Saturday 29 December 2012
npower League 2
Bradford City 2 (Connell pen 19, pen 36)
Rochdale 4 (Gornell 6, 40, Tutte 28, Grimes 33)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Coral Windows Stadium
Attendance: 11,198 (725 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Gary Chadwick
City suffered only their third home defeat of the season at the hands of Rochdale in their final match of 2012 after coming out worst from an eventful first half at a damp Coral Windows Stadium.
With Phil Parkinson's men having a rare off day at headquarters, a vibrant visiting outfit took full advantage to deservedly secure all three points to ensure City ended the calendar year on a losing note.
The all of the damage against Parkinson's side was done in a frantic opening period, where Rochdale scored four goals to leave City up against up as early as the half-time break.
Terry Gornell sparked off the run of goals with a fine finish after six minutes before Alan Connell, who hit the bar from close range earlier in the half, equalised for City from the penalty spot thirteen minutes later.
Rochdale came back at the Bantams with a bang, however, to fire themselves firmly in control of the contest thanks to well-taken goals from Andrew Tutte and Ashley Grimes either side of the half hour mark.
Connell was on hand to reduce City's arrears with his second penalty of the afternoon three minutes after Grimes' effort, but there was still time in the half for Gornell to re-establish Dale's two goal advantage with a looping header from the edge of the area five minutes before the interval.
Inevitably, City huffed and puffed for a way back into the match during the second half, with Connell going close with a header early after the restart, but they never truly looked like getting back on terms with their visitors despite their best attempts.
MATCH UPDATES;
FT: Bradford City 2 Rochdale 4
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
90min: SUB - Rochdale bring on Ray Putterill for Grimes.
90min: From Reid's cross into the area, Connell sends a downward header across goal and wide of Lillis' far post.
90min: McArdle is on hand to make a vital block to deny Grimes a clear strike on goal after Grant's deflected shot had fallen into his direction inside the area.
86min:YELLOW CARD - Reid is booked for a challenge on substitute Bennett.
83min: SUB + YELLOW CARD: Rafferty is replaced by fellow defender Rhys Bennett. Rafferty is booked before being substituted, however, for taking too long to leave the field of play.
81min: Hannah sees his free-kick from the very edge of Rochdale's area deflected wide of Lillis' goal.
75min: Duke stretches up to grab onto a drive from the edge of the area by Grant.
74min: SUBS - City bring on Ross Hannah and Blair Turgott for Naylor and Doyle respectively. It seems City will now shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
72min: Lillis fails to keep hold of Gary Jones' free-kick into the area but the 'keeper is on hand to gather up Reid's effort on the rebound as the winger looked to catch the shot-stopper off his line.
72min: SUB - Rochdale bring on George Donnelly for Gornell.
66min: Picking up Meredith's headed clearance around 20 yards from goal, Tutte takes aim and fires forward with an effort that Duke initially fails to grab hold of before gathering up at the second attempt.
64min: Reid has the beating of Rafferty over on City's left flank but following his cross into the area, Hanson can only stretch back far enough to send a weak downward header comfortably into the path of Lillis.
58min: Grant drifts dangerously into a shooting position in the middle of the pitch before firing a low drive from around the edge of the area narrowly past Duke's goal.
57min: Connell comes within inches of finding the corner of Lillis' goal with a header following Reid's teasing cross into the middle. Connell's header - similar to his match-winner against Accrington - beats Lillis' dive but also whistles narrowly past the 'keeper's near post.
46min: Rochdale restart the match.
HT SUB: City bring on Will Atkinson for Thompson.
HT: Bradford City 2 Rochdale 4
45+3min: Reid bursts into space just outside the area with Rochdale's defence stretched. Thompson is completely unmarked in the middle but Reid elects to shoot himself and can only fire wildly into the crowd behind Lillis' goal.
45min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
43min: Naylor heads Kyel Reid's centre back across goal but Thompson can only sends an acrobatic over the bar from inside the area.
40min: GOAL - Bradford City 2 Rochdale 4 - This amazing first half takes another twist as Gornell rises up to meet Grant's cross with a looping header from the edge of the area that beats Duke before dropping into the corner of his goal.
36min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!! Bradford City 2 Rochdale 3 - Connell makes no mistake once again as he blasts into the top corner.
35min: PENALTY TO THE BANTAMS - City have another penalty! This time Phil Edwards is penalised for handball as he tried to block a cut back from James Meredith by the byline.
33min: GOAL - Bradford City 1 Rochdale 3 - The visitors double their lead when Ryan Edwards heads a far post corner back into the mix and Grimes is on hand to fire into the corner despite Duke's despairing dive.
32min: Tom Naylor has to come across and block out Ashley Grimes' shot from inside the area before it can reach Duke's goal.
28min: GOAL - Bradford City 1 Rochdale 2 - Dale have the lead once again when Jason Kennedy picks out the forward run of Tutte and the midfielder fizzes a low effort from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.
24min: Tutte beats Garry Thompson to the ball outside City's area but his low angled drive goes comfortably wide of Duke's near post.
19min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bradford City 1 Rochdale 1 - Connell dusts himself down to slot the resulting penalty past Lillis to equalise for the Bantams.
18min: PENALTY TO THE BANTAMS - City have a spot-kick when Ryan Edwards pushes Connell in the back as the striker attempts to jump up and challenge Lillis for a hanging ball inside Rochdale's area.
14min: City go close as Alan Connell finds the top of the crossbar! James Meredith's long throw-in into the area eventually finds the striker, who tries to bundle the ball home from close range. Connell manages to hook the ball goalwards but can only watch as his effort from a tight angle drops onto the bar and not into Lillis' goal.
12min: Duke elects to punch behind Grant's curling effort from the resulting free-kick.
12min: YELLOW CARD - Nathan Doyle is booked for bringing down Tutte around 25 yards from goal as Rochdale looked to spring forward.
6min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Rochdale 1 - The visitors grab the lead of the match when Bobby Grant plays Terry Gornell into space inside City's area and the striker rifles a fierce rising drive past Duke at his near post.
2min: Andrew Tutte tries a hopeful effort from all of 35 yards out that sails not too far over Matt Duke's crossbar.
2min: Rory McArdle heads a yard or so wide of Josh Lillis' near post from a Gary Jones corner.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match. City will attack towards the Kop in the first half.
BRADFORD LINE UP
Duke, Darby, Meredith, Naylor, McArdle, Thompson, Doyle, G Jones, Reid, Connell, Hanson
Subs: McLaughlin, Ravenhill, R Jones, Hannah, Trugott, Hines, Atkinson
Bradford changes:
Atkinson for Thompson (46), Hannah for Naylor (74), Turgott for Doyle (74)
Bradford cautions:
Doyle (12), Reid (86)
Bradford dismissals:
ROCHDALE LINE UP
Lillis, Rafferty, McIntyre, P Edwards, R Edwards, Cavanagh, Tutte, Kennedy, Grant, Gornell, Grimes
Subs: Smith, Bennett, Barry-Murphy, Donnelly, Putterill, Craney, Adebola
Rochdale changes:
Donnelly for Gornell (72), Bennett for Rafferty (83), Putterill for Grimes (90)
Rochdale cautions:
Rafferty (83)
Rochdale dismissals:
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: David Coote
Assistant Referee: Danny Gratton
Assistant Referee: Kevin Mattocks
Fourth Official: William Smallwood
