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Signings, Loans and Injuries
Injuries
Luke Oliver, Achillies, out for the 2012/13 season
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The run in to seventh place
Saturday, 6 April - Bradford v Northampton
Tuesday, 9 April - Bradford v Bristol Rovers
Saturday 13 April - Chesterfield v Bradford
Tuesday 16 April - Bradford v Rotherham
Saturday, 20 April - Bradford v Burton
Saturday, 27 April - Cheltenham v Bradford
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Match Media & Stats
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10325761.Live_blog_Torquay_v_Bantams/?ref=eb
Head to Head
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(The T&A picture link will dfault to the last match for which pictures are available)
"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
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BBC highlights (uk only)
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Match stats
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When the dust settled - match report
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/10326209.Three_mendous_Bantams_are_still_in_the_promotion_hunt/
Three-mendous Bantams are still in the promotion hunt
8:00am Tuesday 2nd April 2013
By Simon Parker
Torquay 1 Bradford City 3
Like a reality TV act surviving the public vote, City live to fight another day.
Victory at Plainmoor yesterday kept the play-off dream bubbling – certainly for one more week at least.
Whether City possess the X Factor to maintain the winning run needed for a top-seven finish and have a Voice in the final say is debatable.
But at least the three points in Devon ensured the interest carries into Saturday's home clash with Northampton. And on this evidence, they could still win over the judges.
City were good across the board, playing with confidence, conviction and, most importantly of all, goals. At last their hard work was rewarded where it mattered.
That cutting edge coincided with a welcome return to form from Nahki Wells. How City will need him firing if they are to pull off the improbable.
Wells had showed a bit of his old spark when he came off the bench against Southend and it earned him a recall for his first start for five games.
Zavon Hines made way, despite scoring the goal that began the Good Friday fightback, with Garry Thompson switching back to the right wing.
The fixture computer threw up a trip to the English Riviera for the first outing of British Summer Time. But the freezing weather made it feel more like mid-winter and the groundstaff were busy watering the pitch beforehand to try to soften the rock-hard, uneven surface.
Andrew Davies was on the deck within ten seconds of kick-off after taking a boot to the head from Rene Howe. And City were on the floor inside three minutes after leaking another soft goal.
Phil Parkinson had criticised his side over the two they had conceded against Southend and this one was no better. Davies tangled with Ryan Jarvis for Tom Cruise's cross and Kyel Reid made a mess of trying to clear, the ball rebounding for Joss Labadie to fire into the bottom corner.
City had displayed their powers of recovery in the second half at Valley Parade. They needed to do the same 300 miles further south – and did so.
The visitors thought they should have had an immediate penalty when Brian Saah handled above his head but any frustration from not getting that disappeared with an equaliser within four minutes. Gary Jones curled an inviting free-kick into the goalmouth and Rory McArdle glanced in from eight yards.
Given the make-or-break nature of the afternoon, it was vital that City had hit straight back. And Thompson tried to make it even better with a wind-assisted shot from 35 yards that flew a foot over the bar.
Then Jones released Wells with the chance to run from halfway. He shimmied his way into the penalty area, holding off two defenders, but his low, curling shot beat the far post.
Wells was causing problems, driving another effort across goal and then being an instrumental figure in City's go-ahead goal after 18 minutes.
Hanson's flick sent his strike partner scampering into the penalty area, where he collided with Poke. As the ball broke loose, Thompson was following up with a thundering drive that flew past the stranded keeper.
The double whammy for the home side was that Michael Poke had injured his back in the challenge with Wells and Alan Knill was forced to swap him with back-up stopper Martin Rice.
City looked to cash in straight away on any nerves from the substitute and he needed two grabs at a 25-yarder from Jones.
There was a confidence about Parkinson's troops, aided by having the wind at their backs.
Jon McLaughlin had kept his place, despite taking the blame for the opening Southend goal, but the keeper looked unconvincing when he failed to claim Cruise's free-kick through heavy traffic.
The loose ball dropped for Saah but his shot was a typical centre half's and flew into the City fans behind the goal. It was a close escape for their team.
The unyielding conditions were perfect for Ricky Ravenhill and the midfielder snapped away keenly into tackles. But he was also first in the book after a clash with Howe, which the Torquay frontman made a meal of.
City's first-half performance was worth the interval advantage, especially with the way they had reacted from going behind so early.
And they began the second in the same attacking vein to extend their lead within four minutes.
Wells was at the heart of it again, controlling a through ball and laying off for Thompson. He hung a cross towards the far post and there was James Hanson to eagerly gobble up his second goal of the Easter weekend.
City had rediscovered their attacking swagger and Wells got in behind Angus MacDonald and fell down in the box. Referee Rob Lewis declined their penalty shouts, ignoring Parkinson's running protest down the touchline.
There was another chance to put the game to bed as Jones led a counter-attack from a Torquay corner. City had a man advantage as the skipper roared over halfway but he chose the wrong option to find Reid on his left instead of Thompson, who was in yards of space unmarked to the right.
Wells flicked James Meredith's cross past the near post and Jones had a shot blocked in a melee from a half-cleared City corner.
Torquay were resorting to quickly-taken clearances from Rice catching the wind for their strikers to chase. It was a hopeful tactic but apart from one moment when Elliot Benyon just failed to control, there was nothing to seriously threaten City's control of the game.
The home side threw on their final two subs to liven things up front but City continued to enjoy the bulk of possession, with Reid always looking for the ball. The winger tested Rice on one break with a cross-shot that the keeper spilled as Wells came charging in.
A bout of penalty-area pinball could have produced a fourth as Wells and Thompson twice had shots blocked before Saah finally scooped it over the bar.
It had no bearing on the outcome. City had passed the test – just another six more to go.
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Bradford City must keep going - Phil Parkinson
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22002676
Bradford City boss Phil Parkinson says his side have given themselves a chance of reaching the play-offs.
The Bantams won 3-1 at Torquay on Monday to move within five points of seventh-placed Exeter.
He told BBC Radio Leeds: "We said before the game that if one of the top seven have a bad run of form then we want to be waiting in the wings to take their place.
"We've given ourselves hope again and we have a game in hand on a few teams."
He added: "We want to make sure that we take this season as far as we can and the lads are confident.
"The trait this team has had all through the season is that they don't give in.
"If we keep performing the way we did today then we've got a chance."
Meanwhile, Parkinson was encouraged by the performance of top scorer Nahki Wells against the Gulls.
The Bermudan has failed to score since 2 February and has been dropped from the first XI in recent games.
"We've sensed in training that Nahki has got that edge back to his game and we need him to finish the season strongly," he said.
"The fans appreciate his work ethic and I was really pleased with his performance."
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Be afraid, be very afraid: Parkinson looking to rattle rivals as Bantams make late dash for play-offs
7:50am Wednesday 3rd April 2013
By Simon Parker
City must be ready to pounce if any of the play-off pack lose their nerve on the home straight.
That's the aim of boss Phil Parkinson after Monday's win at Torquay kept them within striking distance of the top seven.
City have six games left to bridge a five-point gap to the final play-off berth, starting with Saturday's home clash against third-placed Northampton.
Parkinson is confident his side have enough impetus to finish strongly – and crank up the pressure on those currently occupying the top bracket.
He said: "We want to be there waiting if a couple of those teams have bad runs. We don't want to let them off the hook. If they get good results for the rest of the season, then well done to them. But if they don't, then we've got to be right up there on their shirt tails.
"That's important and it's what we intend to do."
City's outside play-off shot looked over when Southend roared into an early two-goal lead at Valley Parade on Friday. But the recovery to salvage a point was followed up by beating Torquay.
With other results going their way, Parkinson feels the 3-1 victory at Plainmoor will have caused a few ruffles above them.
"You look at Torquay and they've had a good little run recently. They beat Chesterfield and York there, drew at Southend and were unlucky last week at Northampton.
"They've got decent players and I don't think they are team that are going to end up in the bottom two.
"So Monday was a tough game and people round the country will probably look at that result.
"The draw at home set us back but we've bounced back. Four points from the two games is decent and we're still there."
Parkinson also insisted Andy Gray's continued absence was purely down to the balance of his substitutes.
Gray has played seven times since signing in January but his start in the goalless draw at Plymouth three weeks ago was his only appearance in City's last eight games. He has not even made the bench since Home Park and finds himself the odd man out.
Parkinson said: "At the moment I can't have three strikers on the bench because I need cover everywhere.
"We started with Thommo (Gary Thompson), Nahki (Wells) and James Hanson at Torquay with Alan Connell on the bench.
"But previous to that, Connell and Nahki have got ahead of him as subs and that's all it is.
"It's frustrating for Andy. When he came in he needed to have run of games but that got disrupted a bit by the cup.
"Equally Hanson has probably had his best run in recent weeks so it's difficult to dislodge him.
"But he's working hard and just needs a run of games. I'm sure he'll make a contribution between now and the end of the season."
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