NPower League Two
Bradford C (1) 1 Davies 43
Burton Alb. (0) 1 Palmer 85
Att: 9,744
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"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
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BBC highlights (uk only)
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City goal
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Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results
Stats: Bradford C - Burton
Possession: 57 - 43%
Shots on target: 3 - 1
Shots off target: 7 - 4
Fouls: 16 - 14
Corners: 7 - 8
Ref: Lee Collins (Woking).
Yellow cards:
Bradford C: Ravenhill (29 min).
Burton: Parks (5 min), Stanton (8 min).
BRADFORD C: 1. Jon McLaughlin, 24. Rob Kozluk, 22. Lee Bullock, 38. Andrew
Davies, 36. Marcel Seip, 39. Craig Fagan, 14. Richard Ravenhill, 8. Ritchie
Jones, 26. Andy Haworth, 21. Nahki Wells (72), 9. James Hanson.
SUBS: 34. Matt Duke (GK), 10. Ross Hannah, 11. Deane Smalley (72), 15.
Charlie Taylor, 16. Chris Mitchell.
BURTON: 23. Ross Atkins, 2. Callum Driver, 4. Nathan Stanton, 15. Ryan
Austin, 16. Tom Parkes, 19. Jacques Maghoma, 26. Adam Bolder, 6. John
McGrath (78), 13. Cleveland Taylor (73), 9. Justin Richards (61), 10. Calvin
Zola.
SUBS: 1. Kevin Poole (GK), 8. Andrew Corbett, 11. Chris Palmer (73), 12. Adi
Yussuf (61), 21. Andres Gurrieri (78).
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Saturday evening match report
By Simon Parker (T&A)
Bradford City slipped up to another late equaliser as two more home points
went begging against Burton.
The Bantams looked on course for their first win in 2012 after Andrew Davies
netted a superb free-kick.
But just like last week against Morecambe, there was a nasty sting in the
tail with the visitors levelling five minutes from the end.
Nahki Wells caused instant trouble for the Burton back four with two
defenders quickly booked for bringing him down.
It was a disjointed start to the game, which was not helped by a bobbly
surface. There were too many loose passes and the first shot after 15
minutes was high, wild and not particularly handsome from Burton winger
Cleveland Taylor.
Craig Fagan cleverly created City's first opening but his cross was a
fraction high for Ritchie Jones who headed over.
The frequent stoppages prevented any flow to proceedings but yet another
free-kick two minutes before half-time saw the deadlock broken in stunning
fashion.
Ryan Austin tugged James Hanson's shirt 25 yards out and Davies curled an
unstoppable set-piece over the wall and into the top corner of the net.
Swirling rain made conditions trickier after the restart and City were
almost caught out by a Justin Richards cross that flew untouched across the
goalmouth.
Ricky Ravenhill fired narrowly across goal at the other end before Davies
was denied a second by a fine save from Ross Atkins, who just managed to
claw his header from a corner on to the post.
Andy Haworth then got clear but his cross just beat Wells sliding in at the
far post.
City scorned the chance to put the game to bed with several promising breaks
not leading to anything.
And they paid the price after 85 minutes when Burton's subs combined for Adi
Yussuff to touch in Chris Palmer's cross.
Deane Smalley, on his debut, shot wide and Ricky Ravenhill half-volleyed
over in stoppage time as City finished frustrated again.
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Monday morning match report
History repeats itself as Bradford City fail to kill off visitors at Valley Parade
8:00am Monday 23rd January 2012
By Simon Parker
Bradford City 1 Burton Albion 1
Ever watched one of those TV programmes when you suddenly remember the ending halfway through?
You think it's something new but then starts to look familiar and you see the punchline coming well before the finish.
For Burton on Saturday, read Morecambe the week before.
All right you didn't have the histrionics of Kevin Ellison gurning along the touchline but otherwise this was a repeat of the previous home game.
City ahead, City on top, City blowing chances to put the game to bed, City getting pegged back in the closing minutes.
Another Valley Parade draw which, in popular football vernacular, "feels like a defeat".
The final scoreline should come as no surprise for the statisticians. Five of the six games between the two sides since Burton rose from non-league have finished in draws.
But City should have been home and hosed by the time Burton stole their scruffy goal against an otherwise impeccable back four.
Andrew Davies, inevitably, was its heart and soul. And he was left scratching his head why his free-kick wonder strike just before half-time did not turn out the match-winner.
"It should have been 3-0 or 4-0 by the time they scored," he said. "It was a similar scenario to Morecambe but I felt we played better this time.
"We defended well as a whole and they didn't have any clear-cut chances. We were comfortable. But we always needed that second goal. You can't hang on to a 1-0 lead to the last five minutes."
Sadly City proved again that they can't. But the defence should not shoulder any of the blame for that.
With no Luke Oliver, Lee Bullock stood shoulder to shoulder with Davies in his first start since the opening day. Rob Kozluk, at right back, declared himself fit to play despite missing most of the week's training after his debut injury.
But you couldn't see the join. Burton's front two are as big a handful as you'll get in League Two but City resolutely kept them at arm's length.
Davies won his headers and went toe-to-toe with the imposing Zola. Bullock was the faithful sidekick, tidying up the loose balls and throwing himself into well-judged tackles.
Any niggling doubts Phil Parkinson might have had at the wisdom of letting Steve Williams head for Scotland were quickly blown away in the swirling rain.
Parkinson said: "Bully's a cool customer and he showed it. Andrew was a collosus and Bully played with great intelligence.
"It was difficult for him coming into a high-tempo game on a very heavy pitch against two very good strikers but I thought he was superb.
"It's credit to all the work he's done in his rehab to complete the whole 90 minutes."
At first it looked like Burton would be the defence creaking under the strain. Trying to nullify the pace of Nahki Wells earned early bookings for two of the back four and with first-year ref Lee Collins' reputation for flashing red cards, City should have made hay.
But the first-half onslaught never materialised. James Hanson, who worked his socks off again for little reward, had an unsuccessful shout for a penalty but there was little of note at either end until Davies broke the dreary deadlock in stunning style.
Inevitably the goal came from a foul – one of over 20 that Collins awarded before the break.
Paul Peschisolido argued that Ryan Austin's tug of Hanson's shirt was a case of "six of one and half a dozen of the other" but there was no disputing the quality of Davies' strike.
Lining up like Johnny Wilkinson preparing to slot over a penalty, the centre half seemed to shut himself off from the outside world before drilling the ball over the wall and into the top corner.
He said: "I just had that confidence that I'd hit the target and score.
"I scored a couple of free-kicks through my youth at Middlesbrough but never really taken any in league games. Hopefully now I can start practising them and get more goals."
Peschisolido was unhappy with the position of keeper Ross Atkins, who seemed to get caught flat-footed. But he was to make amends with a fine save to deny Davies a second midway through the second half.
The defender's header from a Craig Fagan corner was goal-bound until Atkins just managed to claw it against the post.
That was the closest City came to doubling their lead and guaranteeing a first win of the new year.
But there were plenty of other moments when they could and should have done better. Andy Haworth was the guiltiest party with some indifferent crosses from promising breaks but Fagan and Wells also scorned their opportunities.
With City failing to kill the game off, Peschisolido went for broke and threw on two more strikers for the final 20 minutes. Both had a part in the 85th-minute equaliser.
Holes had appeared in the middle of the park as the Bantams continued to flood forward for a second goal. Chris Palmer exploited one by pinging in an awkward cross from wide on the right.
It passed through several bodies before fellow sub Adi Yussuff nipped in front of Davies to apply the slightest of deflections past Jon McLaughlin.
Davies thought the pass had gone straight in but Yussuff was adamant he had made contact with the ball and celebrated accordingly. It wasn't the taunting gestures that Ellison riled the crowd with the previous Saturday but the home hurt fell just the same. The script was a familiar one.
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Bradford City: Luke O'Brien in talks to join Exeter
7:10am Monday 23rd January 2012 in
Full article
http://bit.ly/zIVDwJ
Luke O'Brien heads to the west country today as he prepares to sever a 15-year tie with City by joining Exeter.
The League One side are ready to take over the left back's contract, which is due to run out at the end of the season.
City's former player of the year has been out of favour under Phil Parkinson and will meet the Grecians for talks with his manager's blessing.
Parkinson said: "We've had a couple of chats and OB feels he needs a fresh challenge in his career. I agree with him. He's been here a long time but he needs to get himself going again for various reasons.
"On the other side of it, we're bringing in players and the chairmen obviously want me to redress the balance.
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Flynn back at training ground
Posted on: Mon 23 Jan 2012
City midfielder Michael Flynn made a welcome return to the Bantams' Apperley Bridge training ground this Monday as he continues on his road to recovery from his recent illness problems.
The popular Welshman has missed City's last six matches - and had to endure two spells in hospital - after picking up a nasty bout of gastroenteritis just before Christmas.
After coming out of hospital for a second time at the back end of last week though, Flynn is now able to eat regularly for the first time in nearly a month and appears to be finally over the stomach virus.
Flynn will now take part in his own training programme with City's physio team for the next week or so as he looks to build his fitness levels back up to normal.
And while there is no time scale in place just yet for a possible return for the midfielder, Flynn admits he is delighted to be back in the fold.
Flynn said: "It's great to see the boys again, they have all made me feel really welcome. The banter is already flying about!
"It's great to see some smiling faces and to be back in the dressing room. It's almost like I haven't been away.
"Thankfully, I've had no problems since coming out of hospital the second time. I have an idea in my head of when I want to be back (playing) but I know I have to take things as they come.
"It is now a case of me building up my strength and building my fitness levels back up and hopefully getting back out on that pitch sooner rather than later."
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Reid almost ready to return
Posted on: Tue 24 Jan 2012
City winger Kyel Reid could be in line for a shock return to first team action after making good recent progress from his hamstring problem.
Reid was initially predicted to miss around six weeks of the campaign after suffering a partial grade two tear to his right hamstring in the second half of City's Boxing Day fixture with Crewe Alexandra.
But Reid, who took part in a section of the warm up before the Morecambe fixture just over a week ago, is now back in training ahead of this Saturday's Bristol Rovers fixture only a month after suffering the injury.
And with his flying winger now back in the fold, City boss Phil Parkinson has not ruled out the possibility of Reid making the trip to the Memorial Stadium at the weekend.
"Reidy is now back in training with us. He has a chance of being in the squad for the weekend, he's certainly in contention," revealed Parkinson.
"It would be obviously great to have him back if he was involved because he was a big player for us before he got injured.
"We'll have to see how he is later this week though."
Parkinson is also hopeful that Simon Ramsden can be given the green light to step us his own recovery from a broken toe when he visits his specialist this Thursday.
"Simon Ramsden is visiting his specialist on Thursday, so hopefully that will be more positive news, " Parkinson added.
"Hopefully he will get the all-clear and we can think about getting him back sooner rather than later."
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