NPower League Two
Bradford C (0) 1 Syers 88
Hereford U (0) 1 Anthony 82
Att: 17,014
CFML Daily News
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Current table
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/tables/cc_league2.html
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Fixtures
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/Fixtures/0,,10266,00.html
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/clubhouse?teamId=387&lang=EN
Pictures
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/sport_bantams_pics2011/
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~2624682,00.html?
"Last Match" Highlights on Bantams Player
http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/player/LastMatch/0,,10266~1612005~36,00.html
BBC highlights (uk only)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17170203?#asset
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Signings, Loans and Injuries
Loans - In
Jamie Annerson, Rotherham, initial 28-day loan
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The "Social media Corner"
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City Goal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJU_ix862u0&feature=share
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Match stats
http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=234#teamTabs=results
Stats: Bradford C – Hereford
Possession: 62 - 38
Shots on target: 3 - 3
Shots off target: 5 - 1
Fouls: 12 - 8
Corners: 9 - 8
Ref: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear).
Red card: Purkiss 90+1 (Hereford) 2nd yellow.
Yellow cards:
Bradford C: None.
Hereford: Purkiss (64 min), Colbeck (90+5).
BRADFORD C: 1. Jon McLaughlin, 24. Rob Kozluk, 38. Andrew Davies, 22. Lee
Bullock, 36. Marcel Seip, 11. Deane Smalley (81), 8. Ritchie Jones, 14.
Richard Ravenhill, 32. Kyel Reid, 4. Michael Flynn (65), 21. Nahki Wells
(89).
SUBS: 15. Jamie Annerson (GK), 3. Matt Fry, 10. Ross Hannah (89), 23. David
Syers (65), 30. Will Atkinson (81).
HEREFORD: 28. David Cornell, 12. Ben Purkiss, 22. Byron Anthony, 34. Will
Evans, 18. Simon Clist, 21. Tom Barkhuizen, 6. Robert Purdie, 11. Kenny Lunt
(88), 8. Nicky Featherstone, 19. Lyle Taylor (70), 10. Delroy Facey.
SUBS: 1. Adam Bartlett (GK), 4. Harry Pell (88), 9. Yoann Arquin, 17. Joe
Colbeck (70), 25. Nathan Elder.
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Saturday evening match report
Report by Simon Parker (T&A)
David Syers came off the bench to rescue a valuable point for City in front
of League Two's biggest crowd of the season.
More than 17,000 took advantage of the £1 ticket offer but the Valley Parade
party looked to be going flat when Byron Anthony headed Hereford ahead with
seven minutes left.
But Syers equalised with a header of his own four minutes later as a dour
game finished in dramatic fashion.
The draw was City's fourth in a row at home but it stopped Hereford from
cutting the gap between the clubs to a point in the battle for survival.
Will Evans had threatened to puncture the mood in the first minute as he
forced an agile save from Jon McLaughlin.
But the crowd - and Phil Parkinson - were screaming for a penalty when Nahki
Wells appeared to have his legs taken away by Hereford skipper Rob Purdie.
Kyel Reid stretched David Cornell after an exciting burst with a
cross-cum-shot which the keeper palmed over the bar.
McLaughlin had to be alert at the other end to deny Nicky Featherstone
before City had another spot-kick call waved away for a handball.
But it was not a great spectacle for the bumper turn-out with too many long
balls being hopefully pumped forward.
City went close five minutes after the re-start when Andrew Davies headed
over Reid's cross. Lee Bullock, in for Luke Oliver at the back, fired over
from another set-piece.
Hereford won several corners without threatening and City's own attempts to
press for a breakthrough came to nothing.
And City were caught by a sucker punch seven minutes from time as Anthony
headed home from Delroy Facey's cross after the home side failed to clear a
throw-in.
Syers had a shot cleared off the line by Lunt - but the sub made no mistake
from the resulting corner, heading home Reid's kick.
With five minutes of added time, City sensed a winner and Marcel Seip had a
side-foot effort saved on the line after Ben Purkiss was sent off for a
second yellow.
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Monday morning match report
Back to the drawing board for Bradford City
7:40am Monday 27th February 2012
By Simon Parker
Bradford City 1 Hereford United 1
The small knot of Hereford fans did not even make up one per cent of a crowd figure far and away the best in League Two this season.
But the 111 of an extraordinary 17,014 will probably argue that they still got their money's worth from paying the full whack.
While everyone else got in for a £1 – swelling the regular attendance by around 7,000 extras – the travelling supporters had coughed up the usual £20 admission.
For that they got the point that they would have settled for before leaving home early that morning.
For City, it was that familiar mix of exasperation and frustration. Possibly with a sprinkling of relief given the timing of their equaliser.
Valley Parade saw its fourth successive draw, thanks to a David Syers rescue act three minutes from the end.
That at least ensured that supporters departed on a more positive note after an uninspiring afternoon.
On the plus side, the four-point status quo with Hereford was maintained and Northampton's home defeat means City inched five clear of the drop zone.
But it was unsatisfying viewing for a crowd that was only 1,000 less than QPR's London derby with Fulham in the Premier League.
The hugely-impressive attendance was nearly 2,000 up on the same offer this time last year against Stockport. And once again a struggling visiting side were spurred on by the occasion.
Hereford boss Jamie Pitman, showing little sign of the pressure building up over his own position, said: "If you don't want to play in games like this with that crowd, then you've a problem.
"We're used to (crowds of) 2,500 people but this is what you're in football for. The lads showed really good character to come through because there was a really good atmosphere."
For a pound, you could have turned up at 4.30 and not really missed anything. All the excitement and drama was once again packed into the closing stages.
City have now scored ten league goals from the 85th minute onwards. Their staying power cannot be knocked.
Hereford had shared the Cedar Court hotel the night before with a cage-fighting competition. Their approach certainly packed plenty of grapple and grunt.
The Bulls came to kill the game and smother City with their five-man midfield. It was a job they did well.
Formation-wise, it was similar to Torquay and Parkinson lined up his men in the same way he had done at Plainmoor, with Michael Flynn playing just behind the one striker. But significantly there was no Craig Fagan to spearhead the attack as he rested a tight hamstring.
Nahki Wells got the nod in his place and proved an irritant for the Hereford back four before tiring. But his game is all about pace and running in behind the back four, not competing for high balls against taller, stronger markers.
With the Valley Parade pitch as unresponsive to proper play as ever, the tendency to knock it long was too often there and left the Bermudian with a series of mismatches.
When City did get the ball down for him, Wells weaved and wriggled to find holes. How different the afternoon might have been if referee Andy Haines had picked up on Rob Purdie's clear foul on him inside the box after six minutes.
Shaping to shoot, Wells had his legs taken from under him by the Hereford skipper. But the one man who mattered was the only one not to think penalty.
Parkinson went loco on the touchline with the fourth official – and was soon arguing again when Haines saw nothing when Ricky Ravenhill's shot appeared to be handled.
"I didn't think we got too much given our way seeing as we were the home side with 17,000 fans behind us," the manager said later.
Had City got an early break, Parkinson's approach would have been justified with Hereford forced to come out of their shell.
Instead the game swiftly turned into the uncompromising slog that he had warned the fans to expect.
Kyel Reid offered the one real attacking outlet as he carried over some of his form from the previous week. The highlight of a forgettable first half was provided by a jink through Tom Barkhuizen's challenge and drifting cross-turned-shot which David Cornell had to finger over the bar.
There was a buzz when the winger got the ball from fans desperate for something to get excited about. In the main, it was the stodgiest of fare, with Hereford happy to sit on the draw they had started with.
Deane Smalley was again played wide on the right, rather than in the centre forward's role he prefers, and carried a threat in the opening 45 minutes before marker Simon Clist eventually got to grips with him.
But Flynn was far less effective than the week before and it was no great shock when he made way for Syers soon after the hour.
By then, Andrew Davies had put a free header over the bar but generally chances remained at a premium.
The Stoke stopper demanded the ball again when he rumbled forward and teed up Wells. But, not for the first time, the striker wanted a touch too many and the door was quickly slammed shut.
Smalley lashed into the Kop before the deadlock was suddenly broken at the other end.
Hereford had racked up the corners without offering anything more than two first-half pops at Jon McLaughlin. But their goal, much to Parkinson's chagrin, came from a long throw-in.
Barkhuizen's missiles are an effective weapon for Hereford and Parkinson had worked with his defenders during the week to guard against them. But Davies failed to clear the danger and Delroy Facey crossed for Byron Anthony to float a header into the top corner.
Like the Port Vale game, City were seeking another late, late rescue act. Syers thought he had provided it after Cornell misjudged a cross but Kenny Lunt sliced off his line. Will Atkinson put the corner right on the spot for the sub to ram home.
With five minutes tacked on, City piled forward and Ben Purkiss was sent off for his second booking after fouling Reid a yard outside the box.
Then a loose ball dropped invitingly to Marcel Seip ten yards out but the Dutchman went for placement instead of power and Cornell was able to smother his tame side-foot on the line.
The Hereford fans, who had earlier cheekily chanted "we forgot that you were here", had got some reward from their day out. They will be back for more.
You wonder how many of the floating fans in the home stands will feel the same.
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Barnet v Bradford City: Parkinson taking a gruelling route to survival
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city/barnet_v_bradford_city_parkinson_taking_a_gruelling_route_to_survival_1_4291914?
Published on Tuesday 28 February 2012 08:12
AS Bradford City prepare to eat up the miles in the coming weeks, Phil Parkinson has urged his side to put their foot down and secure League Two survival as quickly as possible.
Tonight's rearranged trip to Barnet kicks off a gruelling run of games that will see the squad travel 2,532 miles in just 32 days.
It is a marathon schedule that includes visits to Dagenham & Redbridge, AFC Wimbledon, Aldershot Town, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth Argyle before the end of March.
Throw in four home games during the same period and it is clear Bradford are in for a hectic time and Parkinson is adamant his team must take advantage by racking up the points to go with the miles.
He said: "We still need to get wins on board as quickly as possible. We have a points total we are working towards and the next month being such a busy one gives us a chance to get there.
"It is all about staying out of trouble. The sooner we can secure our safety, the better for everyone as we can then plan properly for next season."
Saturday's draw at home to Hereford United means City have lost just twice in 11 games, a run that has lifted the club five points clear of the drop zone.
With only Northampton Town of the bottom seven sides not being in action, tonight's trip to Barnet is one where City are desperate to repeat the performance of their last away game when Torquay United were beaten 2-1 at Plainmoor on February 18.
Parkinson added: "There was a lot of good quality at Torquay and I was pleased with what I saw. The challenge now is to produce that week in, week out.
"There is no point doing it as a one-off and then that's it. To be fair to the players, their performances have been better lately."
Tonight's game should have taken place on January 7 but was postponed due to City still being in the FA Cup.
Parkinson added: "When a game is called off, I always want it to be played as soon as possible. What you don't want is a backlog of games.
"Games in hand are great but they don't necessarily mean points on the board.
"Barnet have done well. I saw them on Tuesday night (at Oxford United when they lost 2-1) and they looked a decent team. They have a good young squad and put in a good performance, but they were unfortunate not to be rewarded with all three points."
Last six games: Barnet WLDLLL, Bradford City DDLDWD.
Referee: R East (Wiltshire).
Last time: Barnet 0 Bradford City 2; October 9, 2010; League Two.
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