BRADFORD CITY AFC

Dale's Robert Grant was given his marching orders for a wild lunge on Rory McArdle ten minutes before the interval but Phil Parkinson's men couldn't punish the attacker's rush of blood to the full as they had to settle for a point.

The Bantams almost completely dominated the second period without ever quite finding the right pathway through a stubborn and well-entrenched home side.

Phil Parkinson's men thought they had found the vital breakthrough six minutes from the end but Rochdale full back Joe Rafferty was in the right place to kick clear Andrew Davies' close range effort off the line.

Rafferty was also involved in a late penalty shout for City when he tackled Zavon Hines in the area. The City winger felt he had been felled but referee Mr Adcock waved play on.

With Gary Jones missing from Parkinson's line up due to a bad back, City also lost the services of Kyel Reid within the first quarter of the match when the winger was forced off with a groin injury.

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90+3min: Connell fires wide of goal with a hopeful effort from around 25 yards out.

90+2min: After some decent hold up play inside Rochdale's area, Connell turns into space before curling an effort narrowly wide of Lillis' far post.

90min: Atkinson fires wide of Lillis' near post with a strike from just inside Rochdale's area around 15 seconds after City had seen a penalty shout turned down following a tackle by Rafferty on Hines inside the area.

88min: Hines ends a purposeful run for goal with an angled drive from just inside Rochdale's area that flashes across goal and wide of Lillis' far post.

86min: SUB - Rochdale make their first substitution of the evening by bringing on Ray Putterill for Kennedy.

84min: Davies sees his shot from a Hines corner kicked clear off his own line by Rafferty!

82min: SUB - Alan Connell is brought on for Wells.

77min: Kennedy fires wide of McLaughlin's near post from an angle after Rochdale play a corner short.

74min: SUB - Garry Thompson is brought on for Ravenhill. Thompson will play from the right and Atkinson will move across into central midfield. Davies has been given the captain's armband following Ravenhill's substitution.

74min: Donnelly looks like he might be in with sight of goal when he turns on a Tutte cross into the box. The ball runs away from him, however, and City end up with a goal-kick.

71min: Andrew Davies requires a bit of treatment after taking a knock to his head while contesting a City corner but he is able to carry on soon enough.

65min: Wells tries a hopeful effort from all of 35 yards out but the effort is saved by Lillis in straight-forward enough fashion.

62min: Atkinson fires a low shot a yard or so wide of goal after taking on a strike from the edge of the area.

60min: YELLOW CARD - Rafferty is booked for taking out Hines by the touchline as the City winger looks to knock the ball into the open space in front of him.

58min: Wells fires his free-kick into the wall from a decent position around twenty-five yards out.

55min: Hines finds himself in space and with a real chance to shoot around twenty yards out but delays pulling the trigger and Rafferty is eventually able to get across and block his effort away when he does shoot.

49min: Ravenhill smashes a loose ball goalwards after it drops into his path around twelve yards out but the fierce drive is beaten away by Lillis.

46min: Ravenhill heads over following a teasing centre by Atkinson.

46min: Rochdale restart the match.

45+3min: McLaughlin has to kick clear on the slide to prevent Adebola from pouncing on a loose ball around eight yards from the 'keepers' goal.

45+1min: Hines sees his shot on the turn from around the penalty spot crucially blocked out after Hanson had headed down a clipped cross from Wells.

45min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the first period.

43min: Not for the first time tonight, Doyle let rips with a half-volley from outside the area but once again it is straight down Lillis' throat.

42min: Phil Edwards fires comfortably wide from just outside the area after the resulting free-kick is only half cleared by the Bantams.

41min: YELLOW CARD - Hines is booked for pushing over Phil Edwards around the halfway line following the award of a Rochdale free-kick.

40min: A low Atkinson cross eventually finds its way through to Hanson but his strike on the turn from just inside the area is held by Lillis.

38min: City intially struggle to clear their lines following a Joe Rafferty free-kick into their area but the danger eventually passes when Donnelly comfortably fires over the bar from around twelve yards out.

35min: RED CARD - Rochdale are down to ten men after Grant is correctly given his marching orders for a horrible lunge on McArdle.

30min: Dele Adebola turns nicely into space after flicking the ball over McArdle's head by the touchline before driving forward into space in the Bantams' half. As the giant striker looks to get near City's area, however, he is halted in his tracks by a well-judged tackle from behind by the recovering McArdle.

28min: Rory McArdle flicks forward a curling Hines free-kick from a wide position but his header is comfortably gathered by Lillis.

26min: SUB - Reid is unable to continue unfortunately and he is replaced by Zavon Hines.

24min: While City are down to ten men with Reid off the pitch, Wells twists and turns into space in a wide position before sending over a cross that the stretching Hanson can only steer wide at the far post with a diving header.

21min: Reid is down at the moment receiving treatment from City physio Matt Barrass after appearing to taking a knock to his groin while being challenged for the ball.

18min: Kennedy races forward with menace towards City's goal but as he looks to surge into the area, he is stopped in his tracks by a perfectly-timed tackle from the returning Ricky Ravenhill.

15min: Hanson heads over after Will Atkinson had headed a Reid centre back across goal.

14min: Wells tries to turn into shooting space around the edge of Rochdale's area after picking up a Hanson flick-on but despite threatening to get a shot in on goal, his effort is eventually blocked.

12min: Jason Kennedy flashes a drive wide of McLaughlin's goal from outside the area.

8min: James Hanson heads a searching far post Reid cross back across the area but Lillis dives on the loose ball quickly before Nahki Wells can pounce.

6min: Nathan Doyle fires in a fierce drive from around twenty yards out but it is straight at Lillis, who clutches the ball against his chest.

3min: McLaughlin shows good hands to hold onto an free-kick from distance by Robert Grant that just bounces awkwardly in front of him before he gathers.

1min: George Donnelly replies with a shot of his own for Rochdale but the angled drive from the edge of the area flashes past Jon McLaughlin's near post.

1min: With less than ten seconds on the clock, Kyel Reid latches onto a loose ball just outside Rochdale's area but his half-volley sails well over Josh Lillis' bar.

0min: The Bantams kick off.

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Lillis, Rafferty, Bennett, R Edwards, K McIntyre, P Edwards, Tutte, Kennedy, Donnelly, Grant, Adebola

Subs: Smith, Barry-Murphy, Grimes, Putterill, Pearson, Curran, Craney

Putterill for Kennedy (86)

Rafferty (60)

Rochdale dismissals:

Grant (35)

McLaughlin, McArdle, Davies, Oliver, Meredith, Atkinson, Ravenhill, Doyle, Reid, Wells, Hanson

Subs: Duke, Darby, R Jones, Thompson, McHugh, Connell, Hines

Bradford changes:

Hines for Reid (26), Thompson for Ravenhill (74), Connell for Wells (82)

Hines (41)

Bradford dismissals