Tuesday 13 October 2009
totesport.com League East
Middlesbrough 4 (Park 6, Porritt 37, Martin 52, Hawkins 68)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 2.00pm
at Central Avenue, Billingham

The last time Bradford City reserves met Middlesbrough on Teesside they finished up on the wrong end of a 9-0 hiding in front of a crowd of over 21,000 at the Riverside Stadium. The game marking the return from injury of Juninho.

This time round the game was switched late on from the Riverside to the more intimate surroundings of Billingham Synthonia Football Club.

With David Wetherall unavailable, City boss Stuart McCall took charge of the second string who were looking for their first league point of the campaign.

Having served a three-match ban Gareth Evans got a run out ahead of the weekend game at Dagenham as did Rory Boulding who had also been red-carded in recent weeks.

City found themselves behind after six minutes when Shaun Saiko crossed from the edge of the area, the ball rising over Jon McLaughlin leaving Cameron Park the easiest of tasks to tap the ball into the back of the net.

But City kept their heads high and in the eleventh minute Boro keeper Jason Steele brought off a fingertip save to deny Andrew Villermann whose shot was destined for the back of the net.

Play was going from end to end with neither side troubling their opponent's keeper too much but both were called into action as the game neared the half hour mark.

Jon McLaughlin safely caught the ball from a powerful Saiko shot followed immediately at the other end by England U20 keeper Jason Steele bringing off a fingertip save to turn the ball round for a corner to deny Evans as his curling shot looked as if the scores were about to be leveled.

Bruno Pilatos was left holding his head in his hands on 32 minutes when he turned in the area and with just McLaughlin to beat the ball ended up the wrong side of the post.

City found themselves further behind in the 37th minute when Andrew Villermann tried to head clear in the area but the ball fell at the feet of Nathan Porritt who from 12-yards out slipped the ball under McLaughlin.

Ash Cooper's 42nd minute sprint down the left wing was brought to a halt when former Boro youngster Curtis Collantine blocked the ball just as it was being launched towards Franks who was waiting in the area.

Just as the referee confirmed there would be one minute's extra time added on, Nathan Clarke went down in a crumpled heap near the halfway line following a challenge, the City youngster needing treatment before being able to carry on.

The second half started with Boro's Patrick Otte on for Emanuel Pogatetz who was suffering from a hamstring strain.

Boro had an opportunity to increase their lead two minutes after the restart when from a corner Saiko's header went marginally over the bar.

Neat footwork involving Sharry and Carson saw the ball fall to Evans whose shot went out for a corner. Nathan Clarke connected with the inswinging shot but was unable to find the target with his header.

Boro made it 3 after 52 minutes when Gary Martin picked up on a ball which had spun off the upright and planted it under McLaughlin.

The woodwork denied Boro on the hour when Cameron Park blasted the ball from 25-yards out, McLaughlin grateful to see it spin clear off the upright.

Rory Carson made way for Alex Flett in the 62nd minute.

Boro had an ideal opportunity to make it 4 in the 67th minute but Park squandered Franks cross from the left and lofted the ball well over.

However the home side didn't have long to wait before their next goal came, the ball again coming in from the left from Franks across goal to the waiting Danny Hawkins who turned the ball into the net.

Two minutes later Ryan Harrison was brought on to replace Gareth Evans.

It wasn't long before Harrison was flying in on goal but his header was sent spinning clear over the bar.

Luke Sharry had been struggling following a knock on his knee and was replaced with 12 minutes to go by Adam Robinson who was making his debut for the reserves.

A timely tackle by Collantine in the 80th minute in the Boro penalty area saw to it that Franks didn't further increase the scoreline for Boro but it left City still looking for their first points of the season.

MIDDLESBROUGH	BRADFORD CITY
1 Jason Steele	1 Jon McLaughlin
2 Dave Atkinson	2 Curtis Collantine
3 Ash Corker	3 Andrew Villermann
4 Bruno Pilatos	4 Luke Sharry
5 Ritchie Smallwood	5 Phil Cutler
6 Emanuel Pogatetz	6 Matthew Clarke
7 Nathan Porritt	7 Nathan Clarke
8 Shaun Saiko	8 Rory Carson
9 Jon Franks	9 Gareth Evans
10 Gary Martin	10 Rory Boulding
11 Cameron Park	11 Leon Osborne
Substitutes:	Substitutes:
12 Luke Williams	12 Alex Flett for 8
13 Connor Ripley	13 Chris Elliott
14 Patrick Otte for 6	14 Ryan Harrison for 9
15 Danny Hawkins for 8	15 Adam Robinson for 4
16 Phil Shead for 3

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee	B Khatib
Assistant Referee	C Duval
Assistant Referee	G Freer
4th Official	M Hobson

GOALSCORERS:
MIDDLESBROUGH	BRADFORD CITY
Park (6)
Porritt (37)
Martin (52)
Hawkins (68)
	.