Monday 21 October 2013
F.A Youth Cup First Round
Scunthorpe United 0
Bradford City 2 (Chippendale 19, Brennan 55)
Kick Off: 7:00pm
at Glanford Park
City's apprentices booked their place in the second round of the F.A Youth Cup thanks to a strong and determined display that proved enough to dispose of hosts Scunthorpe United.
A superb free-kick from Callum Chippendale in the first half gave the Bantams the interval lead before a close range finish from Joe Brennan put City in control ten minutes after the break.
The victory was all the more impressive for City's youngsters given their defensive problems in the build up to the match and during the tie itself.
Youth team coach Steve Thornber had suffered a blow in his pre-match preparations when defender Niall Heaton had to pull out barely hours before kick off because of a sickness bug.
Thornber's side would then go onto to suffer a further hit when centre half James King went off at half-time, meaning attacker Nathan Curtis playing the whole of the second half in central defence.
Nevertheless City, who have won all seven of their league games so far this season, started the tie in confident fashion and took the lead after nineteen minutes through a delightful free-kick curled into the top corner from outside the area by Chippendale.
For Chippendale, it proved a case of third time lucky after the young attacker had already fired in a free-kick narrowly over and then another one against the bar before his opener.
Chippendale's strike against the bar was one of two early City efforts to hit the woodwork as Curtis clipped the top of the bar as well with a looping header from a Calum Hepworth cross.
After City's purposeful start, hosts Scunthorpe did come back into the contest, with Iron striker Curtis Bateson finding himself on the end of one particularly promising opening ten minutes before the break.
A Reece Mosanya cross found the striker in plenty of space inside City's penalty area but his low effort was repelled thanks to a smart save with his right leg by City 'keeper Jack Bentley.
Bentley was also called upon to tip a Connor Smythe free-kick around the post and cling onto a rising drive from Bateson from the edge of the area later in the half, but City kept hold of their hard-fought lead into the interval.
After losing Heaton to illness earlier in the day, City were on the receiving end of more defensive problems during the break when centre half James King came off at half time for Reece Webb-Foster - presumably due to an injury.
King's departure meant Curtis, normally a winger or striker, playing in central defence for the second half.
Despite the defensive reshuffle though, it didn't stop the Bantams from extending their lead ten minutes after the restart.
Hepworth's hanging delivery into the box from a deep free-kick was headed on into the path of Brennan, who displayed commendable composure to take control of the ball before slotting past home shot-stopper Patrick Weaver.
With Scunthorpe now having it all to do, the hosts sent about trying to put City's makeshift defence under some pressure as time ticked away.
Fifteen minutes from the end, it seemed like Hakeeb Adelakun had a clear run on goal when he was played in behind the Bantams' backline. Rookie defender Curtis had other ideas, however, as he produced a superbly-timed sliding tackle to rob the Scunthorpe winger of the ball just outside the six yard box.
Adelakun had another sight of goal when he burst into the box with menace less than three minutes from the end but his low drive was turned around the post by the legs of Bentley.
In injury time, Chippendale continued to show his impressive skills from dead-ball situations when he fired another free-kick from distance against Weaver's bar.
City didn't need the cushion of a third goal, however, as Thornber's side saw out the remaining minutes with relative ease to book their safe passage into the next round.
Bradford City
1. Jack Bentley
2. Calum Hepworth
3. Rhys Jenkinson
4. Sam Wright
5. James King
6. James Pollard
7. Dylan Mottley-Henry
8. Callum Chippendale
9. Oliver McBurnie
10. Joe Brennan
11. Nathan Curtis
Subs:
14. Reece Webb-Foster for King (46)
16. Sumali Cissa for Mottley-Henry (75)
Substitutes not used:
12. Elliott Barker (GK)
15. Xander McBurnie
Club News
City secure F.A Youth Cup victory
21 October 2013
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