

Going behind having dominated was hard enough to take for City but it was the source of Tom Pope's strike that caused the most consternation.

So Gary Jones proved that he is human after all. The bionic skipper has not put a single foot wrong since City championed his capture in the

summer.

But for once, and it sounds sacrilege to even say it, he chose the wrong option and blundered badly.

His backheader towards Jon McLaughlin was too big a risk to take. The ball inevitably plopped into no man's land with the keeper well short and

Pope – a traditional adversary for the Bantams – finished with the conviction of a striker who has notched up nine goals.

McLaughlin was not to blame in any way and the keeper showed his worth with saves either side of half-time. One in particular from winger Ashley

Vincent on the breakaway was crucial in keeping City in the contest as they committed more men forward.

But for all the effort and attacking intent, the home side could not get a clear sight on goal. McDonald and John McCombe were working overtime

to deal with the stream of crosses and second balls.

That's not to suggest that Hanson wasn't throwing himself at every high ball. But none of his headers on target were able to trouble Neal.

Doyle, the only survivor from that last league home win over Vale, was denied an equaliser by McDonald's block just in front of the line.

Then Neal tipped over from Wells in stoppage time before smothering Hanson's header from the corner.

Vale joined Crawley as the only visitors to exit BD8 with three points in the last 21 home games. But Phil Parkinson was philosophical about the

setback.

He said: "If someone is going to get something from us here, they're going to have to defend really well. Port Vale did that and we put them

through it all over the pitch.

"Burton was a bit similar because we dominated the game and then we conceded two poor goals. I can't remember Port Vale having a chance before

they scored.

"We really took the game to them but sometimes you get days like that."

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Bradford City boss Parkinson puts referee on the spot

7:20am Monday 1st October 2012

By Simon Parker

Phil Parkinson is calling on referees to give City a fair crack of the whip with penalties.

Parkinson believes his side are being short-changed with spot-kicks after seeing another strong claim turned away in Saturday's first home defeat

of the season.

Port Vale defender Robert Taylor appeared to handle in the box but official Paul Tierney ignored City's appeals. Tom Pope scored Vale's winner

two minutes later.

Parkinson said: "We thought it was a penalty on the bench. The ball bounced up and hit him on the arm.

"The ref should have given it and I asked him about it at the end. He just said the lad was trying to take his arm out the way.

"But it's about time we got a penalty. We don't get many.

"We've had a few near misses and that's a decision you'd expect kicking towards our home end with 11,000 fans packed in the ground. But we didn't

get it.

"I'd just like to think the refs would be honest and if it's a pen they'd give it. To me, those are normally given.

"Refs have got to make big calls. We conceded soon after that and Port Vale must have thought it was their lucky day."

The loss ended their perfect record at Valley Parade and was only the second in 21 home games since November.

But Parkinson took plenty of encouragement from the performance with his side on top for long periods without managing to break through.

"I hate losing. But if you get beaten playing as well as we have done then you can live with it.

"Some of the football first half was exceptional. When we pass the ball simply and move it quickly we look a good side.

"We had a tough game on Tuesday and the worst thing you want after that is to chase a game. But the fitness levels again were superb and the lads

kept going.

"We knocked on the door numerous times and the amount of crosses we got in the box would normally have resulted in two or three goals.

"But we'll dust ourselves down and go to Rochdale tomorrow and be really positive again. Hopefully we'll take as many supporters as possible and

that will give the lads a lift.

"There's no question about this team's character; absolutely none at all."

Meanwhile, City will cash in on Andre Wisdom's rise into the Liverpool side.

The 19-year-old defender, who left Valley Parade for Anfield five years ago, made his Premier League debut in Saturday's 5-2 win at Norwich.

Under the terms of the deal, the club are due a payment for each of his first 50 appearances in domestic competitions.