Read this article online
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/
===========================
Next/Upcoming Game
Coventry Tuesday 10 March 2015 - kick off 7:45pm.
Chesterfield has now been confirmed for Tuesday 31 March 2015.
Signings & Loans
Injuries & Suspensions
===========================
Preview
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/31562382
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11819627.Mclean_playing_by_rules_as_he_looks_to_dig_out_win_from_dug_out_for_Posh/?ref=eb
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11821612.Mclean_opts_for_back_seat_role_in_Bantams_reunion/
Game links
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11825457.Live_blog__Peterborough_2_City_0/
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=394155&action=stats
Highlight/ Goals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k5XD9Wge0u8
===========================
Final whistle - match report
Parkinson: Bantams needed a bit more quality
5:29pm Saturday 28th February 2015
By Simon Parker
BOSS Phil Parkinson admitted City lacked that "bit of quality" as they fell to a second away defeat in a week at Peterborough.
The Bantams went down 2-0 in a poor contest at London Road - a loss that saw them drop out of the play-off places.
Parkinson said: "I thought the commitment levels were great in difficult conditions. I thought we were right in the game and it just took a really scrappy goal to give Peterborough a lift.
"We gave our all but we just lacked a bit of quality. We maybe just tried to have that extra touch rather than getting our shot away a little bit quicker.
It was a nothing game. When we saw the conditions, we always knew it would be that scrappy type of game where you've just got to grind out a result."
===========================
When the dust settled - match report
No point to Bradford City's 680-mile road show, no point at all!
8:00am Monday 2nd March 2015
By Simon Parker
Peterborough 2 Bradford City 0
IT WAS a bad end to a bad week, on and off the field, for City.
These are once again great times to be following the Bantams as they hover on the verge of another Wembley appearance.
But savour the special moments because the last few days have acted as a sobering reminder of football's enduring habit of bringing you crashing swiftly back down to earth.
What began with the FA Cup ticket meltdown eight days ago was topped off with a second straight away defeat from a forgettable afternoon in the East Midlands, leaving the Bantams empty-handed from the week's 680-mile road trip.
For the first time in virtually a year, City lost back-to-back on their travels and were dealt a reality check as that date with destiny against Reading looms large.
Inevitably, given the current jam-packed schedule, there is still another game tomorrow – the first of eight crammed into this month. Crawley at home will be no small matter given their sudden upsurge in form.
For the hosts, it will be important to reinsert that marker for their play-off ambitions. The evidence of the last few days has demonstrated a sudden fallibility in a side that had previously looked capable of seeing off all and sundry.
Phil Parkinson had called for another powerhouse away performance on Saturday to match the effort that had beaten Leyton Orient ten days earlier. But he got a bit of a "nothingy" showing on a bit of a "nothingy" afternoon.
The pre-match hype had surrounded Aaron Mclean but he was as anonymous at the game as any City goal threat. Hidden away in one of the executive boxes, the on-loan striker-turned-caretaker Peterborough coach intentionally kept a very low presence.
That was until he could not resist tweeting his pride at seeing the side that he had helped prepare with academy boss Dave Robertson claim only their second win in six games.
Mclean might have meant it with the most innocent of intentions but it was seen as an incendiary action by many in City quarters.
An unedifying Twitter spat ensued for most of Saturday night as Mclean faced down the wrath of sore supporters, accusing him of glorifying in beating the club that still pay a massive percentage of his considerable weekly wage.
Mclean apologised if his words were taken out of context and did wish City well for the coming weekend. But the damage, in many eyes, had already been done.
He probably did intend nothing sinister in congratulating the Posh. But he must have realised the sensitive ground he was treading.
After all, where were the tweets lauding his parent club when they had dumped Chelsea and Sunderland? Sometimes, silence really is golden.
Mclean was barred from playing as part of the loan agreement but he didn't miss much.
Far be it from City to point the finger at poor pitches but the bobbly, rutted London Road surface coupled with a strong wind set the stage for an ugly encounter.
Parkinson viewed it as a Ricky Ravenhill-type of occasion so, with Gary Liddle starting the first of his two-game ban, opted for the closest player he had available in Jason Kennedy.
His first appearance in the starting line-up since City's win at Preston in mid-November raised eyebrows with the travelling fans, most of whom expected Andy Halliday to move across and Mark Yeates to return on the left.
Kennedy's comeback from the cold was a mixed bag, although Billy Knott fared no better alongside him, struggling to get his foot on the ball and impact proceedings with his passing.
Not that Peterborough were exactly running riot in their first outing post-Darren Ferguson and Darragh MacAnthony's Saturday night of the long knives.
Ferguson and five other members of his coaching staff paid the price after a dreadful display at MK Dons, leaving Robertson effectively the only off-field presence still standing.
He shook things up for his first audition for the vacancy – Brentford's Mark Warburton remains favourite – with a radical change of personnel and formation.
Still the local doom-mongers predicted a comfortable away win if City scored first. "This lot have got no goals in them," was the common theme in the main stand.
Unfortunately the same could be said of City. Jon Stead, who has had a wonderful season up to now, again cut an isolated figure as he had done at Swindon and never saw a sniff of a chance.
Billy Clarke, playing behind him, showed the odd flash of inspiration but was careless in possession.
Young Oliver Burke again highlighted his explosive pace with a couple of early bursts, only to find himself starved of possession.
The winger did have City's two most threatening moments as the game began in a lively fashion, both times shooting over the angle of post and bar from the corner of the penalty area.
At the other end, Jordan Pickford saved smartly at his near post from Luke James and Gabriel Zakuani should have done much better with his close-range header after nobody picked him up from a corner.
But after the opening 15 minutes, the afternoon turned into the scruffy scrap that Parkinson had predicted.
While Hanson and Filipe Morais again looked on from the stand, Andrew Davies was back at the heart of the back four and looked like he'd never been away. Each Posh attack foundered against the wall of Davies and Rory McArdle.
That was until the deadlock was broken seven minutes into the second half with a messy goal fitting of its surroundings.
There looked precious little wrong when Davies stood his ground against James but the Posh striker won the free-kick.
Pickford tried to claim Jon Taylor's cross through a crowded six-yard box but missed it altogether and the ball eventually found its way in the net via a far-post deflection.
Zakuani, making his first start since helping DR Congo to third place in the African Cup of Nations, fiercely claimed it. But replays proved that Stephen Darby unwittingly made the decisive contact.
City responded with a late flurry but Andy Halliday snatched at a volley which flew over.
And their miserable day was complete when the ball popped up in their box and struck Knott on the left arm. Michael Bostwick sealed the result with an emphatic penalty.
===========================
http://texasbantam.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/46810838356/
===========================
Next/Upcoming Game
Coventry Tuesday 10 March 2015 - kick off 7:45pm.
Chesterfield has now been confirmed for Tuesday 31 March 2015.
Signings & Loans
Injuries & Suspensions
===========================
Preview
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/31562382
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11819627.Mclean_playing_by_rules_as_he_looks_to_dig_out_win_from_dug_out_for_Posh/?ref=eb
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11821612.Mclean_opts_for_back_seat_role_in_Bantams_reunion/
Game links
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/11825457.Live_blog__Peterborough_2_City_0/
http://m.espn.go.com/soccer/gamecast?gameId=394155&action=stats
Highlight/ Goals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k5XD9Wge0u8
===========================
Final whistle - match report
Parkinson: Bantams needed a bit more quality
5:29pm Saturday 28th February 2015
By Simon Parker
BOSS Phil Parkinson admitted City lacked that "bit of quality" as they fell to a second away defeat in a week at Peterborough.
The Bantams went down 2-0 in a poor contest at London Road - a loss that saw them drop out of the play-off places.
Parkinson said: "I thought the commitment levels were great in difficult conditions. I thought we were right in the game and it just took a really scrappy goal to give Peterborough a lift.
"We gave our all but we just lacked a bit of quality. We maybe just tried to have that extra touch rather than getting our shot away a little bit quicker.
It was a nothing game. When we saw the conditions, we always knew it would be that scrappy type of game where you've just got to grind out a result."
===========================
When the dust settled - match report
No point to Bradford City's 680-mile road show, no point at all!
8:00am Monday 2nd March 2015
By Simon Parker
Peterborough 2 Bradford City 0
IT WAS a bad end to a bad week, on and off the field, for City.
These are once again great times to be following the Bantams as they hover on the verge of another Wembley appearance.
But savour the special moments because the last few days have acted as a sobering reminder of football's enduring habit of bringing you crashing swiftly back down to earth.
What began with the FA Cup ticket meltdown eight days ago was topped off with a second straight away defeat from a forgettable afternoon in the East Midlands, leaving the Bantams empty-handed from the week's 680-mile road trip.
For the first time in virtually a year, City lost back-to-back on their travels and were dealt a reality check as that date with destiny against Reading looms large.
Inevitably, given the current jam-packed schedule, there is still another game tomorrow – the first of eight crammed into this month. Crawley at home will be no small matter given their sudden upsurge in form.
For the hosts, it will be important to reinsert that marker for their play-off ambitions. The evidence of the last few days has demonstrated a sudden fallibility in a side that had previously looked capable of seeing off all and sundry.
Phil Parkinson had called for another powerhouse away performance on Saturday to match the effort that had beaten Leyton Orient ten days earlier. But he got a bit of a "nothingy" showing on a bit of a "nothingy" afternoon.
The pre-match hype had surrounded Aaron Mclean but he was as anonymous at the game as any City goal threat. Hidden away in one of the executive boxes, the on-loan striker-turned-caretaker Peterborough coach intentionally kept a very low presence.
That was until he could not resist tweeting his pride at seeing the side that he had helped prepare with academy boss Dave Robertson claim only their second win in six games.
Mclean might have meant it with the most innocent of intentions but it was seen as an incendiary action by many in City quarters.
An unedifying Twitter spat ensued for most of Saturday night as Mclean faced down the wrath of sore supporters, accusing him of glorifying in beating the club that still pay a massive percentage of his considerable weekly wage.
Mclean apologised if his words were taken out of context and did wish City well for the coming weekend. But the damage, in many eyes, had already been done.
He probably did intend nothing sinister in congratulating the Posh. But he must have realised the sensitive ground he was treading.
After all, where were the tweets lauding his parent club when they had dumped Chelsea and Sunderland? Sometimes, silence really is golden.
Mclean was barred from playing as part of the loan agreement but he didn't miss much.
Far be it from City to point the finger at poor pitches but the bobbly, rutted London Road surface coupled with a strong wind set the stage for an ugly encounter.
Parkinson viewed it as a Ricky Ravenhill-type of occasion so, with Gary Liddle starting the first of his two-game ban, opted for the closest player he had available in Jason Kennedy.
His first appearance in the starting line-up since City's win at Preston in mid-November raised eyebrows with the travelling fans, most of whom expected Andy Halliday to move across and Mark Yeates to return on the left.
Kennedy's comeback from the cold was a mixed bag, although Billy Knott fared no better alongside him, struggling to get his foot on the ball and impact proceedings with his passing.
Not that Peterborough were exactly running riot in their first outing post-Darren Ferguson and Darragh MacAnthony's Saturday night of the long knives.
Ferguson and five other members of his coaching staff paid the price after a dreadful display at MK Dons, leaving Robertson effectively the only off-field presence still standing.
He shook things up for his first audition for the vacancy – Brentford's Mark Warburton remains favourite – with a radical change of personnel and formation.
Still the local doom-mongers predicted a comfortable away win if City scored first. "This lot have got no goals in them," was the common theme in the main stand.
Unfortunately the same could be said of City. Jon Stead, who has had a wonderful season up to now, again cut an isolated figure as he had done at Swindon and never saw a sniff of a chance.
Billy Clarke, playing behind him, showed the odd flash of inspiration but was careless in possession.
Young Oliver Burke again highlighted his explosive pace with a couple of early bursts, only to find himself starved of possession.
The winger did have City's two most threatening moments as the game began in a lively fashion, both times shooting over the angle of post and bar from the corner of the penalty area.
At the other end, Jordan Pickford saved smartly at his near post from Luke James and Gabriel Zakuani should have done much better with his close-range header after nobody picked him up from a corner.
But after the opening 15 minutes, the afternoon turned into the scruffy scrap that Parkinson had predicted.
While Hanson and Filipe Morais again looked on from the stand, Andrew Davies was back at the heart of the back four and looked like he'd never been away. Each Posh attack foundered against the wall of Davies and Rory McArdle.
That was until the deadlock was broken seven minutes into the second half with a messy goal fitting of its surroundings.
There looked precious little wrong when Davies stood his ground against James but the Posh striker won the free-kick.
Pickford tried to claim Jon Taylor's cross through a crowded six-yard box but missed it altogether and the ball eventually found its way in the net via a far-post deflection.
Zakuani, making his first start since helping DR Congo to third place in the African Cup of Nations, fiercely claimed it. But replays proved that Stephen Darby unwittingly made the decisive contact.
City responded with a late flurry but Andy Halliday snatched at a volley which flew over.
And their miserable day was complete when the ball popped up in their box and struck Knott on the left arm. Michael Bostwick sealed the result with an emphatic penalty.
===========================
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