Tuesday 6 November 2007
Coca-Cola Football League 2
Bradford City vs Chester City

I would like to extend a warm welcome to Bobby Williamson, his Chester players, staff and supporters to the Coral Windows Stadium.

Chester are obviously going extremely well this season, especially away from home, and we know it's going to be a very hard match.

But we are desperate to bounce back from the disappointment of Saturday against Brentford.

I'm sick of saying it but if you look at the ratio of chances created again, we're just not doing it.

It's not through a lack of effort and desire on the part of the lads. We're just missing a Wayne Rooney to take the chances.

Confidence is dipping in front of goal but you've got to stick at it. We just need some goals.

We were going into half-time not in any danger at all when their boy produced an absolutely stunning goal. Sometimes you've got to hold your hand up because it was a great strike but Donovan had been given nothing to do up to then.

Then we had a good ten-minute spell of pressure at the start of the second half. We had three or four excellent opportunities to equalise and had we done that, I would have fancied us to go on and win the game.

But we couldn't do it. G hit the bar and that seems to be the way it's going at the moment.

I don't think we deserved to lose that game in a million years.

I didn't know what to say to the lads afterwards because they gave their all. They are trying to do everything we're asking from them but we just can't put the ball in the net at the moment.

It's natural for the chins to drop a little when you get that close but you're not able to score. I've been there before plenty of times when you've been on top and just not been able to finish it off and get a goal.

Then they break away and scored another terrific strike for their second. Everybody in the stadium, myself included, gets rocked back by that. I don't know how many times I've said this so far but goals change games.

It's tough for us all of us now. We've got to try a different formula but confidence is the word.

But we've got to be brave. It's a time for sticking together and showing determination and character to get out of this.

If anyone's got a few quid for tonight, it would be an absolute coupon buster against Chester with their form away from home.

People will look at this as an away banker but we've got to come out and play with desire to prove them wrong.

Hopefully we can get a world class goal, or a scrambled one; just something to give us that spark.

It's important that we keep going and keep getting into those positions.

This is a big week for us with three games at home and we've just got to believe that tonight will be our night.

Nobody's going to give us anything; it's only the people in that dressing room and the supporters who have been very good.

Chester aren't going to do us any favours the way they are going. Everything we're going to get will have to be through hard work, good play and good finishing.

Remember, we're all one team. Together we can be successful.

Enjoy the game and shout for the lads,

Stuart