Tuesday 7 October 2008
totesportcasino.com League Cup Preliminary Round
Sheffield Wednesday 4 (Palmer 29, R Lekaj 64, 88 Harrison 76)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 7.00pm
at the Look Local Stadium, Stocksbridge

Bradford City Reserves opened their totesportcasino.com League Cup Preliminary Round games with a defeat in the picturesque surroundings of the Look Local Stadium, home of Stocksbridge Park Steels FC.

City reserves, who were fielding trialist Theo Fairweather Johnson, were looking to bounce back after two successive defeats in the league.

The first chance of the half went to the hosts in the form of striker Tom Hall. A dangerous inswinging cross from Callum Harrison found the head of Hall, unluckily for the Wednesday striker, his header flashed just wide of McLaughlin's goal.

Wednesday threatened again via another dangerous cross, this time from the other flank. Wednesday's Norwegian International Rocky Lekaj found enough space on the left to whip in a cross which found Liam Palmer, Owls striker Palmer helped the ball goalwards and forced McLaughlin into a good save.

In the 29th minute, Liam Palmer went one better and put his side into the lead. A shot from team-mate Lekaj broke to Palmer, who twisted clear inside the Bantams box and slotted past McLaughlin for the first goal of the game.

Moments later Wednesday had the chance to double their lead when a looping header from Owls midfielder Callum Harrison sailed just wide of McLaughlin's goal.

The next main chance of the game fell the way of the Bantams via Chilean, Willy Topp. Good work from Leon Osborne saw Topp with a few yards of space in the opposition box and as he bore down on goal, unluckily for Topp his touch was too heavy and allowed O'Donnell in the Owls goal to smother the ball.

At the other end of the pitch, Kosovo born Rocky Lekaj had a similar chance to Topp's, with similar results. Lekaj found himself clear on City's goal, but McLaughlin was out quick to divert the ball clear from danger and save his side from going further behind.

The return from a 9 month injury lay off of American defender Frank Simek didn't last long as the second half got under way with the former Arsenal man being replaced by Wednesday youngster Max Wragg.

The first chance of the second half fell to Wednesday reserves and in particular, Rocky Lekaj. Owls striker Tom Hall slipped the ball through Lekaj from just inside the area, Lekaj shot first time but McLaughin was out quickly to narrow the angle for the Norwegian and luckily for the Bantams keeper, his save rebounded off Lekaj to go out for a goal kick.

Rocky Lekaj was becoming a constant threat to the Bantams defence and it was his cross from the left hand side that fizzed dangerous across City's goal, fortunately for the Bantams there was no Wednesday shirt there to capitalise and Villermann could clear to safety.

Wednesday nearly doubled their lead in the 60th minute through goalscorer Palmer. Palmer found himself with a yard of space in the Bantams penalty box and was lined up a shot towards goal, fortunately for City the presence of Louis Horne and Andrew Villermann forced the Wednesday man to shot wide.

Danger man Rocky Lekaj doubled Wednesday's lead in the 64th minute. Played free down the left, Lekaj had the time and space to run into the Bantams penalty box, turn David Ryan and slot the ball through the legs of McLaughlin for his 5th goal of the season for Wednesday Reserves.

Bantams striker Rory Boulding tried to half the deficit for his team moments later with a effort from the edge of the Wednesday penalty box, his slot was well placed but O'Donnell in the Owls goal clung on to the effort.

Sheffield Wednesday Reserves increased their lead to 3 goals in the 76th minute. Owls midfielder Callum Harrison received the ball on the edge of the Bantams area and his shot was too powerful for McLaughlin as the Bantams keeper was unable to prevent Wednesday's third of the night.

Wednesday skipper Liam McMenamin forced superb save from McLaughlin with 5 minutes remaining. McMenamin, up for a Wednesday corner, curled a delighted effort that was heading for the bottom corner until McLaughlin tipped the ball away from danger.

Sheffield Wednesday reserves produced their fourth goal of the night in the 88th minute. Owls striker Liam Palmer slipped the ball through the Bantams defence to Rocky Lekaj who cooly chipped the ball over the advancing McLaughlin to complete a 4 - 0 victory for his side.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY	BRADFORD CITY
1 Richard O'Donnell	1 Jon McLaughlin
2 Frank Simek	2 David Ryan
3 Leon Lekaj	3 Andrew Villermann
4 Kenny Lunt	4 Luke Sharry
5 Liam McMenamin	5 Phil Cutler
6 Sam Liversidge	6 Louis Horne
7 Callum Harrison	7 Theo Fairweather-Johnson
8 James Cottingham	8 Luke Dean
9 Tom Hall	9 Rory Boulding
10 Liam Palmer	10 Willy Topp
11 Rocky Lekaj	11 Leon Osborne
Substitutes:	Substitutes:
12 Jamie Hadfield	12 Jonjo O'Hara for 2 (74)
13 Arron Pratt	14 Nathan Clarke for 9 (85)
14 Max Wragg for 2 (46)	15 Curtis Collantine
15 Vidaine Oliver for 8 (40)	16 Ryan Harrison for 7 (79)
16 Nick Wood	17 Will Hutton

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee:	D H Coote
Assistant Referee:	M A Powell
Assistant Referee:	M R Thorley
4th Official:	R Critchley

GOALSCORERS:
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY	BRADFORD CITY
Palmer 29
R Lekaj 64, 88
Harrison 76
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