Sunday 5 May 2013npower League 2 Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg
Burton Albion (3) 1 (Maghoma pen 55)
Bradford City (2) 3 (Wells 26, 57, Hanson 50)
Kick Off: 12noon
at the Pirelli Stadium
Bradford City win 5-4 on aggregate
Attendance: 6,148
The Bantams booked their place in the League 2 Play-Off Final with a superb away victory at Burton Albion.
Overcoming a 3-2 first leg deficit, a Nahki Wells double and a goal from strike partner James Hanson - his 50th in City colours - sensationally booked the Bantams' place at Wembley for the second time this season.
Phil Parkinson's men, Capital One Cup Finalists earlier this season, are now only one win away from a place in League 1 next season.
After securing victory, City's squad celebrated with the sold out away end at the Pirelli Stadium. Reveling in the joyous scenes, the majority City's amazing support stayed back for over 45 minutes after the full time whistle to enjoy the club's latest achievement in a truly memorable season.
The Bantams squad twice came out on the pitch to join in with the celebrations in the stands, while Parkinson and joint-chairman Mark Lawn also took the acclaim of the crowd.
City will now play Northampton Town at Wembley Stadium in the final on Saturday 18 May 2013.
Before the party post-match, City's hopes of making their second Wembley trip of the season were first boosted when Wells took advantage of a weak attempted header back by Marcus Holness to slot past Burton 'keeper Stuart Tomlinson just before the half hour mark.
Wells' goal levelled up the tie on aggregate, and five minutes into the second period James Hanson was on hand to drive City into the lead of the semi-final overall when he drilled a right-footed strike into the bottom corner from just outside the area.
The tie was back in the melting pot, however, just five minutes later when Garry Thompson was adjudged to have felled Jacques Maghoma just inside the area to give Burton a penalty. Maghoma struck home with the resulting spot-kick to leave the match all level once again.
Crucially though, City struck back barely two minutes later when Hanson flicked on Jon McLaughlin's big kick forward into the path of Wells and the Bermudian turned Zander Diamond before slotting home past Tomlinson.
Despite some late Burton pressure, Wells' second goal of the game - his 25th of the season - proved enough to deservedly book City's place in the final.
MATCH UPDATES:
FT: Burton Albion 1 Bradford City 3 - THE BANTAMS ARE GOING TO WEMBLEY...AGAIN!
90+4min: MacDonald's free-kick from around 25 yards out sails a few yards over the bar.
90+2min: MacDonald's long throw-in into the area falls into the path of Diamond but his poke for goal is vitally blocked by Hanson from close range.
88min: Sharps' header clear from an in-swinging Jones cross falls into the path of Thompson but his drive from around twenty yards out is sliced well wide of goal.
88min: YELLOW CARD - MacDonald is booked for a late challenge on Doyle around ten yards into Burton's half.
85min: Wells beats the Burton offside trap to latch onto Jones' ball over the top before cutting in from the right flank and into the area. Wells's shot is blocked by McCrory but the rebound falls invitingly for Hanson, who is unmarked around twelve yards from goal. The striker tries to the lift the ball over Tomlinson but his effort goes over the bar as well.
82min: YELLOW CARD - Diamond is booked for bringing down Wells just outside the Burton area as the forward looked to surge for goal.
81min: Neat play from Wells get the striker past McCrory and Diamond but Tomlinson is out at his feet and claims the ball just before Wells can look to strike for goal.
81min: MacDonald's free-kick into the area eventually falls into the path of Kee but the striker's header for goal is gathered up by McLaughlin at the second attempt.
80min: SUB - Burton bring on Jimmy Phillips for John McGrath.
78min: Huge shouts from the City camp for handball and a penalty when Atkinson's shot from is blocked out for a corner after Tomlinson had tipped away a searching Wells cross. The protests
76min: Maghoma fires a free-kick from around 25 yards out well over McLaughlin's bar.
74min: SUB - Burton bring on Michael Symes for Zola.
73min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Will Atkinson for Reid.
70min: Maghoma's low drive from distance is saved by McLaughlin.
66min: Davies heads a couple of yards wide of goal with a flying header from a Jones corner floated to the far post.
64min: Davies is back on the pitch complete with head bandage and the numberless 'blood' shirt.
62min: Davies is off the pitch at the moment receiving treatment for a cut to his head.
61min: McLaughlin comes out of his goal to punch clear a cross into his area. The 'keeper's punch only goes as far as the waiting Weir just outside the Burton's box. Weir helps the ball back into the area but, despite MacDonald trying to get a flick on it from close range, the ball bounces wide of goal.
59min: MacDonald's angled rising drive from just inside the area following a swift Burton attack forward is deflected behind.
58min: YELLOW CARD - O'Connor is booked for bringing down Davies just inside City's own half.
58min: Weir's low angled shot from inside the area is pushed away by McLaughlin before Meredith hacks clear the loose ball.
57min: GOAL!!!! Burton Albion 1 Bradford City 3 - City have the lead again! McLaughlin's long kick forward is headed on by Hanson and Wells is able to turn Diamond before firing into the ground and past Tomlinson's dive with a strike from around eight yards out.
55min: SUB - Burton bring on Billy Kee for Holness.
55min: GOAL - Burton Albion 1 Bradford City 2 -Maghoma fires home the penalty to level up the tie once more.
54min: YELLOW CARDS - McLaughlin and Doyle are booked for their protests following the award of the spot-kick.
53min: PENALTY TO BURTON - The Brewers have a penalty when Thompson fells the raiding Maghoma with a sliding tackle just inside the bx after the winger had got clear of Darby with a neat turn and drove towards City's area.
50min: GOAL!!!!! Burton Albion 0 Bradford City 2 - City are in front of the tie now! Wells' persistence following Hanson's flick forward presents his giant striking partner with a shooting opportunity just outside the area and Hanson takes it with aplomb, drilling the ball home low into the bottom corner.
46min: The Bantams restart the match.
HT: Burton Albion 0 Bradford City 1
45+1min: Zola's downward header from MacDonald's in-swinging free-kick from wide is straight at McLaughlin.
45min: There will be a minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
45min: YELLOW CARD - Wells is booked for a foul on Ian Sharps inside the Burton penalty area. It seems the card is for persistent fouling after the Bermudian had already been pulled up earlier for a couple previous fouls.
37min: Weir's drive from just outside the Bantams penalty area is pushed away by McLaughlin.
35min: Stephen Darby's long throw-in into the Burton penalty box is eventually only cleared as far as the waiting James Meredith but the left back's drive for goal from just outside the area flies well over.
31min: O'Connor has to hook clear from right in front of his own goal after McArdle had flicked a City free-kick to the far post with a glancing header.
29min: Another moment of drama at the Pirelli Stadium! Tomlinson has to race from his goal to the very edge of his own box to head clear just as Wells looks to get in behind Burton's defence again. Tomlinson's header out only finds the lurking Thompson, however, who fizzes the ball back in the danger zone. Wells tries to get his foot on the ball but the striker is felled from behind inside the area in the process. Referee Mr Scott gives a penalty to the Bantams before realising that the Bermudian had already been flagged for offside.
27min: GOAL!!!! Burton Albion 0 Bradford City 1 - City are in front! Wells is on hand to latch himself onto a weak attempt at a back header from Marcus Holness before slotting the ball past Tomlinson.
26min: McCrory's free-kick from around 25 yards out is straight at McLaughlin.
25min: Gary Jones gets back in time to block a shot from O'Connor just inside the Bantams penalty area following a swift Burton attack forward involving Zola and then Maghoma.
22min: Robbie Weir's header from just inside City's penalty area following a MacDonald corner is plucked out of the air in comfortable enough fashion by McLaughlin.
17min: CHANCE - City are caught out at the back for a moment when Zola's pass finds the surging Damien McCrory in plenty of space inside the Bantams area. The Burton left back clips a cross to the far post for the lurking Alex MacDonald, who sees his free header kicked clear from right in front of his own goal by Davies.
10min: Garry Thompson's forward pass finds Kyel Reid on the edge of Burton's penalty area but the winger's strike for goal sails harmlessly wide of Stuart Tomlinson's net.
7min: Anthony O'Connor's long throw-in into the area eventually finds Calvin Zola but, with Davies putting him under pressure, the giant striker can only slice an effort wide of McLaughlin's near post from around ten yards out.
1min: After turning away from Andrew Davies, Jacques Maghoma fires for goal from just outside the area but his low effort flies a yard or so with of Jon McLaughlin's goal.
0min: Burton kick off the match.
BURTON ALBION LINE UP
Tomlinson, O'Connor, Sharps, Holness, McCrory, Diamond, MacDonald, Weir, McGrath, Maghoma, Zola
Subs: Lyness, Webster, Phillips, Paterson, Drury, Kee, Symes
Burton changes:
Kee for Holness (55), Symes for Zola (74), Phillips for McGrath (80)
Burton cautions:
O'Connor (58), Diamond (82), MacDonald (88)
Burton dismissals:
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
McLaughlin, Darby, Davies, McArdle, Meredith, Thompson, Doyle, Jones, Reid, Wells, Hanson
Subs: Duke, Ravenhill, Atkinson, McHugh, Connell, Hines, Nelson
Bradford changes:
Atkinson for Reid (73)
Bradford cautions:
Wells (45), McLaughlin (54), Doyle (54)
Bradford dismissals:
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Graham Scott
Assistant Referee: Ian Dudley
Assistant Referee: Robert Ellis
Fourth Official: Paul Tierney
