Saturday 17 November 2012
npower League 2
Bradford City 0
Exeter City 1 (Cureton 43)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Coral Windows Stadium
Attendance: 10,434 (196 visitors)
A single Jamie Cureton goal just before the interval proved enough to send a frustrated City tumbling to only their second home defeat of the season.
The experienced striker, who had earlier hit the post, beat City 'keeper Matt Duke with a fine finish from inside the area and despite some second half Bantams pressure, the goal secured the points for the visitors.
The goal - Cureton's thirteenth of the season - came towards the end of a half that had been edged by Exeter, mainly thanks to threat poised by the Grecians' fluid forward line.
Bringing on Alan Connell at half-time to play just behind Nahki Wells and James Hanson, City switched to a similar set-up to Paul Tisdale's men in an attempt to invigorate their own fortunes.
The change seemed to work, certainly initially, as Parkinson's side, roared on by a passionate home crowd, pinned Exeter back in their own half.
Connell was inches away from finding the far top corner with clever chip from outside the area, while Hanson headed narrowly over from a Gary Jones corner.
Either side of those chances, however, Cureton was only denied a second by a crucial last-ditch tackle from Duke after the striker had latched onto a under-hit attempted back-pass from Rory McArdle.
With time running out and City seemingly hitting a brick wall with their efforts to find an equaliser, Parkinson turned to Garry Thompson from the bench to try and give his side a bit of natural width.
Thompson nearly found a way through Exeter defences when Carl McHugh's header from another Jones corner picked him out but the attacker stab for goal rolled agonisingly wide of the post.
MATCH UPDATES
FT: Bradford City 0 Exeter City 1
90+1min: SUB - Guillem Bauza is brought on for Exeter goal-scorer Cureton.
90min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
85min: SUB - Kevin Amankwaah - a defender - is brought on for Gow as Exeter look to hold onto their narrow lead.
84min: Thompson misses a great chance to equalise when he scuffs a strike wide of goal from around eight yards out after McHugh had headed a Jones corner back into the mix.
81min: After winning possession of the ball just outside Exeter's area, Thompson fires a shot on the turn well over the bar.
80min: YELLOW CARD - Oakley is booked for catching Jones late with a tackle on the far touchline.
77min: SUB - Garry Thompson is brought on for Tom Naylor. City seem to have moved to a 3-4-1-2 formation as a result.
73min: City nearly have an equaliser through the unlikely source of Coles! McHugh's teasing ball slid across the six yard box has the defender at sixes and sevens and he nearly fumbles the ball past his own line. Coles eventually gets his legs sorted out in time, however, and just about clears.
68min: YELLOW CARD - Doherty is booked for bringing down Will Atkinson just outside the area.
66min: Gow's looping header from Tully's hanging cross lacks the power and direction to beat Duke, who gathers relatively comfortably.
65min: Hanson heads narrowly over around eight yards out from a Jones corner.
57min: Huge penalty shouts go up from the vast majority inside the Coral Windows Stadium when Wells appears to be blocked off inside the area by Steve Tully as the striker tried to race onto the right back's weak pass. To the disgust of the home bench and the City support though, those appeals are ignored.
55min: Duke has to make a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny Cureton a clear run on goal after the striker had latched onto Rory McArdle's under-hit attempted back-pass.
54min: Connell is inches away from finding the far top corner of Krysiak's goal with a clever chip from just outside the area.
53min: John Egan sends a looping header narrowly wide of the post following Jones' corner into the area.
52min: Wells' looping cross is just about tipped over by Krysiak after it had looked for a second like it might be dropping in.
49min: Gow's low effort from outside the area is held by Duke despite bouncing awkwardly just in front of the City 'keeper.
46min: The Bantams restart the game.
46min: SUB - Alan Connell is brought on for Forsyth. It seems like City will be matching Exeter's 4-3-1-2 formation and putting Connell in the 'hole' just behind Wells and Hanson.
46min: SUB - Exeter bring on former Bantams midfielder Tommy Doherty for Bennett.
HT: Bradford City 0 Exeter City 1
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
43min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Exeter City 1 - Cureton fires Exeter into the lead with a neat finish from inside the area. Craig Woodman's deep cross is headed back into the mix by Matt Oakley and Cureton is on hand to fire into the far bottom corner with a half-volleyed finish on the turn.
41min: Liam Sercombe fires a couple yards over Duke's bar with a shot from a short distance outside the area.
34min: A huge roar of appeal goes up in the home camp when Krysiak appears to have his hand just outside the area as he claims a Doyle clip forward ahead of Hanson. Much to the amazement of Bantams boss Phil Parkinson and the rest of the City bench, however, nothing is given.
31min: YELLOW CARD - Jones is booked for clipping Gow's heels as the Exeter attacker surged forward deep into City territory.
26min: After City can only half-clear an Exeter corner, Scot Bennett beats the on-rushing Duke to a header back into the mix from Pat Baldwin. Luckily for City though, Bennett's prod for goal sails comfortably over the bar.
21min: Wells nearly catches Krysiak out with a snap-shot on the turn after Hanson had flicked on a long kick forward from Duke. Wells' low shot from around twenty yards out is on target and threatening to sneak in the bottom corner but Krysiak does just enough to push it round the post.
18min: Krysiak dives low at the feet of Nahki Wells to repel the striker's flick for goal from close range after Hanson had nodded on a long throw-in from Nathan Doyle into the Bermudian's path.
14min: Gow's backheel in the area set-ups up John Flynn but his strike from around fourteen yards out sails well over.
14min: Exeter hit the post through Jamie Cureton. The alarm-bells begin to sound for City when the visiting striker is played into plenty of space just wide of Matt Duke's goal by team-mate Alan Gow. Cureton's curling effort from around the edge of the area beats Duke's dive before crashing off the 'keeper's far post.
11min: Craig Forsyth fizzes over a teasing centre that flashes across the six yard box, barely missing the goal and the outstretched boot of Hanson in the middle.
8min: James Hanson connects with an in-swinging Gary Jones free-kick into the area to send downward header across goal and narrowly past Artur Krysiak's far post.
4min: Danny Coles sends a near post header flashing across goal following an Alan Gow corner into the mix.
0min: Exeter kick off the match. City will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first period of the game.
BRADFORD LINE UP