BRADFORD CITY AFC

Tuesday 23 September 2014
Capital One Cup Round 3
Milton Keynes Dons 2 (Afobe 5, 86)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at stadiummk

Attendance: 5,707 (572 visitors)

A double from in-form Milton Keynes Dons striker Benik Afobe proved enough to send City out of the Capital One Cup for another season.

Afobe's goals - his eighth and ninth of the season already - came towards the beginning and the end of the tie to book MK Dons' place in Wednesday's fourth round draw.

Despite the defeat, however, there will have been plenty of positives for Phil Parkinson to take from a spirited display from his side, especially in the second half when they probably edged proceedings for periods against their much-fancied hosts.

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FT: Milton Keynes Dons 2 Bradford City 0
90+3min: Liddle makes a great saving tackle to block the ball behind for a corner as Alli looked to latch onto Afobe's ball across the area and fire for goal from deep inside City's area.
90+1min: SUB - MK Dons bring on George Baldock for Reeves.
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the tie.
86min: GOAL - Milton Keynes Dons 2 Bradford City 0 - Afobe doubles the Dons' lead late on when he latches onto a long forward pass from Alli that splits City's two centre halves and allows the striker slot the ball past last-man Williams.
85min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Reece Webb-Foster for Morais for the first year apprentice's senior debut for the club.
84min: Reeves moves inside from MK Dons' right flank before fizzing in a left drive from outside the area that curls away from goal and ends up some distance from Williams' net.
81min: Kennedy's makes a near post run to connect with Morais' cross into the area but the midfielder's first time effort from around ten yards out is straight at Martin.
80min: Knott's sends over a delightful ball into the area and Kay has to head the ball behind for a corner with the lurking Mclean just behind looking for a close range header by the far post.
78min: SUB - MK Dons bring on Will Grigg for Carruthers.
76min: Clarke's drive from outside the area deflects up and over Martin's bar for a corner. Mclean gets a glancing header on Knott's delivery from the resulting set-piece but the effort flashes comfortably wide of goal.
72min: Encouraged to shoot by the home supporters, Lewington lets rip from just outside the area but his angled drive rises comfortably over Williams' bar.
69min: Kennedy turns on a forward pass from Liddle but the midfielder's left-footed drive from just outside the box sails high and wide of Martin's goal.
68min: McFadzean's sloppy pass just inside MK Dons' half allows Clarke to latch onto the ball and run for goal. Clarke reaches just before the hosts' penalty area before firing in a low right-footed drive that goes narrowly wide of goal.
67min: YELLOW CARD - Carruthers is booked for clipping Meredith as the Australian left back looked to drive into MK Dons' half of the pitch.
66min: James Meredith's teasing cross into the area comes out to Jason Kennedy, who fires the ball back into the box. The lurking Mclean tries to latch onto the driven effort but the striker can't quite connect properly and the ball spins away from goal.
65min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Mark Yeates and Aaron Mclean for Bennett and McBurnie respectively.
62min: Kyle McFadzean hits the post for MK Dons! The ball breaks free to the centre half outside the area and his low left-footed drive crashes off the base of Williams' far post. The danger is still alive as Afobe and Reeves try to pounce on the rebound before the latter sees his effort for goal deflect behind for a corner.
59min: Afobe stretches to reach Spence's driven cross into the box but the striker's header goes over by the far post.
58min: Alli moves into a promising shooting position inside the area but his half-volley is blocked by the frame of McArdle.
57min: Cutting inside from the left flank, Alli tries a shot from outside the box but his low angled drive is held on the bounce by Williams.
56min: Afobe twice has two promising sights of goal deep inside City's penalty area but twice the striker is denied by smart saves from Williams by the 'keeper's near post.
55min: Clarke goes for goal direct from a free-kick from over 30 yards out but the ambitious effort sails over the bar by a bit of a distance.
54min: SUB - Bowditch, who appeared to get injured as he challenged Bennett earlier, is now replaced by Daniel Powell.
52min: YELLOW CARD - Bowditch is booked for clipping Bennett as the Bantams winger looked to surge down City's left flank.
51min: McArdle makes a fine near post run as Knott fires a corner delivery into the area but the unmarked Northern Ireland international narrowly misses out on connecting with the set-piece.
48min: Bowditch feeds the ball into Spence inside the area and the roaming right-back fires in a cross-come-shot that goes across the goal and just wide of Williams' far post.
46min: MK Dons restart the tie.
HT: Milton Keynes Dons 1 Bradford City 0
45+1min: Alli's shot on the turn from just outside the box deflects up off McArdle and over Williams' crossbar for a corner.
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
44min: Bowditch's flighted ball over to the far post direct from a wide free-kick delivery is headed back across goal by Anthony Kay but Williams is on hand to gather up.
42min: Liddle sends a flighted ball into the box but Oliver McBurnie's glancing header bounces comfortably wide of Martin's goal.
40min: A slightly controversial moment here at stadiummk as Bennett dives in on Samir Carruthers inside City's box. The Bantams winger slides in to try and tackle the MK Dons man as he looked to get to the byline for a crossing opportunity. On first glance, Bennett doesn't seem to get the ball but neither does he appear to get the man as Carruthers looks to have fallen into the challenge. The home fans want a penalty but a corner is awarded instead.
35min: After seeing his attempted shot on goal blocked by the face of Gary Liddle, Reeves moves to the byline before fizzing in a low drive into the area with some venom. Dean Bowditch sticks his foot out to connect with the cross but the sheer pace on the ball means the attacker can't control his shot and the effort sails over.
32min: Receiving a forward pass from Clarke, Bennett tries to curl a shot goalwards from just inside the area but his effort on his weaker left foot goes wide of Martin's far post.
23min: Latching onto a superb cross-field pass from Christopher Routis, Filipe Morais picks up the ball over on City's right flank before running at Dons left back Dean Lewington. Tricking and turning his way into space by the byline, Morais stands the ball up across the six yard box but none of his City team-mates can quite capitalise as and MK Dons can head clear.
22min: Reeves tries his luck direct from a free-kick roughly 25 yards out but his curling left-footed effort goes over Williams' bar.
19min: Ben Reeves has a shot from the edge of the area that takes a deflection off a City player and looks to be spinning out for a corner but Ben Williams dives across his area to pull the ball back from the byline and keep it in play.
6min: Billy Clarke tries to fire the Bantams back on level terms almost instantly as he skips past a couple of challenges but his low effort from just outside the area is held by David Martin.
5min: GOAL - Milton Keynes Dons 1 Bradford City 0 - Benik Afobe fires MK Dons into an early lead in the tie. After picking up a ball into his feet from Dele Alli, Afobe turns away from Rory McArdle just outside the box before firing in a low drive that whistles into the far bottom corner.
4min: Jason Kennedy's guided ball on the half-volley out to City's left wing picks out the waiting Mason Bennett. Cutting inside on his right foot, Bennett drives towards the area looking to shoot but his effort is blocked by the frame of Jordan Spence.
0min: The Bantams kick off the tie.


MILTON KEYNES DONS LINE UP
Martin, Spence, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington, Alli, Potter, Carruthers, Reeves, Bowditch, Afobe

Subs: McLoughlin, Flanagan, Grigg, Randall, Powell, Baldock, Hitchcock

Milton Keynes Dons cautions:
Bowditch (52), Carruthers (67)

Milton Keynes Dons changes:
Powell for Bowditch (54), Grigg for Carruthers (78), Baldock for Reeves (90+1)





BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
Williams, Liddle, McArdle, Routis, Meredith, Morais, Kennedy, Knott, Bennett, Clarke, McBurnie

Subs: Urwin, Mclean, Yeates, Pollard, Wright, King, Webb-Foster

Bradford City changes:
Yeates for Bennett (65), Mclean for McBurnie (65), Webb-Foster for Morais (85)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: M Russell
Assistant Referee: W Bull
Assistant Referee: M Griffiths
Fourth Official: D Sheldrake