Saturday 29 September 2012
npower League 2
Bradford City 0
Port Vale 1 (Pope 38)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Coral Windows Stadium
Attendance: 11,030 (661 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Claire Epton
.City's unbeaten home run came to an end in frustrating fashion as a disciplined and resolute Port Vale side repelled all that the Bantams could throw at them to pick up a hard-fought victory
Phil Parkinson's men had the lions' share of the possession and chances throughout the match but a single Tom Pope goal towards the end of the first half and some strong Vale defending proved enough to secure all the points for the visitors.
The final score was harsh on Parkinson's side but there will still be plenty of positives to take forward as City look to bounce back at Rochdale next Tuesday.
The Bantams began the match is lively fashion, with the recalled Nahki Wells and James Hanson going close within the first 90 seconds of the match.
City continued to create the majority of the chances in the opening period until they were knocked back a stride when Vale took the lead towards the end of the half with one of their first real efforts on goal.
An attempted header back to Jon McLaughlin from skipper Gary Jones sadly lacked the legs to make it through to the City 'keeper, allowing Pope to nip in for a sight on goal.
Rory McArdle and Luke Oliver tried to recover the situation for City but Pope still had just enough time on his hands to fire past McLaughlin from just inside the area. In fairness to McLaughlin, Pope's effort did appear to take a slight but vital deflection off the outstretched leg of Oliver.
Pope squandered a free header just before the interval and Jennison Myrie-Williams forced McLaughlin into a smart save after the restart but it was still City who were largely controlling the flow of the game.
Time after time Parkinson's men sent over testing crosses into Vale's penalty area as time ticked away but on each occasion City failed to make the most of the opportunity.
Nathan Doyle saw a goal-bound effort kicked away by Clayton McDonald and Wells forced Chris Neal into a smart tip over late on but the Bantams failed to make the breakthrough their efforts in the match merited.
MATCH UPDATES:
FT: Bradford City 0 Port Vale 1
90+3min: From the resulting Jones corner, Hanson's header is gathered by Neal.
90+3min: Neal tips over the bar following a stinging drive from just outside the area by Wells.
90min: There will be five minutes added on at the end of the match.
90min: A low effort from around 25 yards out his kept out in simple-enough fashion by Neal.
87min: SUB - Garry Thompson is brought on for Reid.
85min: SUB - Vale bring on Sam Morsy for Vincent.
81min: SUB - Oliver is taken off for Alan Connell as City try to go for it. The Bantams will now play with only three at the back.
78min: Doyle sees his goal-bound effort kicked clear from barely yards out by McDonald after Hanson's header back across goal had picked out the City midfielder.
75min: Wells turns smartly inside the area following Jones' low pass into his feet but McCombe makes a vital block as the Bermudian goes to strike for goal.
74min: SUB - Vale take off Duffy and bring on fellow right-back Adam Yates.
74min: Doyle smashes wide with a half-volley from distance after another wide Jones free-kick is cleared out of the box.
73min: Jones sees his free-kick from the edge of Vale's area strike the middle of the visitors' wall. Doyle strikes for goal with the rebound but that effort is also blocked.
71min: YELLOW CARD - Doug Loft is booked for bringing down Wells just inside Vale's own half.
68min: A wide free-kick from Jones just outside Vale's area is just missed by both Oliver and Davies as it flashes across the area. Reid recovers the situation at the far side and sends over his own cross but that too just misses the diving frame of City defender - this time McArdle.
64min: Stretching back to reach a Wells cross, Hanson's weak header is easily-gathered by Neal.
62min: SUB - Zavon Hines is brought on for Atkinson.
62min: After springing forward on a brisk counter-attack, Reid cuts inside from a wide position before drilling a low shot wide of Neal's near post.
61min: City think the throw-in has gone to them and begin to push forward. It hasn't, however, and Myrie-Williams threatens to punish City as Vale take their throw-in quickly. Myrie-Williams cuts inside before letting rip with a fierce rising effort but McLaughlin gets some finger tips on it to flick it over the bar.
61min: YELLOW CARD - Duffy is booked for delaying taking a throw-in.
58min: YELLOW CARD - Ryan Burge is booked for not listening to the referee's instructions to move the ball back into the correct position following the award of a Vale free-kick just inside City's half.
53min: Vale spring forward dangerously on the counter-attack - having a two on one situation at one point - but Vincent's eventual shot from just inside City's area is well-repelled by McLaughlin.
51min: Myrie-Williams drives at Meredith and into City's area from a wide position before forcing McLaughlin into a smart save at his near post. The ball is loose for a moment but Oliver is on the scene to hammer clear.
48min: Oliver's downward header from a Jones corner causes a moment's panic in Vale's defence but City can't quite capitalise and the visitors can eventually clear their lines.
46min: Port Vale restart the match.
HT: Bradford City 0 Port Vale 1
45+1min: Myrie-Williams pounces on a loose pass from Wells before driving dangerously into City's area. A combination of Andrew Davies and Meredith just about combine to cut out the winger and prevent him from getting a strike in on goal, however.
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
44min: An unmarked Pope nearly punishes City for some slack marking when he meets Duffy's far post corner but his header is just about held by McLaughlin.
42min: Hanson's downward header from a Will Atkinson cross is simple enough for Neal.
38min: Hanson and Wells try to combine for an instant equaliser but the latter's touch forward with his head eventually bounces away from him and Neal can gather.
38min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Port Vale 1 - Slightly against the run of play, Vale take the lead of the match with their first real effort on Jon McLaughlin's goal. An attempted header back from Jones is too short, allowing Pope to get in behind City's defence. Rory McArdle and Luke Oliver try to recover the situation but Pope still manages to beat McLaughlin with a drive from just inside the area. Crucially, it appears Pope's effort takes a slight but vital deflection off Oliver's outstretched leg to beat McLaughlin.
36min: Richard Duffy makes two vital blocks within seconds of each other to keep out efforts from Hanson and Wells respectively deep in the heart of Vale's area. The shout then goes up for handball inside the area but no penalty is given.
34min: YELLOW CARD - McDonald is booked for bringing down Wells with a late tackle just inside Vale's own half.
32min: A period of Vale pressure brought on by a Vincent strike from just outside the area that deflects narrowly wide for a corner is eventually seen off by City.
30min: A low free-kick from around 25 yards out from Reid flies straight into the clutches of Neal.
26min: Hanson heads over following a teasing McArdle cross into the area.
21min: Vincent and Tom Pope link up well around thirty yards away from City's goal but the former's eventual effort on goal flies massively wide of its intended target.
19min: Hanson rises highest to connect with a cross from Rory McArdle but his header is kept out by Neal at his near post.
16min: Vale can only clear a City free-kick as far as the waiting Doyle on the edge of the visitors' area. Doyle strikes for goal first-time and his effort is deflected into the path of Hanson, who is lurking inside the box around ten yards out. The giant striker aims for the corner but his side-footed effort flies narrowly wide of the far post.
11min: Reid fizzes over a testing cross into the middle but it is a bit too near to Neal, who clutches the ball into his chest gratefully.
9min: Hanson beats John McCombe in the air to flick the ball into the direction of Wells. The Bermudian looks like he could be in on goal for a second when Clayton McDonald mis-times his clearance but the defender recovers to eventually clear the danger.
8min: Jones fires a tame left-footed effort from around 25 yards out wide of Neal's near post.
5min: A dangerous low cross from Ashley Vincent into City's area has to be clear from danger by James Meredith.
3min: Neal and Hanson tangle for a long Nathan Doyle throw-in into Vale's penalty area, with the Vale 'keeper eventually able to grab hold of the ball at the second attempt.
2min: James Hanson sends a diving header into the side-netting following Gary Jones' far post corner.
1min: Early opening for City! With barely twenty seconds on the clock, Kyel Reid plays Nahki Wells into space inside Vale's area and the Bermudian forces Vale 'keeper Chris Neal into a smart save at his near post with an angled drive from around twelve yards out.
0min: The Bantams kick off the game. City will attack towards the Carlsberg Stand end in the first period.
BRADFORD LINE UP
McLaughlin, McArdle, Oliver, Davies, Meredith, Atkinson, Doyle, G Jones, Reid, Hanson, Wells
Subs: Duke, Darby, Ravenhill, Thompson, Hines, McHugh, Connell
Bradford changes:
Hines for Atkinson (62), Connell for Oliver (81), Thompson for Reid (87)
Bradford cautions:
Bradford dismissals:
PORT VALE LINE UP
Neal, Duffy, McCombe, McDonald, Loft, Myrie-Williams, Burge, Taylor, Vincent, Dodds, Pope
Subs: Johnson, Yates, Owen, Shuker, Morsy, Williamson, Lloyd
Port Vale changes:
Yates for Duffy (74), Morsy for Vincent (85)
Port Vale cautions:
McDonald (34), Burge (58), Duffy (61), Loft (71)
Port Vale dismissals:
Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistant Referee: Glen Hart
Assistant Referee: Paul Thompson
Fourth Official: Martin Coy