Tuesday 23 October 2012
npower League 2
Northampton Town 0
Bradford City 1 (Wells 53)
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at Sixfields Stadium
Attendance: 3,541 (264 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Pete Norton
Nahki Wells continued his love affair with Sixfields Stadium by netting the only goal of a hard-fought encounter with Northampton Town to see City deservedly pick up their second away victory of the season.
After grabbing a hat-trick in City's previous visit to Northampton last season, Wells proved to be Bradford's match-winner once again against the Cobblers when he popped up in the second half to fire in his tenth goal of the campaign.
The downside from the goal, and the only down point of the whole evening really, was that the striker was booked for celebrating with the crowd after the strike. The caution was his fifth of the season, meaning he will miss Saturday's trip to Burton Albion.
Wells' goal may have been the only difference between the two sides on the score-sheet but there was no denying that City were clear and worthy winners on the night.
Completely nullifying the threat of Ben Tozer's massive throw-ins and the giant presence of Adebayo Akinfenwa up front, Phil Parkinson's men defended with strength and discipline to limit the hosts to virtually nothing.
Offensively, Parkinson's side could have added to their tally on the night, with James Hanson having decent chances to score in both the first and second half.
The win keeps the Bantams in fifth place in the League 2 table, a single point off the automatic promotion spots.
MATCH OFFICIALS
FT: Northampton Town 0 Bradford City 1
90min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
90min: Wells strikes for goal again, this time from the edge of the penalty area, but Nicholls saves low to his left.
90min: Wells tries an ambitious all of 40 yards but Nicholls is comfortably equal to the effort.
86min: After City fail to properly clear a Joe Widdowson free-kick, Moult sees a strike from inside the area blocked out before it can get anywhere near McLaughlin's goal.
85min: YELLOW CARD - Thompson is booked, presuming for attempted time-wasting, after kicking the ball away following the award of a City free-kick deep inside their own half.
84min: Emyr Huws just beats Hanson to a loose ball around 20 yards outside City's goal but his first-time effort flies wide of McLaughlin's goal.
82min: Wells intercepts an attempted back-pass from Langmead by the byline before turning towards into the area. The Bermudian lays the ball off by the edge of the box to the on-rushing Atkinson but the midfielder's effort from close range is blocked out by a diving tackle from East.
79min: SUB - City bring on Will Atkinson for Forsyth.
76min: McLaughlin has to reach back at tip over a Moult header that threatened to loop in after Davies had headed a Tozer long throw-in out as far the middle of the Bantams' penalty area.
70min: Under pressure from Nathan Doyle, Nicholls fires comfortably over the bar with a rising drive from just outside the area.
69min: SUB - Northampton bring on former Bantams loanee Louis Moult for Platt.
67min: Wells engineers himself just enough space to shoot after picking up a Hanson flick on deep inside Northampton's area but Langmead is on hand to block the Bermudian's close range drive.
66min: Hanson squanders a chance to double City's lead when Nicholls can only parry out a fiercely-struck drive from Forsyth out into his path. The striker is positioned around ten yards but his first-time effort flies over the bar.
54min: Wells lets rip with a strike from outside area but Nicholls is able to gather the effort at the second attempt.
54min: YELLOW CARD - Wells is booked for celebrating near the crowd, however, meaning he will now miss Saturday's trip to Burton Albion given that the caution was his fifth of the season.
53min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!! Northampton Town 0 Bradford City 1 - Wells fires City into the lead. A McLaughlin kick forward takes a flick off Hanson and then East to leave Wells in behind the home defence. Nicholls comes out to narrow the angle but the Bermudian striker just about manages to poke the ball past the home 'keeper.
52min: Wells flicks for goal following Ricky Ravenhill's hook into the area but the header bounces harmlessly through to Nicholls.
49min: Forsyth has a run at Northampton full back Danny East but in the end his cross-come-shot sails wide of Nicholls' goal by the far post and out for a goal-kick.
46min: Northampton restart the match.
HT: Northampton Town 0 Bradford City 0
45+1min: YELLOW CARD - Oliver is booked for kicking the ball away after conceding a throw-in deep in his own half.
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
39min: Tozer's flighted cross into the area is narrowly missed by the duo of Clive Platt and Roofe before bouncing through into the clutches of the grateful McLaughlin.
37min: Davies just beats Langmead to a teasing neat post cross from Nicholls to prevent the Cobblers defender a strike on goal from barely yards out.
34min: City momentarily look like they have a promising break in progress on Northampton's goal but a vital tackle from Langmead to deny Thompson a run through and heavy follow up touch from Forsyth see the move break down.
27min: Wells sends a dipping strike narrowly over Nicholls' bar from around 20 yards out.
22min: Alex Nicholls narrowly misses the target with a low drive from around 20 yards out after the winger had been set up by some good hold-up play from Adebayo Akinfenwa.
21min: Via a deflection on its way through, a Davies header from a Forsyth corner is gathered in simple-enough fashion by Nicholls.
20min: City initially fall to completely deal with another Tozer long throw-in as McLaughlin comes to gather. The ball falls back out to the midfielder on the edge of the Bantams' area but his return cross sails harmlessly wide out at the far end.
17min: Wells' well-hit strike from distance is held by Nicholls.
15min: Hanson is somehow denied an opener for the Bantams from a Forsyth corner! The striker's initial header from the set-piece bounces down into the ground before he smashes the rebound goal-wards. From barely yards out, the well-hit effort looks certain to go in but it is somehow blocked away by an unknowing Luke Oliver.
15min: Anthony Charles is in the right position to beat James Hanson to a teasing Thompson and clear behind, preventing the giant forward from getting an effort in on goal from a threatening position inside the area.
14min: Andrew Davies just does enough to get his head on a long Ben Tozer throw-in into the area. Leaping high to reach the missile-like throw, the ball flicks off Davies' head before bouncing narrowly wide of Jon McLaughlin's far post.
12min: Kelvin Langmead has to spread himself to block a goal-bound effort from Craig Forsyth after Nahki Wells had just manage to beat Lee Nicholls to a pass forward and then crossed low into the box.
2min: Garry Thompson takes away the legs of Kemar Roofe with a late tackle out by the far touchline just inside Northampton's half. Wisely so early into the game, however, referee Mr Scott decides just to warn the Bantams winger.
0min: The Bantams kick off.
NORTHAMPTON LINE UP
L Nicholls, East, Langmead, Charles, Widdowson, Roofe, Tozer, Huws, A Nicholls, Akinfenwa, Platt
Subs: Higgs, Demontagnac, Mukendi, Wilson, Moult, Hornby, Dias
Northampton changes:
Moult for Platt (69)
Northampton cautions:
Northampton dismissals:
BRADFORD LINE UP
McLaughlin, McArdle, Davies, Oliver, Meredith, Thompson, Ravenhill, Doyle, Forsyth, Hanson, Wells
Subs: Duke, Darby, R Jones, Atkinson, McHugh, Connell, Hines
Bradford changes:
Atkinson for Forsyth (79)
Bradford cautions:
Oliver (45+1), Wells (54), Thompson (85)
Bradford dismissals:
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Graham Scott
Assistant Referee: Ryan T Atkin
Assistant Referee: Ian Dudley
Fourth Official: Wayne Porter