BRADFORD CITY AFC

City made it four wins out of four for their home fixtures this season with a thoroughly-entertaining and deserved victory over previously happy away-day travellers Morecambe.

The Shrimps, who had gone into the match unbeaten away from home for this campaign, were put to the sword by impressive strikes from James Hanson, Kyel Reid and Gary Jones.

Morecambe substitute Jack Redshaw did pull a goal back for the visitors either side of Reid and Jones' first home goals for City during an eventful final ten minutes, but it wasn't enough to prevent Phil Parkinson's side from registering their best start at Valley Parade since 1957.

The only down point on an otherwise pleasing evening for Parkinson's men was the sight of Jon McLaughlin leaving the pitch in the final few minutes after injuring his hip making an important stop from an Kevin Ellison effort.

Parkinson will now need to assess the fitness of his 'keeper ahead of his side's trip to Oxford United this weekend.

After dominating the opening period and creating a couple of promising opportunities, City had looked set to go into the break level until Hanson stepped up to fire a stunning first-time half-volley into the bottom corner on the stroke of half time following Reid's cut-back.

Morecambe came more into the match after the restart, with Jones needing to be on hand to kick clear a Richard Brodie flick off his own goal-line, but Reid managed to put City firmly in the driving seat with ten minutes left when he cut inside before curling a delightful effort past Barry Roche from the edge of the area.

The visitors weren't quite done just yet, however, as second half replacement Redshaw wriggled into space before firing low past McLaughlin with an angled drive barely two minutes later.

With Morecambe's tails up, McLaughlin then had to be alert to make a vital block from Ellison - failing awkwardly on his hip in the process - after the former Bantams loanee had been teed up by another Shrimps' sub, Jordon Burrow.

Any City nerves were settled though when Jones stepped up with three minutes of normal time left to curl a superb free-kick into the top corner after a mazy run from Reid had been illegally halted by Redshaw around 25 yards from goal.

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MATCH UPDATES:

FT: Bradford City 3 Morecambe 1

90+2min: Great control and a dangerous cross sees Wells put the ball on a plate right in front of Morecambe's goal. No City player is steaming in to meet it, however, and the ball is cleared.

90min: There will be six minutes added on at the end of the match.

90min: YELLOW CARD - Drummond is booked for a wild tackle on Doyle just inside Morecambe's own half.

89min: Wells leads a dangerous City break forward but his eventual angled effort from just inside the area goes well over with team-mates waiting for a pass in the middle.

88min: SUB - After picking up a knock saving Ellison's earlier effort, McLaughlin is taken off for Matt Duke.

87min: YELLOW CARD - Wells is booked for over-celebrating Jones' goal.

87min: SUB - Gary McDonald comes on for Threlfall.

85min: YELLOW CARD - Redshaw is booked for bringing down Reid around 25 yards from goal after the Bantams winger had broke forward with pace from within his own half.

85min: McLaughlin appears to have injured himself while making that save. Despite this, however, he is eventually able to carry on after a spot of treatment from City physio Matt Barras.

83min: McLaughlin saves City's bacon when he gets down low to his right to push away an effort from Ellison after Burrows had played him into a great shooting opportunity in the area.

82min: Atkinson nearly hits back for City with a forceful run to just outside the area before fizzing a drive narrowly past Roche's far post.

77min: Mild Morecambe appeals for a penalty go up when Ellison and Oliver tangle in the box when contesting a Burrow header across goal but nothing is given.

75min: Hanson gets a faint touch on an in-swinging McArdle cross but Roche is still comfortably able to keep the effort out.

74min: SUB - Morecambe now bring on Jordan Burrow for Andy Fleming

73min: SUB - The Bantams now bring on Will Atkinson for Hines.

69min: SUB - The Bantams make their own striking substitution, bringing on Nahki Wells for Connell.

63min: SUB - Morecambe take off Brodie and replace him with fellow forward Jack Redshaw.

60min: Drummond sends a looping header narrowly over the bar following a cross from the byline by Ellison.

59min: Jones clears off the line for City after Richard Brodie had managed to divert Stewart Drummond's drive for goal pass McLaughlin with a neat little backward flick.

57min: At the end of a neat Morecambe passing move, former Bantam Threlfall is eventually thwarted by his old team-mate McLaughlin as the Bantams 'keeper turns away his low angled drive. 

55min: Roche just manages to push a Doyle piledriver from around 25 yards out around the post.

52min: YELLOW CARD - After protesting to the referee over something, Roche is booked for his complaints at Mr Webb seconds later.

52min: YELLOW CARD - Jones is booked for a forceful challenge in the air as he out-jumps Andrew Wright for a header.

46min: The Bantams restart the match.

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

37min: Leaning back, Luke Oliver sends a free header from a wide Jones free-kick over the bar from around fourteen yards out.

31min: Rory McArdle heads just a few inches over the bar following a well-flighted corner into the area from Jones.

27min: YELLOW CARD - Reid is booked for giving one too many foul away - a push on Robbie Threlfall proving the final straw for referee Mr Webb after an earlier warning City's flying winger.

27min: Roche has to use his knees to push away a dipping low drive from outside the area by Hines.

23min: Hines fizzes in a dangerous ball into the box but Stewart Drummond is in place to cut it out and clear before a City player can look to pounce.

23min: Jon McLaughlin comfortably clings onto a Fenton header following an Andy Parrish cross into the area. The effort, even if it had of beaten McLaughlin, wouldn't have stood, however, as Ellison - situated right in front of McLaughlin - is correctly flagged offside.

20min: Roche narrowly beats Kyel Reid to a backwards header from Nick Fenton but the 'keeper's momentum takes him just outside the area while he is still holding the ball. Roche escapes without even an booking though, while Reid drills the resulting free-kick over the bar.

19min: Connell is repelled again by Roche! Nathan Doyle's throw-in into the area is flicked on by Hanson into the path of Connell, whose downward header is well kept out by a smart reflex save from the Morecambe 'keeper.

17min: Andrew Davies heads comfortably over from a Gary Jones free-kick that is whipped into the penalty area from around 20 yards out.

12min: Alan Connell is denied an early opener thanks to a fine save low to his right from Barry Roche. The Bantams striker finds himself in behind Morecambe's defence after racing onto a James Hanson flick-on but his effort from the edge of the area is tipped around the post by the Shrimps shot-stopper.

4min: Zavon Hines escapes with just a warning despite catching Andy Parrish with a late tackle deep in Morecambe's half.

1min: City survive a minor scare inside their own six yard box when Kevin Ellison and then Richard Brodie just fail to get a meaningful touch on a teasing Izak Reid centre that fizzes dangerously across the Bantams' goal.

0min: Morecambe kick off the match. As normal, City will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first half.

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BRADFORD LINE UP
McLaughlin, McArdle, Davies, Oliver, Meredith, Hines, G Jones, Doyle, Reid, Hanson, Connell

Subs:Duke, Darby, Ravenhill, Thompson, Atkinson, McHugh, Wells

Wells for Connell (69), Atkinson for Hines (73), Duke for McLaughlin (88)

Bradford cautions:
Reid (27), Jones (52), Wells (87)

Bradford dismissals

Roche, Parrish, Fenton, Haining, Threlfall, Reid, Wright, Fleming, Drummond, Brodie, Ellison

Subs: Arestidou, Burrow, McDonald, McGee, Mwasile, Doyle, Redshaw

Redshaw for Brodie (63), Burrow for Fleming (74), McDonald for Threlfall (87)

Morecambe cautions:
Roche (52), Redshaw (87), Drummond (90)

Morecambe dismissals: