Saturday 27 October 2012
npower League 2
Burton Albion 1 (Zola 81)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Pirelli Stadium
Attendance: 2,791
A late Calvin Zola winner for Burton crushed City's hopes of a hard-earned point following Ricky Ravenhill's first half dismissal.
Despite Ravenhill's harsh sending off for an apparent head-butt on Burton's Lee Bell just past the half hour mark and a much-changed defensive line up, Phil Parkinson's men still looked set for a share of spoils until Zola popped up nine minutes from the end.
The danger began for City when Garry Thompson and Jon McLaughlin failed to properly deal with a clipped ball forward from Nathan Stanton and Damien McCrory was on hand to cross for an unmarked Zola to head home.
On a highly frustrating day for Parkinson's men, City also lost Luke Oliver and Andrew Davies to injury before the start of the second half, with Oliver's injury in particular looking potentially quite serious.
MATCH OFFICIALS
FT: Burton Albion 1 Bradford City 0
90+4min: Jones volleys wide from the edge of Burton's penalty area after Hanson had flicked on a long pass forward from James Meredith.
90min: There will be four minutes added on at the end of the match.
87min: YELLOW CARD - McArdle is booked for catching Maghoma late with a mis-timed tackle.
83min: YELLOW CARD - Doyle is booked for catching Bell as the pair tangled in an aerial challenge.
81min: SUB - Kee is taken off for Matt Paterson.
81min: GOAL - Burton Albion 1 Bradford City 0 - Heartbreak for the Bantams as Burton finally find a way past City's ten man with time running out. A clipped ball forward from Nathan Stanton is not dealt with properly by either Thompson or the on-rushing McLaughlin and McCrory is on hand to cross for Calvin Zola to head home.
78min: Kee heads narrowly wide of the target following Chapell's flighted ball into the area.
74min: SUB - Burton bring on Jordan Chapell for Taylor in a straight swap.
68min: Thompson fires a few yards wide of target with a first time strike from the edge of Burton's area after a Jones free-kick had been half-cleared by the home side into his path.
64min: After turning inside of Darby, Maghoma curls a cross-come-shot a yard or so wide of McLaughlin's far post.
55min: Kee's shot from close range is blocked out before McLaughlin spreads himself to deflect a Taylor effort behind at his near post.
55min: Maghoma hits the bar with a curling effort from deep inside City's area.
52min: Taylor's rising shot from an angle inside the area is clung onto at his near post by McLaughlin.
46min: The Bantams restart the match.
HT - SUB - Yet another blow to City's chances now as Davies is brought off, presumably for an injury, and replaced by Carl McHugh at the start of the second half.
HT: Burton Albion 0 Bradford City 0
45+2min: Kee side-foots wide of McLaughlin's near post following a cut-back from Damien McCrory near the byline.
45min: There will be two minutes added on at the end of the first period.
45min: Robbie Weir's hopeful effort from around 25 yards out on the half-volley is easily kept out by McLaughlin.
41min: Hanson heads wide at the far post from a Craig Forsyth corner.
37min: SUB - Gary Jones is brought on for the unlucky Alan Connell. City will now line up in a 4-4-1 formation with James Hanson up front on his own. Jones will take on the captain's armband
36min: SUB - Another hit to City's hopes now as Luke Oliver is forced off after appearing to take a knock. He is replaced by Stephen Darby, meaning Rory McArdle will now move to centre half.
36min: Kee's drive from outside the area following a long kick forward is gathered by a back-tracking McLaughlin.
32min: RED CARD - A massive blow for City as Ravenhill is given a straight red card for appearing to catch Bell in the face after the award of a home free-kick around 30 yards out.
29min: Ricky Ravenhill finds himself in shooting shape on the edge of Burton's area when an unmarked Garry Thompson flicks a Doyle throw-in on into his path. Seemingly on the stretch though, the midfielder's first time shoot is sliced well wide of the target.
21min: Cleveland Taylor's dangerous low centre across the six yard box deflects off Rory McArdle from close range but luckily the ball doesn't have much pace on it and McLaughlin can gather.
20min: Billy Kee twice nearly finds himself in enough space to shoot close to goal as the ball bounces dangerously around the Bantams box during two separate Burton attacks in quick succession. On both occasions, however, City's defence just does enough to clear their lines.
16min: Nathan Doyle volleys for goal from just outside the area after Burton could only half-clear a flighted free-kick from Andrew Davies. The effort from Doyle is well-struck but Mark Oxley is right behind it and saves first time.
15min: Burton take a corner quickly when Lee Bell picks out Jacques Maghoma just outside the area. The winger curls an effort for goal but Jon McLaughlin is in place to gather.
0min: Burton Albion kick off the match.
BURTON LINE UP
Oxley, O'Connor, Stanton, Diamond, McCrory, Taylor, Bell, Weir, Maghoma, Kee, Zola
Subs:
Lyness, Richards, Paterson, Dyer, Kiernan, Rooney, Chapell
Burton changes:
Chapell for Taylor (74), Paterson for Kee (81)
Burton cautions:
Burton dismissals:
BRADFORD LINE UP
McLaughlin, McArdle, Davies, Oliver, Meredith, Thompson, Doyle, Ravenhill, Forsyth, Connell, Hanson
Subs:
Duke, Darby, R Jones, Atkinson, McHugh, G Jones, Hines
Bradford changes:
Darby for Oliver (36), G Jones for Connell (37), McHugh for Davies (46)
Bradford cautions:
Doyle (83), McArdle (87)
Bradford dismissals:
Ravenhill (32)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: A D'Urso
Assistant Referee: M McGrath
Assistant Referee: S Plane
Fourth Official: R Wigglesworth