Saturday 23 January 2010
Coca-Cola League 2
Lincoln City 2 (Herd 30, Gilmour 37)
Bradford City 1 (M Boulding 61)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at Sincil Bank

Attendance: 3803 (633 visitors)

Two first half goals from Lincoln City condemned the Bantams to their defeat on the road in less than a week.

Goals from Lincoln youngsters, Chris Herd and Brian Gilmour, within seven minutes of the opening period placed City firmly on the backfoot at the interval.

Stuart McCall brought on two substitues at the interval, including Michael Boulding as he looked to rescue the match.

Boulding did his part to help the City cause when he halved the deficit on the hour mark as he swept home a teasing Luke O'Brien ball.

Bradford poured forward thereafter as the ball remained firmly in the Lincoln half, though try as they might, they struggled to test Rob Burch.

The Bradford efforts became more frantic as time ticked away and even despite the presence of Matt Glennon from a late corner, they failed to find that equalising goal.

0min: Lincoln and Bradford emerge from the tunnel at Sincil Bank in front of a vocal travelling support. The Bantams are decked out in the unusual combination of black shirts and claret shorts.

Bradford start the match with a front pairing of Gareth Evans and Omar Daley. The returning Lee Bullock takes up his normal defensive midfield role, with Simon Ramsden and Michael Flynn in the thick of the midfield battle and Chris Brandon looking to support Evans and Daley where possible.

9min: Rob Burch, under pressure from Matthew Clarke, does well to punch clear a Bantams corner. Seconds later, Lincoln set out on the counter attack lead by Scott Kerr. Kerr feeds Delroy Facey into space in the box, but the Imps striker is halted superbly by Flynn's diving block.

11min: A weak Cian Hughton effort is easily held by Matt Glennon.

Slow start to the match by both teams, with the Bantams looking to use the pace of Evans and Daley.

18min: Glennon called into action again, as he makes a smart save to his left from a Adam Watts header at a Lincoln corner.

21min: Massive chance for the Bantams. With Lincoln pushed forward, Luke O'Brien steals in to take a loose pass from just inside the Lincoln half and drives forward. The Bradford left back rides the challenge of Adam Watts to play himself in with only Rob Burch to beat. The angle is less than perfect for O'Brien though and Burch does well to save with his legs.

25min: A Daley cross is misjudged by Nathan Baker, letting Gareth Evans have the ball right in front of goal. Unfortunately for City, Evans doesn't expect the ball to beat Baker,as the ball bobbles off him and out for a goal kick.

30min: GOAL - Lincoln 1 Bradford 0. The Imps take the lead as City are hit on the counter-attack. Delroy Facey outjumps Zesh Rehman on the half way line to flick Brian Gilmour into space and suddenly the Imps are three on three with the Bradford defence . Gilmour charges at the retreating Bantams defence, before slipping in the impressive Chris Herd, who slots past Matt Glennon.

37min: GOAL - Lincoln 2 Bradford 0. Brian Gilmour turns from provider to scorer as City's afternoon goes from bad to worse. Cian Hughton nips in ahead of Zesh Rehman to win a loose ball and play in Gilmour. The Lincoln attacker holds off the attentions of Matthew Clarke to stroke past Matt Glennon via the post.

Stuart McCall reacts straight away as he reverts to standard 4-4-2 formation. Michael Flynn is moved forward to support Gareth Evans, while Omar Daley and Chris Brandon are placed out on the left and right wing respectively to give Bradford some width.

40min: City try to response, but Evans strike from the edge of the penalty area is easily saved by Rob Burch.

42min: Matthew Glennon produces a bright save to deny Matthew Saunders, as the Lincoln youngster snaps at a loose ball from a home corner.

43min: Gareth Evans works an opening on the Lincoln right, before crossing for Michael Flynn. Flynn turns well on the ball in the penalty area, but can only fire wide of Rob Burch's near post.

HT - After an even opening to the contest, two sloppily conceded goals from the Bantams have left them with a mountain to climb. City's forward line is packed with pace and invention on paper, but Lincoln's hard working five man midfield is restricting their supply lines.

46min: Stuart McCall makes two changes at half time. After a poor first period, Zesh Rehman is substituted for Steve Williams and Michael Boulding replaces Jonathan Bateson. Simon Ramsden takes over the captain's armband.

48min: Steve Williams is booked for late challenge on Chris Herd.

51min: A long through ball from Michael Flynn allows Gareth Evans to get in behind the Lincoln defence. The ball kicks up high off the surface though and Evans has to check his momentum to control the ball. This gives the home defence the opportunity to get back and clear the danger and the opening is gone.

The Bantams are edging possession in the match at the moment, but with Lincoln leaving only Delroy Facey up front during City attacks, space is at a premium for Bradford's attacking players.

61min: GOAL! - Lincoln 2 Bradford 1 - City grab a lifeline in the match through Michael Boulding. The Bantams substitute is on hand to sweep home a Luke O'Brien cross at the near post and Bradford are back in the match.

64min: The goal has City buzzing now. Flynn finds the time and the space to feed Gareth Evans into space in the penalty area. Evans fires an angled drive high towards Rob Burch's goal, only to watch it clip the top of the post and fly out.

65min: City go close again, as a deflected Michael Flynn cross finds its way through to Michael Boulding. Boulding goes to strike for goal, but the attentions of Nathan Baker forces the Bradford striker to fire just over.

69min: Daley comes alive. The Jamaican drives into the penalty area and between Paul Green and substitute Michael Uwezu before unleashing a fierce drive, which Rob Burch palms away.

74min: Daley cuts inside again and fires towards goal, an effort which Rob Burch gathers at the second attempt.

76min: Scott Neilson comes on for Gareth Evans.

City continue to dominate the flow of the football, but as per Tuesday night, are struggling to test Rob Burch on regular occasions.

81min: With time running out, Stuart McCall switches to 3-4-3, with Steve Williams being promoted from the defence to act as a target man.

84min: Williams heads towards goal from a Chris Brandon free kick, but the big defender's effort is deflected and sits up for Rob Burch to catch easily.

89min: With Williams struggling to win the high balls, Stuart McCall decides to place Matthew Clarke up front instead.

90min: Lincoln nearly catch City on the break, but Cian Hughton's shot is saved by Matt Glennon when he had space to do better.

90min: Five minutes of injury time given.

The ball bobbles around the edge of the Lincoln penalty area on regular occasions, but City can't find that final ball.

90+5min: The Bantams win a late, late corner. Matt Glennon goes up field for the kick, but it leads to nothing and Lincoln counter attack from it, leaving Lee Bullock to give away a free kick. He is booked for the offence.

FT: Mr S J Bratt blows the final whistle to bring the match to an end and hand the Bantams another defeat.

LINCOLN CITY	BRADFORD CITY
1 Rob Burch	40 Matthew Glennon
2 Paul Green	2 Simon Ramsden
11 Scott Kerr	3 Luke O'Brien
22 Adam Watts	4 Michael Flynn
25 Cian Hughton	5 Zesh Rehman
33 Nathan Baker	6 Matthew Clarke
34 Chris Herd	7 Omar Daley
35 Brian Gilmour	8 Lee Bullock
36 Delroy Facey	9 Gareth Evans
38 Joe Anderson	11 Chris Brandon
39 Matthew Saunders	16 Jonathan Bateson
Substitutes:	Substitutes:
20 Paul Musselwhite	13 Jon McLaughlin
5 Moses Swaibu	12 Steve Williams for 5 (46)
9 Paul Connor	14 Michael Boulding for 16 (46)
14 Lenell John-Lewis for 36 (78)	18 Rory Boulding
19 Shane Clarke for 34 (73)	19 James O'Brien
31 Clark Keitie	24 Louis Horne
37 Michael Uwezu for 35 (65)	26 Scott Neilson for 9 (76)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee	S J Bratt
Assistant Referee	N A Hair
Assistant Referee	N Murphy
Fourth Official	R J Wigglesworth

GOALSCORERS:
LINCOLN CITY	BRADFORD CITY
Herd (30)	M Boulding (61)
Gilmour (37)

DISCIPLINARY:
LINCOLN CITY	BRADFORD CITY
	Williams
	Bullock