BRADFORD CITY AFC

Saturday 2 November 2013
Sky Bet League 1
Crewe Alexandra 0
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Alexandra Stadium

Attendance: 5,428 (1,371 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Claire Epton

City battled to a goalless draw against Crewe Alexandra in difficult conditions at the Alexandra Stadium.

With a noticeable wind swirling around the ground for almost all of the match, Phil Parkinson's Bantams overcame the tricky weather to pick a deserved point.

The Crewe stalemate ensured City also picked up their third away clean sheet of the season.

The Bantams' day didn't get off to the best of starts when heavy traffic on the M6 motorway due a couple of accidents meant Parkinson's side got to the stadium with just less than an hour to go before kick off.

Once the game got underway though, it was the Bantams who created the better of the openings in the blustery conditions.

Making his first start since injuring his ankle in late September, Nahki Wells fired wide from just inside the area in the first half following a bright break forward led by Nathan Doyle.

Wells' strike partner, James Hanson, saw an effort on the stretch from a Gary Jones corner saved on the line by Crewe 'keeper Alan Martin early into the second half.

Martin would deny Hanson again later in the half when the shot-stopper produced a great reflex save to push away a downward header from the Bantams striker following James Meredith's cross into the box.

The hosts themselves had chances of their own, however, with Harry Davis denied by a diving save from Jon McLaughlin to push behind the defender's free-kick. City's shot-stopper also kept out a late drive from Byron Moore to preserve the Bantams' away point.

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FT: Crewe Alexandra 0 Bradford City 0
90+3min: Evans goes for the curler from just outside the area after being teed up by Moore but his shot sails a yard or so over the bar.
90+2min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Caleb Folan for Wells.
90+2min: The ball drops into the path of Moore inside the area but his low angled drive from around ten yards out is held by McLaughlin.
90min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the game.
90min: Inman beats Darby for pace down City's right flank before fizzing in a low centre right across the six yard box. Luckily for the Bantams though, the first player to meet it is Meredith over by the far post who puts the ball out for a corner.
89min: SUB - Crewe bring on Abdul Osman for Oliver.
87min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Mark Yeates for Reid.
86min: Wells goes for an ambitious lob from just outside the area with a shot on the turn but Martin gets back to cling onto the effort.
82min: Inman's low curling effort from just outside the area narrowly bounces wide of McLaughlin's far post.
75min: SUB - Crewe bring on Bradden Inman for Clayton.
72min: Reid tries his luck from distance but his low effort bounces a good couple of yards wide of Martin's far post.
71min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Garry Thompson for De Vita.
64min: Hanson flings himself at a Meredith cross but the striker's downward header is brilliantly pushed away by a smart reaction save from Martin low down to his left.
62min: Davis' low curling strike from the direct free-kick that follows is turned around the post by a diving McLaughlin.
61min: YELLOW CARD - Meredith is booked for clipping Anthony Grant as the midfielder surged towards City's penalty area.
57min: Hanson stretches to reach a hanging corner delivery from Jones but the striker's effort is caught on the line by Martin.
55min: Mellor makes an important headed clearance over by his far post with Hanson looking to get his own header in from close range following a searching cross into the box from Darby.
54min: McLaughlin just about stops a pass-back from Darby going out for a corner but the Bantams 'keeper is quickly closed down by Oliver. The home striker slides in to tackle McLaughlin but, luckily for City, the tackle comes right by the byline and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.
51min: A drive from outside the area by Doyle is deflected into the path of Hanson, who is lurking in the box. The striker fires for goal from around twelve yards out but his low effort trickles wide of goal by a couple of yards.
49min: Reid fires the ball into the area with pacey shot-come-cross but the effort sails past everyone and out for a goal-kick.
47min: City briefly have problems clearing their lines after a deflected pass from Aneke just outside the area gets caught up the afternoon wind. The ball swirls around just inside City's box but the gathered defenders are eventually able to kick clear.
46min: Crewe restart the game.
HT: Crewe Alexandra 0 Bradford City 0
45min: There will be one minute added on at the end of the match.
45min: Aneke's low drive from outside the box trickles well wide of McLaughlin's goal.
41min: Wells shoots on the turn with a volley following Hanson's headed flick-on but the Bermudian's effort bounces a good few yards wide of goal.
40min: Darby's teasing cross into the area is flicked over by Hanson on the stretch.
35min: Aneke's low drive from around 20 yards out is gathered by McLaughlin.
33min: A volleyed effort from De Vita just outside the box latches the necessary power to trouble Martin, who gathers the low strike with relative ease.
31min: Wells fires wide from just inside the area with a low angled drive that misses Martin's far post by a yard or so after the striker had been played into space by Nathan Doyle.
29min: Wells fires wide of Martin's near post with a rising drive from just inside the penalty area.
26min: Bates heads over in the area following Jones' teasing delivery from a wide free-kick.
23min: Matthew Bates tries to shepherd the ball back to McLaughlin but the Bantams 'keeper still has to come out of his area to kick clear with Oliver and Moore closing in.
21min: George Evans' drive from outside the area is pushed away by McLaughlin.
20min: Rory McArdle has to make an important headed clearance by his far post to prevent Vadaine Oliver latching onto a teasing cross from Byron Moore.
19min: McLaughlin has to race clear from his goal to prevent Max Clayton latching onto a Chuks Aneke through ball for a clear run forward.
18min: A Stephen Darby cross seems to get caught under the feet of Adam Dugdale as the defender tries to clear, allowing Hanson to nip in. The strike fires for goal but his rising drive from around twelve yards out clears the crossbar.
15min: A short corner routine involving Kyel Reid, Gary Jones and James Meredith eventually ends with De Vita getting in a header at the far post which is straight at Alan Martin.
12min: YELLOW CARD - Raffaele De Vita is booked for a late challenge on Jon Guthrie just inside City's half of the pitch.
4min: Nahki Wells latches onto a James Hanson headed flick on just inside the area but he is dispossessed by Harry Davis just as the Bermudian looks to turn the defender and give himself a clear sight of goal.
2min: Kelvin Mellor's low cross into the area finds an unmarked Max Clayton but his first time shot from around twelve yards out is scuffed and bounces harmlessly wide of goal.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match. It seems that City will be playing into quite a prominent breeze in the first half.

CREWE ALEXANDRA LINE UP
Martin, Mellor, Davis, Dugdale, Guthrie, Moore, Evans, Grant, Aneke, Oliver, Clayton

Subs: Garratt, Ellis, Osman, Leitch-Smith, Ray, Inman, Molyneux

Crewe Alexandra changes:
Inman for Clayton (75), Osman for Oliver (89)


BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
McLaughlin, Darby, Bates, McArdle, Meredith, De Vita, Jones, Doyle, Reid, Wells, Hanson

Subs: Ripley, Kennedy, Thompson, Yeates, Taylor, McHugh, Folan

Bradford City changes:
Thompson for De Vita (71), Yeates for Reid (87), Folan for Wells (90+2)

Bradford City cautions:
De Vita (12), Meredith (61)


MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: J Simpson
Assistant Referee: P Dermott
Assistant Referee: P Marsden
Fourth Official: N Radford