NPower League Two
Bradford C: (0) 2 Fagen pen 57, Hanson 67
Oxford Utd (0) 1 Hall 71
Att: 10,059
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Stats: Bradford C - Oxford
Possession: 50 - 50%
Shots on target: 9 - 4
Shots off target: 5 - 1
Fouls: 11 - 9
Corners: 8 - 4
Ref: Colin Webster (Tyne and Wear)
Red card:
Oxford: Batt (40 min), 2nd yellow.
Yellow cards:
Bradford C: Oliver (37 min).
Oxford: Batt (7 min).
BRADFORD C: 1. Jon McLaughlin, 24. Rob Kozluk, 38. Andrew Davies, 6. Luke
Oliver, 36. Marcel Seip, 30. Will Atkinson (57), 22. Lee Bullock, 8. Ritchie
Jones, 32. Kyel Reid, 21. Nahki Wells (81), 39. Craig Fagan (70).
SUBS: 15. Jamie Annerson (GK), 3. Matt Fry, 9. James Hanson (57), 10. Ross
Hannah (81), 23. David Syers (70).
OXFORD UTD: 1. Ryan Clarke, 2. Damian Batt, 6. Jake Wright, 5. Michael
Duberry, 3. Anthony Tonkin (70), 7. Adam Chapman (84), 14. Asa Hall, 16.
Andrew Whing, 27. Lee Holmes, 23. Scott Rendell (68), 18. Dean Morgan.
SUBS: 21. Wayne Brown (GK), 19. Oli Johnson (68), 22. Harry Worley (84), 24.
Mark Wilson, 26. Liam Davis (70).
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Saturday evening match report
Match report by Simon Parker (T&A)
Bradford City broke their 2012 Valley Parade duck at the sixth attempt with
a deserved win over in-form Oxford.
Craig Fagan broke the play-off chasers' stubborn resistance from the penalty
spot after 56 minutes. Then James Hanson stepped off the bench after a month
out with his hamstring injury to nod the second - his 11th goal of the
season.
But the ten-man visitors, who had right back Damian Batt dismissed before
half-time, pulled one back to cause a few butterflies.
City made a whirlwind start with Fagan, who had missed the Accrington draw
with a tight hamstring, close to engineering a fifth-minute opener.
His flick-on from a throw-in caused confusion in the Oxford ranks and there
was a strong shout that Batt handled in front of goal. The ball bobbled
against the post before Nahki Wells' attempt to force in the rebound was
blocked on the line by former Leeds defender Michael Duberry.
Then keeper Ryan Clarke denied Wells from close range before pulling off a
superb follow-up save to thwart Will Atkinson.
Former City loanee Lee Holmes tested Jon McLaughlin with a curler after a
mistake by Kyel Reid, who quickly made amends with a long shot which Clarke
fumbled. Fagan rammed in the rebound but was offside.
Oxford's job got harder five minutes before the break when Batt was sent off
for a second crude foul on Reid. But they survived another penalty appeal
when a shot appeared to strike Anthony Tonkin's elbow, referee Colin Webster
ruling it was his head.
It was a positive half from City and they began the second in similar vein
with Wells climbing to nod wide from Rob Kozluk's cross and Lee Bullock
going close with a header from a corner.
The ball wouldn't go in as Wells' goal-bound drive was half blocked by
Andrew Whing and bounced off the foot of the post.
But Whing then turned Oxford villain, bundling over Marcel Seip in the
corner of the box. Fagan thumped the penalty into the roof of the net.
After the run of five home draws, City knew the job was not done and Adam
Chapman offered a quick reminder with a 30-yarder which McLaughlin saved low
to his left.
McLaughlin scuffed a clearance to Holmes but then lunged into the winger to
win the tackle. Straight away City went to the other end where Reid's cross
was buried by Hanson, who had only been on the pitch for ten minutes.
But any thoughts of City strolling it were instantly dashed as Asa Hall
halved the deficit, catching out McLaughlin by his left post.
Hanson missed a great chance four minutes from time with a side-foot volley
across goal after Reid had bombed 50 yards before supplying the cross.
And a jinking run from Bullock set him up again for a shot which was
deflected over the Oxford bar.
Five minutes of stoppage time added to the anxiety but there were no late
scares as City claimed three well-earned points.
Phil Parkinson punched the air at the final whistle and it was a feeling
shared right round the ground.
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Monday morning match report
Oxford fail to pull rank over Bantams
7:00am Monday 12th March 2012
By Simon Parker
Bradford City 2 Oxford United 1
So the theory that the league table never lies has once again been debunked.
Over two-thirds of the way into the season and City still have the knack of turning League Two on its head.
Oxford, the highest-placed side to visit Valley Parade in 2012, became the first victims of the new year.
The only surprise is that anybody should be surprised.
Of City's 39-point tally, 24 of them have been accumulated from teams in the top half. They have lost just five of 17 games against numbers one
to 12.
The bottom half is a very different story, with just three wins from the same number of outings – and two of them were against woeful Barnet.
With only 15 points from a possible 51, nobody has a worse record against those at the wrong end.
Given that contrasting record, the bookies completely missed a trick to list Oxford as pre-match favourites.
So what if they'd only lost one in the previous 15. Remember Torquay had won seven in a row before City sorted them out at Plainmoor.
It's a shame then that Aldershot's similar charge should have been shot down a week early at Northampton before Saturday's trip to Hampshire.
Another long trek to Wimbledon comes first but any anxiety over tomorrow's trip will have been eased by the first home three-pointer since
December.
City delivered their most convincing display at Valley Parade since that last win over Shrewsbury. The only downside was that the final outcome
looked far closer than it should have been.
But at least the five minutes of added time passed without cause to bang your head on the floor. And that makes a welcome change.
Phil Parkinson could see pluses all round a pitch that stood up to the test of a second game in four days but the real highlight was seeing Kyel
Reid show the home crowd his full repertoire of tricks on the wing.
Up to now, Reid has been City's best kept secret. Devastating on his travels at Torquay, Barnet and Southend but sometimes muted in front of the
Valley Parade faithful, where he often finds himself chaperoned by two or three visitors.
"That was his best home performance," said Phil Parkinson. "Reidy has done well at home but his real top games have been away.
"But I think our home supporters are gradually seeing what a good player he is. The reception he got showed the fans were right behind him."
Oxford could not find a way to stop him by fair means or foul.
Right back Damian Batt went for the route one approach of bringing him down at all costs. Inevitably he did not make half-time.
Booked for the first foul of the afternoon, he then gave referee Colin Webster his easiest decision by trying to take Reid's block off with a
head-high lunge on the halfway line.
Batt was lucky not to see a straight red for that alone and will only miss the one game instead of three.
But he left a gaping hole in Oxford's rearguard for 45 minutes, which Reid looked to exploit to the full.
On this evidence, he looked every inch the former Premier League and Championship player. The fact he has another year on his City contract could
be one of the biggest pulls for the latest season-ticket campaign.
And who knows, maybe next term will signal a sea change in officialdom's view on City. Maybe the advantage of playing in front of the division's
biggest fanbase will be reflected in a few "hometown" decisions.
Then again, probably not.
It's hard to escape the impression that referees do all they can not to be seen to be favouring the Bantams.
We should be grateful that City were actually awarded a penalty on Saturday. But it did follow a couple of earlier shouts for blatant
transgressions.
Batt could have been in his bath even earlier had Webster spotted the obvious handball in a goal-mouth scramble after five minutes. To add insult
to injury, Michael Duberry then cleared off the line from Nahki Wells in the ensuing melee.
And Webster, one of the most experienced whistlers on the block, was similarly unmoved when a shot cannoned off Anthony Tonkin's elbow. He even
gestured to the crowd that it had hit the left back's head.
So when he did eventually point to the spot after Marcel Seip's nifty footwork on the byline drew a trip from Andrew Whing, the sarcasm in
Parkinson's tone was understandable.
"We had five appeals before we finally got one. But that's what we have to do to get a decision our way here.
"I find that quite amazing. I watch the games again on DVD and some of the ones we haven't got of late have been incredible.
"It's a shame we're not in the Premiership and these decisions haven't been highlighted more."
Fagan smashed the penalty into the roof of the net and Oxford's ten-man resistance had been broken. Suddenly there were shades of last season and
the spectacular five-goal implosion which followed the red cards then.
McLaughlin raced from his goal to crunch former City loanee Lee Holmes and then set a deadly counter-attack in motion.
Hanson had only been on ten minutes after his month lay-off with an injured hamstring but he sprung into action to feed Reid and then appeared in
the perfect spot to nod his 11th goal of the season from the cross.
The floodgates were ready to open – only for Oxford to land a sucker punch as City dithered from a throw-in and Asa Hall's hopeful shot bounced
under McLaughlin.
The fear of a club record sixth straight home draw prompted the odd twitch in home ranks before Reid once again took the attack to the visitors.
He bombed 50 yards to supply Hanson for a certain third but the big striker sidefooted wide. Then Bullock capped his own fine effort with a
clever run to set up Hanson again for a shot deflected just over.
Added time was played out camped in Oxford territory and another play-off contender had been dealt a bloody nose. But we shouldn't expect
anything else.
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Goalscorers finding their killer touch, says Bradford City boss Parkinson
7:20am Monday 12th March 2012
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson wants to go for the kill as City pull away from the relegation dogfight.
Saturday's win over Oxford – their first at home in six attempts – eased them seven points clear of the bottom two.
And with fit-again duo James Hanson and David Syers back in the ranks, the Bantams chief is backing his team to hit the goal trail again.
Hanson came off the bench to head City's second in the 2-1 victory after Craig Fagan's penalty.
Following five successive draws at Valley Parade, Parkinson is confident City will start taking their scoring chances.
He said: "Fagan's got seven now, Nahki (Wells) has seven and James 11 so it's starting to look better. We've got Syers back as well who will
always score goals and you need that.
"When I look over this run of draws, especially the games where we've been leading, we've had chances to kill teams off and you've got to get
that second goal."
City can leapfrog Wimbledon with a win there tomorrow night and Parkinson is ready to hit the motorway again with renewed confidence.
"Saturday was a massive day and a result for us. I felt Accrington was a pivotal game and how we didn't win that was very frustrating.
"But when you have two home games in a week to pick up four points isn't a bad return. We'll take that into our travels over the next week or so.
"We played really well in the first half and had some moments when you expected either a penalty or the ball to be hitting the back of the net.
"But we didn't feel sorry for ourselves. There was a little bit of moaning about the ref at half-time but I killed that dead with the lads and
kept focused on what we had to do."
Parkinson believes fans will be "ecstatic" with the news that Wells has signed the option in his contract to sign for another year.
He added: "Nahki's an improving player and what a threat he is on his day. He can shoot with both feet and can run and maintain his pace over the
period of a game.
"He's not just a player who has a burst then has a rest. Nahki can keep going. He's still learning but we don't want to take that rawness away
from him. He's got an unpredictability in his play. I'm sure our fans are ecstatic he will be here next year."
The Bermudian striker, who had a shot cleared off the line by Michael Duberry, said: "I thought it was going to be another day of horrible
decisions against us. We didn't get what we deserved with some of them."
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Pay on the day at Wimbledon
Posted on: Mon 12 Mar 2012
City supporters wishing to attend this Tuesday's (13 March 2012) npower League 2 fixture at AFC Wimbledon will have to pay on the turnstiles on the day at The Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Bantams fans will be located in the John Smiths Terrace for the midweek match. The particular area of the ground is located down one of the lengths of the pitch.
Admission prices:
Adults: £15.00
*Concessions (full time students/over 65's): £9.00
Juniors under 16: £2.00
Disabled tickets (prices as above) + free carer
Disabled tickets, included wheelchair spaces, can be booked in advance by ringing Chris Atkinson at AFC Wimbledon on 020 8547 3528.
A small number of seating tickets will also be available for elderly and disabled supporters.
Admission prices:
Adults: £17.00
Senior Citizens (over 65's): £10.00
Juniors under 16's: £6.00
* Student I.D required.
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James Hanson in the mix for Bradford City goal glut
5:50pm Monday 12th March 2012
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson has backed "brave" James Hanson to go on a scoring spree.
City's leading hitman marked his first game for over a month by heading the second goal in Saturday's win over Oxford.
Hanson needed only ten minutes on his return from injury to get on the scoresheet, before missing two late chances to add to the tally.
But Parkinson knows the goals will keep coming because Hanson gets himself in the mix.
He said: "James always gets in the six-yard box. He keeps getting in there and that's why he scores.
"You look at his record. All strikers will score but they will miss as well.
"You need that bravery to keep getting in there (after you've missed) and he's got that in abundance."
Saturday's goal was Hanson's 11th this season – and he is already two ahead of his total for the whole of the last campaign.
It was his first in the league since City beat Shrewsbury on New Year's Eve, their last home win before the weekend. His only previous strike in 2012 was at Watford in the FA Cup.
He was forced to sit out five games after tearing his adductor muscle against Port Vale on Valentine's Day.
With City's hectic March schedule in full swing, Hanson is likely to get the starting role at Wimbledon tomorrow night. Craig Fagan could move to the right wing to accommodate him.
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Options available for Parkinson
Posted on: Mon 12 Mar 2012
Despite ending promotion-chasing Oxford United's eight match unbeaten streak on Saturday, City boss Phil Parkinson admits there's no guarantee that he will stick to the side for Tuesday's trip to AFC Wimbledon.
After seeing James Hanson and David Syers return from injury against Oxford at the weekend, Parkinson now has the duo of Michael Flynn and Simon Ramsden back in contention after their own injury problems.
The Bantams boss, who also has Deane Smalley available once more after missing out against his parent club, says both Flynn and Ramsden are in with a shout of travelling but they will only feature if he feels the time is right.
Parkinson said: "They (Michael Flynn and Simon Ramsden) are back training and they are available for selection. We just have to make a call on them both now as to when we feel is right to put them back in.
"We will obviously only do that when we feel the time is right for the team and for themselves.
"We just want to make sure that they are both right and have enjoy training under their belts before we put them back in.
"A number of the players who didn't play Saturday, including Michael and Simon, came in on Sunday and had a really good training session with myself and Steve (Parkin).
"I feel they will have both benefited from that session and today's (Monday).
"Deane obviously comes back into contention as well for us.
"It's good for us that we have competition for places in the team and on the bench. When I was watching training yesterday you could see a group of players out there that we itching to get back in the team.
"That is always a healthy enviroment in any football club, when you have competition for places."
Whether Flynn or Ramsden are selected for the Wimbledon fixture or not, both Hanson and Syers are almost certain to be involved in Parkinson's match-day squad for the journey south after their second half cameos against Oxford.
Parkinson is glad to have Hanson and Syers' goalscoring prowess back at his disposal, and he says that he could feel the benefit of their return from as early as last weekend.
"Having a bench of Hannah, Syers, Hanson on Saturday - there was a clear goal threat there for us waiting to come on. I don't think there will be many teams at this level with that sort of options available to them," added Parkinson.
"In some ways, I was itching to get them on when it was 0-0 because you know those players will score if they get a chance.
"If you look back at the run of draws we have had at home before Saturday, there have been times when we have conceded the odd bad goal here or there, but there have also been times when we've had chances to kill teams off .
"We got that all-important second goal through James and that has ended up winning us the match. We still had a bit of a nervy finish because of the goal we conceded, but that goal could have been an equaliser if James hadn't got our second goal."
Although City's injury woes appear to be easing at present, Ricky Ravenhill will once again miss out this Tuesday as he serves out the final match of his two game ban.
Parkinson admits he was impressed by the performances of both Lee Bullock and Ritchie Jones in City's central midfield in Ravenhill's absence though, with the versatile Bullock coming in for particular praise from the Bantams chief.
Parkinson said: "Lee Bullock and Ritchie did well in there (central midfield).
"Bully has played in a number of positions in the last few games and coped with them all really well. Playing as centre half, playing in behind the striker at Dagenham and now back in midfield, he has done well with all the roles.
"He's now playing in his favourite position, the holding midfield role, and I thought he gave us a calmness on the ball on Saturday. He also has the ability to win his headers and those second balls in the middle of the field."
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