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Final whistle - match report
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10256396.Bradford_City_homecoming_cut_up_by_Daggers____directness/?ref=eb
Bradford City homecoming cut up by Daggers' directness
6:30am Thursday 28th February 2013
By Simon Parker
City 1, Dagenham 1
It was as if Sunday had never happened; nothing more than a glorious day-dream.
If being at Wembley felt like a parallel universe, City returned to planet earth with a bump against a traditional nemesis.
At least James Hanson made sure that the Bantams grabbed a share of the spoils with a deserved late equaliser. A fourth home defeat in a row in the league would have been unjust.
But it felt flat after all the euphoria – and the top seven is still a way off even with those games in hand.
Mark Lawn had called for a proper homecoming atmosphere to greet the return to League Two normality. And those who were there could not be faulted in creating a decent noise.
But the 10,006 crowd figure was well down on the joint-chairman's estimate – and at least 23,000 fewer than the weekend's turn-out.
So, many of those who had screamed City 'Til I Die three days before had decided against following it up on familiar soil.
After the artists of Swansea, the artisans of Dagenham; from the Spanish inquisition at the twinkling feet of Michu and Pablo Hernandez to the no-nonsense boot of the self-proclaimed small pub team from Essex.
Nothing could be further removed from the Welsh wizards stroking the ball hypnotically around Wembley than the Daggers pumping it long into the channels to play for corners and throw-ins.
But if it was a case of City quickly having to get their heads back out of the Capital One Cup clouds, it was also a strange night for Dagenham as they began life without John Still.
The former longest-serving gaffer in the Football League had occupied their hot-seat – in his second spell with the club – since April 2004.
To put it into context, Bryan Robson was the Bantams boss at that time and his side were in the final throes of relegation from the Championship.
Dagenham, under Still, regarded Valley Parade as a second home – they had never lost in four previous visits. City had to buck that trend to reignite hopes of regaining some ground on their play-off rivals.
Parkinson shuffled the pack as promised, with six changes from Sunday. Jon McLaughlin was the only enforced one in goal for his first league action since October.
The City boss urged his side to go for it in the last leg of their marathon season and the presence of both Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines was proof of his attacking intent.
Dagenham sportingly gave them a guard of honour to walk on to the pitch and City were greeted by a sea of Wembley flags and plenty of noise from the stands.
Rory McArdle, playing at right back, had the first chance with a stretching volley that flashed over the bar after eight minutes.
But McLaughlin needed to be on his toes with a fine save on to the bar to deny Medy Elito as Dagenham countered. Matt Saunders dribbled past Michael Nelson to feed the winger, who cut inside and unleashed a fierce shot which the keeper was equal to.
Nathan Doyle took his bookings tally to nine for flattening Luke Howell but City tried to stay on the front foot. The home fans were certainly in a positive vein and doing their bit.
The tempo was fierce, with Dagenham double-teaming Reid to keep the winger in close check. And despite plenty of energy from the home side, McArdle's early effort was their only chance in the first half hour.
Centre half Scott Doe, a veteran of previous Daggers raids on City soil, nicked the ball off Garry Thompson as he tried to latch on to a Gary Jones through-ball. But there was a threat from the corner as McArdle again popped up with a flick-header across goal.
A little bit of devil was finally creeping into City's play but not enough and keeper Chris Lewington watched as Jones drove low and wide from 30 yards.
Dagenham were doing the job defensively with a foot here or a toe there, Luke Wilkinson robbing Andy Gray – who was finding it hard to get into the game – and Lewington diving at the feet of Thompson right on the edge of the penalty area as half-time arrived without a breakthrough.
But City had a huge escape four minutes into the second half after Dagenham fluffed a penalty.
Reid stumbled into the back of Wilkinson and it looked a harsh call as the assistant flagged. But justice – in home eyes –was done as Sam Williams fired a woeful spot-kick well wide of the right post.
Left back Olafemi Ilesanmi had been walking a disciplinary tight rope after a serious of debatable tackles on Hines. But referee Chris Sarginson's patience finally ran out as his latest lunge earned a yellow card.
Lewington clawed away Nelson's header in a crowded six-yard box and Gray showed good juggling skills with his back to goal before shooting wide.
City were trying but Williams nearly atoned for his hash from 12 yards with a clever curling effort that was not far off.
The hosts responded with a flurry of corners. McArdle's curled shot from the first was deflected just over and then Andrew Davies panicked Doe into a hurried clearance against his own bar.
Parkinson swapped his strikers round and brought Nahki Wells and Hanson off the bench. But the pair had not even had a touch when Dagenham stunned Valley Parade into near silence with a 69th-minute goal.
City coughed up possession to the right of the box and Ben Strevens cleverly slipped inside McArdle. As the defence tried to recover, the ball broke sideways into the path of Howell, who gave McLaughlin no chance with a drive into the bottom corner.
On came Alan Connell for Stephen Darby as Parkinson threw everyone in search of an equaliser – and it came with four minutes to go.
Hines, who had troubled Dagenham all night, drilled in a cross which Wells touched on for Hanson to knock home from close range.
City sensed a dramatic victory now and almost had it as Wells was thwarted on the line by Abu Ogogo. All in all, an opportunity missed as the play-offs remain ten points away.
Attendance: 10,006
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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10256413.Parkin__Why_the_pessimism_over_Bradford_City_draw_/?ref=eb
Parkin: Why the pessimism over Bradford City draw?
8:10am Thursday 28th February 2013
By Simon Parker
Steve Parkin questioned the "pessimistic" reaction after City's Wembley homecoming ended in a stalemate.
James Hanson's ninth goal of the season rescued a late point in a 1-1 draw with Dagenham at Valley Parade.
It leaves City still ten points behind the final play-off spot, although they have games in hand on everyone above them.
While it was a frustrating start to the 15-game mini-campaign that Phil Parkinson has targeted, his assistant Parkin is baffled by any suggestion that they have already blown it.
Parkin said: "I just feel there's an air of pessimism around the place and I don't know why. It's almost as if the place needs a lift.
"We've come off the back of a fantastic cup run. We let ourselves down a little bit at the weekend but we've got to make sure we see it through to the end.
"We've got two or three games in hand on most people and we've got to play a lot of teams above us. So we'll see what happens.
"Is it because Bradford City are expected to win every game? I don't think that's the case.
"Dagenham came here and played very well. We did our best and the players couldn't have given any more.
"There's no guarantee you're going to win just because you're playing Dagenham & Redbridge.
"They've been very committed in their performance in terms of the manager leaving and trying to impress the new guy.
"Our league form has not been what we want it to be over the last few weeks. But the easy thing to do is look directly at the end of the season before the end of the season's here."
Parkinson made six changes from the Swansea defeat, with Hanson and Nahki Wells replaced up front by Andy Gray and Garry Thompson. The regular pair came off the bench midway through the second half and both were involved in City's equaliser.
Parkin said: "I thought (Thompson and Gray) were good in the first half. They were a threat and started to make inroads into their defence in the last 15 minutes.
"We should give the two central defenders some credit. (Luke) Wilkinson has had an outstanding season and a lot of people are looking at him.
"I thought Thommo and Andy were starting to get on top but it was the time to make the change and bring the two lads on after giving them a breather from Wembley.
"In terms of possession, some of the way we played was really good until we got ten or 12 yards from goal. We were found wanting a little bit but we kept going to the very end and that's all you ask for."
Winger Zavon Hines came in for some physical treatment and Parkin felt referee Chris Sarginson could have cracked down sooner. He also thought City should have done more to make their set-pieces count.
He said: "This was a difficult game in terms of bouncing back after Wembley. But it could have been a lot more difficult if they hadn't put in the energy and effort.
"A lot of players have run their socks off. Zav Hines and Gary Jones have put a massive shift in."
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A matter of trust as Parkinson plots best way forward for Bradford City
7:40am Friday 1st March 2013
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson has told City fans to trust him as he continues to chop and change the team.
Tomorrow's derby clash with York will be City's 48th game of the season – the same as Chelsea, who have played the most of any team in the country.
It is a record number of matches for the Bantams by this stage and there are still another 13 after that to go.
That is why Parkinson will continue to rotate his options as he looks to launch a strong push in the final two months.
"I'm going to keep freshening up the team between now and the end of the season," said the City boss.
"Supporters might think 'why isn't he in the team when he's played well last week' but they are just going to have to trust me and the coaching staff.
"We need to play fresh legs every game and it might be the case that some players are best utilised from the bench.
"We've played an unprecedented amount of games and people will have to live with me on the team selection. I would be very surprised if the majority of our supporters don't understand that.
"I will be up front with them. I am going to make changes because we need to keep freshening it up."
Parkinson started with six different players from Wembley for the 1-1 draw against Dagenham at Valley Parade in midweek.
James Hanson and Nahki Wells were among those benched as he reverted to the Garry Thompson and Andy Gray partnership that had worked at Wycombe and Wimbledon in the previous two league outings.
But the pairings were swapped round midway through the second half and Hanson forced home the late equaliser – with a touch from Wells in the build-up – to claim his ninth goal of the campaign.
Parkinson said: "I thought James was excellent when he came on. He won every header and I was really pleased for him to get the goal."
The Bantams boss was encouraged by his side's fightback against opponents who always raise their game against them.
He admits that will be the case even more with other teams now because of City's new-found fame from their incredible Capital One Cup success.
"Teams all want to beat Bradford and we've got to accept that and deal with it," he said.
"Dagenham's players turned up on Wednesday and they were taking pictures of the ground before the game.
"It's got even worse because of the exposure we've had. People have seen our players on the telly and they want to go out and get the best of them.
"So teams are going to be up for a fight and we've got to match them. But I thought we did that and put in a really committed performance."
The victory at Wycombe remains City's only one in the league since Boxing Day. Next opponents York, who last beat Burton on New Year's Day, have now gone ten games without a win.
But Parkinson was happy with the performance in his side's first appearance after the cup final.
He said: "We dominated the game in the main. But getting that first goal at home has been a bit of a problem for us.
"Then they go ahead with their first shot on target. So you've got to give the lads credit to keep driving and going to the end.
"We've hit the bar from three yards out, (Rory) McArdle had a header wide in the first half and (Michael) Nelson's headed one back across goal that the keeper has clawed off the line.
"On another day, we would have probably scored from at least one of them. But we didn't give up and that was a very important point for us.
"Every game from now on is a big one and now we've got a local derby. I saw York at Rotherham and they played well but we're ready to move on and go again."
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