BRADFORD CITY AFC

Saturday 20 September 2014
Sky Bet League 1
Colchester United 0
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at Weston Homes Community Stadium

Attendance: 3,524 (490 visitors)

A disciplined and dogged defensive display helped City maintain their unbeaten start to their away campaign this season with a hard-fought goalless draw at Colchester United.

Hosts Colchester, who seem to be rejuvenated in recent weeks under new boss Tony Humes, dominated the game for large periods but they found Phil Parkinson's men too tough a nut to crack.

Colchester did for a second think they had scored when Freddie Sears slipped the ball past Jordan Pickford inside the area midway through the second period but an outstanding recovery clearance from Stephen Darby saw the City skipper hook the ball off his own goal-line.

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FT: Colchester United 0 Bradford City 0
90+2min: Drey Wright's low corner delivery into the area eventually falls into the path of the lurking Eastmond but the midfielder's snatched effort from the edge of the box sails well over the bar.
90min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
89min: Bennett flicks the ball into the path of McBurnie inside the box but the young striker's left-footed drive outside goal is comfortably held by Walker.
89min: Sears' low drive for goal from just outside the box is repelled by Pickford before gather up the loose ball.
85min: SUB - Colchester bring on Drey Wright for Massey.
79min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Oliver McBurnie for Clarke.
79min: Watt's fierce drive from outside the area whistles past Pickford at full stretch but the effort flies narrowly wide of the 'keeper's near post.
78min: Watt's pull-back from the byline finds Sears lurking inside the box. The striker shoots on the turn but his effort is pushed away by his near post by Pickford.
77min: Massey's well-timed pass from just inside his own half has Sears running at City's penalty area with only McArdle for company. The striker looks to shoot for goal but his effort is instantly blocked behind by a diving tackle from McArdle.
76min: Eastmond's left-footed drive from outside the box is straight at Pickford.
72min: The ball drops from the afternoon's sky into Eastmond's path, with the midfielder trying an ambitious volley from outside the box that sails a yard or so wide of Pickford's goal.
71min: Colchester look set to severely test Pickford when Moncur feeds Watt into space inside City's area after the hosts had broke forward on the counter-attack. With Watts seemingly set to burst through on goal, the Colchester attacker is denied the opportunity to do so thanks to a well-timed tackle from a recovering Liddle.
67min: SUB - Seconds later, the Bantams bring on Mason Bennett for Mclean.
66min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Morais for Knott.
64min: Moncur's hanging corner delivery is knocked down into the path of Kent, who fires for goal. Mclean looks to kick clear right in front of his own goal but his attempted clearance is sliced behind for a corner.
62min: What a clearance from Stephen Darby! Colchester look certain to score when Sears slips the ball past the on-rushing Pickford after being picked out by Massey but Darby flings himself at the ball and somehow manages to hook the ball from off the goal-line with a superb last-ditch sliding tackle.
60min: Billy Clarke's deep corner delivery finds Mclean unmarked towards the far post but the striker's downward header on the stretch is straight at Walker.
57min: Watt's low cross into the area is deflected into path of Sears but the striker's shot on the turn from around fourteen yards out goes high and wide of Pickford's far post.
56min: Moncur's wide free-kick delivery towards goal from outside the box goes over Pickford's bar.
52min: Despite seemingly looking set to be replaced by Filipe Morais at one point, Yeates is able to continue after some work on the shoulder from Bantams physio Matt Barrass.
52min: Yeates requires a spot of treatment here. Unfortunately it looks like the same left shoulder problem that affected him during the Swindon game last Saturday.
51min: Sears' drive from outside the area is held by Pickford.
49min: Kennedy gets his head onto a long kick forward from Pickford to get Yeates into some shooting space inside Colchester's penalty area. Yeates, who is situated wide of Walker's near post goes for a low half-volley across goal but the big 'keeper gets down to his right to stop the effort.
46min: Colchester kick off the second half.
HT: Colchester United 0 Bradford City 0
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
40min: YELLOW CARD - Eastmond is booked for diving as he flung himself to the ground following Knott's attempt to win the ball off him a few yards outside City's penalty box.
35min: Gavin Massey's slide ball down the left channel inside City's box gets Sears into a pocket space. Electing to shoot instead of cross despite at least one team-mate being in a decent position in the middle though, Sears fires his effort into the side-netting by Pickford's near post.
32min: Despite taking a nick off Jason Kennedy on its way through, Watt's shot from just outside the area still makes its way through to Pickford's goal but the young shot-stopper is right behind it.
28min: Mark Yeates plays a one-two with Billy Knott before firing in a low drive from just outside the area that deflects off Frankie Kent and out for a corner. Yeates' delivery from the resulting corner is caught by Walker in the Colchester goal though. Walker appears to catch Kent in the head as he came to claim the ball but the young centre half is able to carry on soon after following a quick once-over.
24min: Freddie Sears gets the better of McArdle as the City defender looked to let a Gordon pass down the line go out for a goal-kick. Despite McArdle's efforts, Sears just keeps the ball in play by the byline but his low effort from a tight angle is held by Pickford at the second attempt.
17min: Gordon's testing low cross into the area causes a moment's panic for City's defence before McArdle can clear the danger with a sliding clearance. Colchester threaten again seconds later, however, when the ball sits up invitingly for George Moncur, whose looping half volley from just outside the area has to be tipped over the bar by an acrobatic save from Pickford.
14min: Sanchez Watt's effort direct from the resulting free-kick is on target but Jordan Pickford moves up to his left to cling onto the ball.
13min: YELLOW CARD - Liddle is booked for bringing down Craig Eastmond just outside City's penalty area as the home midfielder threatened to burst into the box.
9min: Gary Liddle's testing through ball looks to get Mclean in with a run on goal but Walker is out of his area quickly to just beat the striker to the attempted pass and kick clear.
5min: Rory McArdle's measured ball over the top sees Aaron Mclean get the better of Ben Gordon before firing in a low and powerful cross-come-shot from a tight angle inside the area that Colchester 'keeper Sam Walker gathers up at the second attempt.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match.

COLCHESTER UNITED LINE UP
Walker, Clohessy, Eastman, Kent, Gordon, Eastmond, Gilbey, Moncur, Watt, Massey, Sears

Subs: Lewington, David Wright, Bean, Lawrence, Drey Wright, Vose, Bonne

Colchester United cautions:
Eastmond (40)

Colchester United changes:
Drey Wright for Massey (85)

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
Pickford, Darby, McArdle, Routis, Meredith, Liddle, Kennedy, Knott, Yeates, Clarke, Mclean

Subs: Williams, McBurnie, Morais, Bennett, Wright, King, Webb-Foster

Bradford City cautions:
Liddle (13)

Bradford City changes:
Morais for Knott (66), Bennett for Mclean (67), McBurnie for Clarke (79)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: K Hill
Assistant Referee: N Hair
Assistant Referee: N Kinseley
Fourth Official: M Bull