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Bradford City vs Chester City
 1 - 0 
Date: 
10/11/2007
Venue: 
Coral Windows Stadium
Attendance: 
4069
Referee: 
G Salisbury

peter thorne chester fac

The goal celebration will need working on.

No backflip or somersault, not even a dancing step or two or dive into the crowd.

Nope, I don't think Peter Thorne's understated efforts will win too many points from the judges.

"I couldn't get away because the lads grabbed me," he laughed, "and by the time I'd got away it had all died down.

"I'll save the old back flip for now. It will be me getting injured again if I try that!"

Thorne could be forgiven for not planning any kind of elaborate moves. It had been 14 months since he'd last had the opportunity for Norwich City in a Carling Cup tie at Rotherham United.

stuart mccall chester fac

But he has not forgotten how to finish and there was certainly no doubting the top quality of the header that got him off the mark for City.

Paul Evans delivered a juicy cross from the right and Thorne went for precision rather than power to guide the ball across John Danby and inside his near post from ten yards.

He added: "I've always been lurking on the far post for headers and it was a fantastic ball in. Hopefully I can get a few more of those now.

"But it was nice to see it nestling in the far corner. I've been in and out so much with injuries since my last goal so it was good to get one second game back.

"Sat in the stands watching is the worst feeling in the world and I've done too much of that lately. Hopefully I can stay in the team now and people will start to see the real Peter Thorne."

Thorne had predicted this win since Thursday when he noticed the changing mood at training following the first win over Chester. Smiles were back on faces and he could sense that City's fortunes were about to change.

omar daley chester fac

But it didn't look that way two minutes before half-time when Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu was making his reluctant exit for the dressing room.

Graham Salisbury has a reputation for being the type of referee who likes to keep his cards in his pocket and let the game flow.

But there was little evidence of that when Ndumbu-Nsungu was given his marching orders.

The Congolese striker had no complaints with his first yellow card for a clumsy lunge at Tony Dinning. In fact, Stuart McCall admitted he would not have been too surprised to have seen a red at that moment as Ndumbu-Nsungu temporarily took leave of his senses.

But he had calmed down by the time Mr Salisbury decided his game was over.

The official should have given a foul in the City man's favour for Laurence Wilson's challenge - one of several non-decisions the home side felt should have gone their way. Instead he let the play flow and within seconds, Ndumbu-Nsungu had closed down the left back, who reacted by writhing around the floor as if his opponent had gone at him with a chainsaw.

Watching the incident again on video, it was clear that Ndumbu-Nsungu had not even touched him. No wonder a seething McCall ran on to the pitch to complain and had to be steered back to his dug-out by the fourth official.

stuart mccall 2 chester fac

Chester chief Bobby Williamson, protecting his own player, said there must have been contact. But he also admitted that it might have been easier for his side to break down City if they had kept their full complement.

Managers often say that it can be harder playing against ten men because their opponents stick everyone behind the ball.

City may have had the disadvantage in terms of numbers but, as Leeds have discovered this season, a burning sense of injustice goes a long way to stiffening up performance levels.

McCall said the red card spoiled the game as a spectacle for the fans and it obviously blunted City's attacking options.

But it created an "us against them" seige mentality that was taken up both on and off the pitch. The supporters cheered every block and tackle as the home side protected Donovan Ricketts' goal as if their lives depended on it.

And the big man himself gave a performance which reminded the doubters why, only a year ago, Colin Todd was calling him the best keeper in League One.

The Jamaican has had some tough times since but the month's break from the firing line seems to have done him wonders. The confidence is back in his game.

Ricketts pulled off three crucial saves to keep Chester at bay, two from Mark Hughes and the best of the lot to stop a close-range header from Nathan Lowndes which seemed like it had to go in.

An equaliser then, within two minutes of Thorne heading the home side in front, would have punctured the growing belief - especially with what was to soon follow. But Ricketts clung on and so did City.

Chester had the whole second half to prevent a double dose of Valley Parade misery but they didn't count on the fierce resistance that had to be overcome.

celebrations chester fac

And for all Chester's possession after the break, they conjured only a couple of chances.

To their credit, City did not go totally on the defensive. While inevitably giving up the territorial initiative, they still looked to hit Chester on the break, with Omar Daley's pace a vital outlet to lift the pressure.

Like his fellow Jamaican, Daley has had an up and down time of late but he put the yards in on Saturday to take the heat off his defence with several lung-busting runs.

City did not create much themselves and John Danby did not have a save to make. With 11 men, they should have scored before they did when Eddie Johnson somehow fluffed from right in front of goal; with ten, their best chance fell to David Wetherall who couldn't keep his header down after stretching to reach a free-kick from Evans.

But by that point it was a case of protecting what they had got. Barry Conlon replaced the tired Thorne for the thankless task of sole striker and Scott Phelan got a rare run-out for Evans - both substitutes putting their bodies on the line like their colleagues.

"The belief we will get out of going down to ten men and still producing will be massive," said a delighted Thorne. It's amazing what a difference a week can make.

TELEGRAPH & ARGUS

BRADFORD CITY CHESTER CITY
1 Donovan Ricketts 12 John Danby
2 Darren Williams 2 Simon Marples
3 Paul Heckingbottom 4 Tony Dinning
4 Paul Evans 6 Paul Butler
5 David Wetherall 8 Simon Yeo
7 Omar Daley 10 Nathan Lowndes
8 Eddie Johnson 11 Kevin Ellison
10 Peter Thorne 14 Mark Hughes
12 Matthew Clarke 17 Laurence Wilson
22 Kyle Nix 19 Paul Linwood
24 Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu 30 Tony Grant
SUBSTITUTES SUBSTITUTES
6 Mark Bower 20 Chris Holroyd
9 Barry Conlon for 10 (74) 21 Paul Rutherford for 30 (77)
11 Alex Rhodes for 7 (88) 23 Phillip Palethorpe
20 Scott Phelan for 4 (84) 25 Kevin Roberts
30 Ben Saynor 32 Paul McManus for 10 (66)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: G Salisbury
Assistant Referee: G Wallace
Assistant Referee: W D Smallwood
4th Official: P Quinn

GOALSCORERS:
BRADFORD CITY CHESTER CITY
Thorne (28)
.

DISCIPLINARY:
BRADFORD CITY CHESTER CITY
Evans (22) Lowndes (63)
Ndumbu-Nsungu (37)
Heckingbottom (40)
Ndumbu-Nsungu (43)
.

Bet365

 Match Information
 
  Bradford Chester
Goals : 1 0
Possession : 46% 54%
Shots On Target : 1 5
Shots Off Target : 6 5
Corners : 1 8
Fouls : 10 15
Most Fouls : Ndumbu-Nsungu (2) Lowndes (3)
Yellow Cards : 3 1
 
Red Cards :
Ndumbu-Nsungu 43
 
Scorers :
Thorne 28
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