Read this article online
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/
===========================
Next/Upcoming Game
Signings & Loans
City defender Alan Sheehan has joined fellow Sky Bet League One side Peterborough United on loan until the end of the season.
City secure the loan signing of Tony McMahon from Championship side Blackpool
James Meredith signs a two-year contract extension
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32119617
Injuries & Suspensions
Morais - expected three-match ban. Fleetwood Town, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield.
Andrew Davies - hamstring
===========================
Preview
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31996780
Game links
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11886874.FT__City_2_Oldham_0/
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=394218&action=stats
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sport_bantams_pics2012/sport_bantams_pics2014_oldhamhome/
Highlight/ Goals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0xSx5-GFEI
Post Game Interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH-wlGgVxBI&sns=em
===========================
Final whistle - match report
Billy Clarke scored twice as Bradford leapfrogged Sky Bet League One play-off rivals Oldham with a 2-0 win over their Lancashire rivals at Valley Parade.
There was little to choose between two evenly matched sides until Clarke broke the deadlock after 71 minutes. Defender Rory McArdle flicked substitute Billy Knott's right-wing corner across the face of goal and Gary MacKenzie and James Hanson combined to head the ball on for Clarke to add the finishing touch with a back heel from close range.
Clarke then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, with his 10 goal of the season a low shot into the far corner from 15 yards after Jon Stead laid the ball into his path.
Hanson missed the best chance of a scrappy first half, heading the ball over the crossbar in the 14th minute after Stead's cross found him unmarked.
Bradford began to get on top after half-time but Oldham almost took the lead with their best effort of the match.
A 20 yard shot from Mat Sadler was turned around the post by keeper Ben Williams and, one minute later, Clarke put the Bantams ahead before securing the three points with a second in stoppage time.
---
Davies injury takes gloss off Bradford City win
7:45pm Saturday 28th March 2015
By Simon Parker
UNLUCKY Andrew Davies faces another spell on the sidelines after going off early on his comeback this afternoon.
The defender's hamstring injury was the low point of a City win that has put them within two points of the top six.
Billy Clarke scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Oldham - their first over the Latics since 1997.
Phil Parkinson was delighted with the response from last week's late frustration against Fleetwood.
But he admitted that losing Davies again was a big blow.
The City boss said: "We won't know the full details until we have proper checks on him but it didn't look good.
"When it goes like that and it is a sudden injury, normally it is bad.
"We will be expecting the worse so anything better than that will be a bonus."
Gary MacKenzie, who had made way for Davies to return, came off the bench and Parkinson said: "I thought Gary was faultless."
===========================
When the dust settled - match report
Don't let management hear – but Bradford City are back in play-off running
6:10am Monday 30th March 2015
By Simon Parker
City 2, Oldham 0
STEPHEN Darby has achieved something that had never happened in his lifetime.
Oldham had not lost at Valley Parade since September 1988 – three weeks before the City skipper was born.
Phil Collins was number one at that time with 'Groovy kind of love'; Phil Parkinson's Bantams would have taken any kind of win on Saturday.
There was nothing particularly groovy about the result, which was amazingly their first weekend league win of 2015, but City were excellent value for the points which will breathe fresh impetus into their League One play-off ambitions.
Not that you will get Parkinson or his players saying that. The 'P' word was deliberately scratched off the script of the pre-match press conference and Parkinson was sticking to his "looking no further than the next game" mantra afterwards.
The fact that tomorrow's encounter happens to be against a Chesterfield team who currently sit above City only on goals scored adds a rather hefty dose of spice.
So while the manager continues to flat-bat any mentions of the top six in a manner that Geoffrey Boycott would be proud of, do not expect the same reaction from the supporters.
What a difference a week – and a nerve-free finale – can make. The doom and despondency that shrouded Fleetwood's last-gasp fightback was replaced by a euphoria and restored belief that City are capable of lasting the pace.
A season that some were prepared to write off as done in the wake of dropping those two points in stoppage time may still have plenty of life left.
This was a faith-restoring afternoon on and off the field. Parkinson noted the influence of the crowd and the sense that everybody was in it together. In the manager's eyes, the win was dedicated as much to the efforts of the support as the players.
Oldham's travelling following also played their part. The first four-figure away attendance at Valley Parade since Sheffield United in October, the Latics army rightly won plaudits for their spontaneous fire tribute after 56 minutes.
They also cheered heartily during the half-time entertainment provided by the disability football club – another gesture well appreciated.
Oldham themselves seemed to lack any invention and ambition for a team that had just bloodied neighbours Rochdale's nose to give themselves an outside sniff of the play-off mix. Apart from one tip wide from Mat Sadler, Ben Williams enjoyed a stress-free game in City's goal.
Not that there was anything between the teams in a stodgy first half. But even then, the hosts carved out a couple of decent chances – none bigger than the header James Hanson powered over when he looked odds on to score.
With both sides matching each other with a midfield diamond, space on the ball was at a premium. It was an afternoon for honest endeavour and plugging away until the opportunity presented itself.
Defensively, Rory McArdle and Gary MacKenzie kept the back door firmly shut – there was never going to be a repeat of the previous meeting when Jonathan Forte ran riot and McArdle saw red when frustration eventually got the better of him.
On this occasion, centre half dominated centre forward even after the sadly familiar sight of Andrew Davies making a premature exit from the action.
Davies beat the ground in pent-up fury after his hamstring suddenly gave up on him, the latest in a depressing list of injuries that seem to plague the big Viking.
He has already missed 18 games this season through one problem or another and now faces another spell sidelined. It did raise the debate about what will happen when his contract is up for renewal in the summer.
Retaining a fully-fit Davies is an absolute no brainer but he consistently misses a third of every season and is understood to be one of the highest earners on the books. That is the dilemma for Parkinson.
MacKenzie is looking for a contract – if not at Valley Parade, then anywhere other than Blackpool – and continues to hardly put a foot wrong. He certainly appears to have struck up an understanding with the ultra-consistent McArdle.
Another player with the bit between his teeth is Chris Routis, who wiped away any lingering memories of his personal horror show at Boundary Park with another enthusiastic display in midfield.
He showed a drive and an intent whenever he got the ball and continues to adapt well to his new, more advanced position.
But when Gary Liddle fired over when well placed just before the break, you did wonder if it would be another of those days of banging heads against the wall. City simply could not afford a third draw on the bounce.
Parkinson had laid into his substitutes after the squandered chance against Fleetwood. On Saturday, the changes made a significant difference.
Billy Knott replaced the ineffective Mark Yeates just after the hour and introduced that spark that he had lacked in recent outings. He used his "football intelligence", as Parkinson described it, to inject some zip into City's attacking endeavours.
It was Knott's corner, seven minutes after coming on, that paved the way for the opener. McArdle flicked it across goal, Jon Stead headed it back from the far post, Hanson helped it on, MacKenzie nodded it down and Billy Clarke was perfectly placed to finish with a cheeky back-heel.
City had worked in training on Thursday about staying on the front foot when ahead and not allowing themselves to be pushed backwards.
Parkinson stressed that it was sometimes human nature to retreat and try to protect what you had. "It's a psychological thing to think deep can be safe," he warned – "but deep can be dangerous."
The penny had clearly dropped as the rest of the game was played out almost exclusively in Oldham territory. When the fourth official's board came up showing four minutes, there was no need to twitch.
Knott also had a hand in Clarke's second goal in stoppage time which removed any lingering doubts.
The midfielder drew two blue shirts to the corner flag, where he was killing time, before suddenly reversing a pass into Stead. He laid the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, where Clarke placed a precise shot with his weaker right foot into the far corner.
Keeper Joel Coleman should have saved it but the universal joy that greeted the sight of the ball nestled in the net confirmed that City are very much back in the running. Even if nobody in authority wants to say so.
Attendance: 14,010
----
Parkinson a ray of sunshine after Bradford City's getaway to Portugal
7:38am Monday 30th March 2015
By Simon Parker
PHIL Parkinson has still banned any talk of play-offs as City look to re-establish themselves in the hunt.
The Bantams will move back into the top six by beating Chesterfield at Valley Parade tomorrow, the first of three games in seven hectic days.
But Parkinson, buoyed by Saturday's much-needed victory over Oldham, is not looking as far as the approaching Easter double-header.
"We want to concentrate on the next game and we'll be focused on that," he said.
"After the FA Cup exit at Reading, I felt everybody started talking about the play-offs and thought we'd naturally work our way up the league."
Parkinson felt City reaped the rewards of their getaway to Portugal after he took advantage of their first free midweek for nearly two months to take the players on a sunshine break.
The Bantams boss said: "When you've had so many games, it's like being on a hamster wheel. You have to keep churning out performances and maybe lose a bit of detail in what you're doing.
"We needed a change of scenery and I just felt it was the right thing to do. Obviously winning backed that up – but whatever the result on Saturday, I knew it was right to get away."
Billy Clarke's double ensured City's first win against Oldham in ten attempts – but it came at a cost, with a short-lived return from Andrew Davies.
The centre half lasted only 17 minutes before pulling up with hamstring trouble. Gary MacKenzie again deputised and will continue to fill in tomorrow.
Parkinson said: "We're not sure yet of the extent of the injury but it doesn't look good.
"Gary was obviously disappointed to be left out of the team but that's the sign of a true professional that he did a really good job. I thought all the subs came on and had a massive impact.
"There was a real determination in the camp. I felt it the minute I walked in the dressing room with the players and the minute I walked out on the pitch from the supporters."
Clarke's goals took his tally for the season into double figures. He broke the deadlock with a back-heel after a bout of head tennis from a City corner, before sealing the win with a rare strike on his right foot.
He said: "I was in the right place at the right time for my first one. We've got a really big team, so you've got to gamble on flick-ons.
"With the second, it was just good placement and I was happy that it rolled in. I could be playing on a carpet with my right foot and I'm not sure where it would go!
"I'd had a couple of sighters earlier but the keeper could have chucked his hat on them. But I concentrate more with my right foot because it doesn't feel so natural, so I probably get a better connection."
Parkinson was full of praise for the "magnificent" Irishman who "creates so much for the team" in his role behind the strikers.
Clarke said: "You can't do little five-yard passes on that pitch and expect the ball to roll smoothly. There are certain things you've got to do better, like getting on second balls.
"When the two big lads win headers, you've got to be there or thereabouts. But that's the benefit of playing a traditional striker in the hole. I've been a centre forward all my career, so I know what to expect."
===========================
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/
===========================
Next/Upcoming Game
Signings & Loans
City defender Alan Sheehan has joined fellow Sky Bet League One side Peterborough United on loan until the end of the season.
City secure the loan signing of Tony McMahon from Championship side Blackpool
James Meredith signs a two-year contract extension
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32119617
Injuries & Suspensions
Morais - expected three-match ban. Fleetwood Town, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield.
Andrew Davies - hamstring
===========================
Preview
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31996780
Game links
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11886874.FT__City_2_Oldham_0/
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=394218&action=stats
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sport_bantams_pics2012/sport_bantams_pics2014_oldhamhome/
Highlight/ Goals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0xSx5-GFEI
Post Game Interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH-wlGgVxBI&sns=em
===========================
Final whistle - match report
Billy Clarke scored twice as Bradford leapfrogged Sky Bet League One play-off rivals Oldham with a 2-0 win over their Lancashire rivals at Valley Parade.
There was little to choose between two evenly matched sides until Clarke broke the deadlock after 71 minutes. Defender Rory McArdle flicked substitute Billy Knott's right-wing corner across the face of goal and Gary MacKenzie and James Hanson combined to head the ball on for Clarke to add the finishing touch with a back heel from close range.
Clarke then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, with his 10 goal of the season a low shot into the far corner from 15 yards after Jon Stead laid the ball into his path.
Hanson missed the best chance of a scrappy first half, heading the ball over the crossbar in the 14th minute after Stead's cross found him unmarked.
Bradford began to get on top after half-time but Oldham almost took the lead with their best effort of the match.
A 20 yard shot from Mat Sadler was turned around the post by keeper Ben Williams and, one minute later, Clarke put the Bantams ahead before securing the three points with a second in stoppage time.
---
Davies injury takes gloss off Bradford City win
7:45pm Saturday 28th March 2015
By Simon Parker
UNLUCKY Andrew Davies faces another spell on the sidelines after going off early on his comeback this afternoon.
The defender's hamstring injury was the low point of a City win that has put them within two points of the top six.
Billy Clarke scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Oldham - their first over the Latics since 1997.
Phil Parkinson was delighted with the response from last week's late frustration against Fleetwood.
But he admitted that losing Davies again was a big blow.
The City boss said: "We won't know the full details until we have proper checks on him but it didn't look good.
"When it goes like that and it is a sudden injury, normally it is bad.
"We will be expecting the worse so anything better than that will be a bonus."
Gary MacKenzie, who had made way for Davies to return, came off the bench and Parkinson said: "I thought Gary was faultless."
===========================
When the dust settled - match report
Don't let management hear – but Bradford City are back in play-off running
6:10am Monday 30th March 2015
By Simon Parker
City 2, Oldham 0
STEPHEN Darby has achieved something that had never happened in his lifetime.
Oldham had not lost at Valley Parade since September 1988 – three weeks before the City skipper was born.
Phil Collins was number one at that time with 'Groovy kind of love'; Phil Parkinson's Bantams would have taken any kind of win on Saturday.
There was nothing particularly groovy about the result, which was amazingly their first weekend league win of 2015, but City were excellent value for the points which will breathe fresh impetus into their League One play-off ambitions.
Not that you will get Parkinson or his players saying that. The 'P' word was deliberately scratched off the script of the pre-match press conference and Parkinson was sticking to his "looking no further than the next game" mantra afterwards.
The fact that tomorrow's encounter happens to be against a Chesterfield team who currently sit above City only on goals scored adds a rather hefty dose of spice.
So while the manager continues to flat-bat any mentions of the top six in a manner that Geoffrey Boycott would be proud of, do not expect the same reaction from the supporters.
What a difference a week – and a nerve-free finale – can make. The doom and despondency that shrouded Fleetwood's last-gasp fightback was replaced by a euphoria and restored belief that City are capable of lasting the pace.
A season that some were prepared to write off as done in the wake of dropping those two points in stoppage time may still have plenty of life left.
This was a faith-restoring afternoon on and off the field. Parkinson noted the influence of the crowd and the sense that everybody was in it together. In the manager's eyes, the win was dedicated as much to the efforts of the support as the players.
Oldham's travelling following also played their part. The first four-figure away attendance at Valley Parade since Sheffield United in October, the Latics army rightly won plaudits for their spontaneous fire tribute after 56 minutes.
They also cheered heartily during the half-time entertainment provided by the disability football club – another gesture well appreciated.
Oldham themselves seemed to lack any invention and ambition for a team that had just bloodied neighbours Rochdale's nose to give themselves an outside sniff of the play-off mix. Apart from one tip wide from Mat Sadler, Ben Williams enjoyed a stress-free game in City's goal.
Not that there was anything between the teams in a stodgy first half. But even then, the hosts carved out a couple of decent chances – none bigger than the header James Hanson powered over when he looked odds on to score.
With both sides matching each other with a midfield diamond, space on the ball was at a premium. It was an afternoon for honest endeavour and plugging away until the opportunity presented itself.
Defensively, Rory McArdle and Gary MacKenzie kept the back door firmly shut – there was never going to be a repeat of the previous meeting when Jonathan Forte ran riot and McArdle saw red when frustration eventually got the better of him.
On this occasion, centre half dominated centre forward even after the sadly familiar sight of Andrew Davies making a premature exit from the action.
Davies beat the ground in pent-up fury after his hamstring suddenly gave up on him, the latest in a depressing list of injuries that seem to plague the big Viking.
He has already missed 18 games this season through one problem or another and now faces another spell sidelined. It did raise the debate about what will happen when his contract is up for renewal in the summer.
Retaining a fully-fit Davies is an absolute no brainer but he consistently misses a third of every season and is understood to be one of the highest earners on the books. That is the dilemma for Parkinson.
MacKenzie is looking for a contract – if not at Valley Parade, then anywhere other than Blackpool – and continues to hardly put a foot wrong. He certainly appears to have struck up an understanding with the ultra-consistent McArdle.
Another player with the bit between his teeth is Chris Routis, who wiped away any lingering memories of his personal horror show at Boundary Park with another enthusiastic display in midfield.
He showed a drive and an intent whenever he got the ball and continues to adapt well to his new, more advanced position.
But when Gary Liddle fired over when well placed just before the break, you did wonder if it would be another of those days of banging heads against the wall. City simply could not afford a third draw on the bounce.
Parkinson had laid into his substitutes after the squandered chance against Fleetwood. On Saturday, the changes made a significant difference.
Billy Knott replaced the ineffective Mark Yeates just after the hour and introduced that spark that he had lacked in recent outings. He used his "football intelligence", as Parkinson described it, to inject some zip into City's attacking endeavours.
It was Knott's corner, seven minutes after coming on, that paved the way for the opener. McArdle flicked it across goal, Jon Stead headed it back from the far post, Hanson helped it on, MacKenzie nodded it down and Billy Clarke was perfectly placed to finish with a cheeky back-heel.
City had worked in training on Thursday about staying on the front foot when ahead and not allowing themselves to be pushed backwards.
Parkinson stressed that it was sometimes human nature to retreat and try to protect what you had. "It's a psychological thing to think deep can be safe," he warned – "but deep can be dangerous."
The penny had clearly dropped as the rest of the game was played out almost exclusively in Oldham territory. When the fourth official's board came up showing four minutes, there was no need to twitch.
Knott also had a hand in Clarke's second goal in stoppage time which removed any lingering doubts.
The midfielder drew two blue shirts to the corner flag, where he was killing time, before suddenly reversing a pass into Stead. He laid the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, where Clarke placed a precise shot with his weaker right foot into the far corner.
Keeper Joel Coleman should have saved it but the universal joy that greeted the sight of the ball nestled in the net confirmed that City are very much back in the running. Even if nobody in authority wants to say so.
Attendance: 14,010
----
Parkinson a ray of sunshine after Bradford City's getaway to Portugal
7:38am Monday 30th March 2015
By Simon Parker
PHIL Parkinson has still banned any talk of play-offs as City look to re-establish themselves in the hunt.
The Bantams will move back into the top six by beating Chesterfield at Valley Parade tomorrow, the first of three games in seven hectic days.
But Parkinson, buoyed by Saturday's much-needed victory over Oldham, is not looking as far as the approaching Easter double-header.
"We want to concentrate on the next game and we'll be focused on that," he said.
"After the FA Cup exit at Reading, I felt everybody started talking about the play-offs and thought we'd naturally work our way up the league."
Parkinson felt City reaped the rewards of their getaway to Portugal after he took advantage of their first free midweek for nearly two months to take the players on a sunshine break.
The Bantams boss said: "When you've had so many games, it's like being on a hamster wheel. You have to keep churning out performances and maybe lose a bit of detail in what you're doing.
"We needed a change of scenery and I just felt it was the right thing to do. Obviously winning backed that up – but whatever the result on Saturday, I knew it was right to get away."
Billy Clarke's double ensured City's first win against Oldham in ten attempts – but it came at a cost, with a short-lived return from Andrew Davies.
The centre half lasted only 17 minutes before pulling up with hamstring trouble. Gary MacKenzie again deputised and will continue to fill in tomorrow.
Parkinson said: "We're not sure yet of the extent of the injury but it doesn't look good.
"Gary was obviously disappointed to be left out of the team but that's the sign of a true professional that he did a really good job. I thought all the subs came on and had a massive impact.
"There was a real determination in the camp. I felt it the minute I walked in the dressing room with the players and the minute I walked out on the pitch from the supporters."
Clarke's goals took his tally for the season into double figures. He broke the deadlock with a back-heel after a bout of head tennis from a City corner, before sealing the win with a rare strike on his right foot.
He said: "I was in the right place at the right time for my first one. We've got a really big team, so you've got to gamble on flick-ons.
"With the second, it was just good placement and I was happy that it rolled in. I could be playing on a carpet with my right foot and I'm not sure where it would go!
"I'd had a couple of sighters earlier but the keeper could have chucked his hat on them. But I concentrate more with my right foot because it doesn't feel so natural, so I probably get a better connection."
Parkinson was full of praise for the "magnificent" Irishman who "creates so much for the team" in his role behind the strikers.
Clarke said: "You can't do little five-yard passes on that pitch and expect the ball to roll smoothly. There are certain things you've got to do better, like getting on second balls.
"When the two big lads win headers, you've got to be there or thereabouts. But that's the benefit of playing a traditional striker in the hole. I've been a centre forward all my career, so I know what to expect."
===========================
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