BRADFORD CITY AFC

Attendance: 18,794 (3,130 visiting supporters)
Pictures kindly provided by Thomas Gadd

A rousing second half comeback from Phil Parkinson's men secured City a share of the spoils from an entertaining Yorkshire derby at Bramall Lane.

After first half goals from United duo Jamie Murphy and Harry Maguire, City, who also lost Kyel Reid to nasty-looking injury in the opening period, found themselves with it all to do at the interval.

A deflected drive from Gary Jones and a close range finish from James Hanson early into the second period, however, turned the game on its head and brought the Bantams back level.

Following Hanson's leveller, City had to endure some late United pressure as the hosts pushed hard to fire themselves back in front. But the Bantams' back-line, who finished with Matthew Bates at left back, stood firm to pick up a morale-boosting point.

---

FT: Sheffield United 2 Bradford City 2
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
90min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Andy Gray for Mclean.
89min: A through ball from Flynn has Miller in behind City's defences. The substitute attacker rounds McLaughlin from a very tight angle but the Bantams 'keeper's presence is just about enough to prevent Miller from getting a shot in on goal. The ball eventually ends up at the feet of Flynn just outside the area and the winger curls a shot narrowly over the bar.
88min: SUB - United bring on Conor Coady for McGinn.
84min: YELLOW CARD - Thompson is booked for a late flying tackle on Matt Hill over by the far byline deep in United's half.
80min: McMahon curls the resulting free-kick a yard or so wide of McLaughlin's near post.
80min: SUB - After seemingly picking up an injury in the clash with Darby, Baxter comes off for Shaun Miller.
77min: YELLOW CARD - Darby is booked for catching Baxter from behind as the United attacker surges towards City's penalty area.
75min: United have been testing City severely in the last few minutes with a number of searching crosses into the box. A couple of brave blocks have been required, but City have survived more than one scramble inside their own area.
73min: YELLOW CARD - Nathan Doyle is booked for catching Michael Doyle late with an attempted challenge midway into City's half.
72min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Nathan Doyle for Kennedy.
68min: Flynn's clever pass into the area from the United right flank plays Stephen McGinn into plenty of space. McGinn shoots for goal but his rising drive is pushed around the near post by McLaughlin.
64min: Garry Thompson curls a left-footer effort a yard or two over the bar from just outside the area.
63min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Sheffield United 2 Bradford City 2 - The Bantams are level! Jones' in-swinging delivery from a wide free-kick is narrowly missed by the run of McArdle but it appears to flick off the leg of Long before landing in the path of Hanson, who crashes home from close range.
61min: SUB - Chris Porter comes on for Paynter for the Blades.
60min: Yeates' raising drive from distance sails into the hands of Long.
56min: GOAL!!!!!!! Sheffield United 2 Bradford City 1 - City have a way back in the match when Jones' drive from around twenty yards out takes a deflection off a United player to completely wrong-foot Long and see the ball roll into the corner.
55min: It seems Phil Parkinson has swapped Matthew Bates and McHugh around at the start of the second half so that Bates will now play at left back.
54min: McMahon's ball into the box is sent over the bar by a on-rushing Baxter.
50min: City go close early in the second half! Yeates' teasing clipped cross looks to have given Hanson a great sight of goal barely eight yards out. Unfortunately for City though, the giant striker narrowly misses out on connecting with the ball right in the middle of goal before Mclean, who probably isn't expecting the ball to come to him, fires wide over by the far post.
46min: United kick off the second half.
HT: Sheffield United 2 Bradford City 0
45+1min: Neil Collins heads a Baxter corner down into the mix but a lurking Murphy can only fire over with a snap shot on the turn from around six yards out.
45+1min: Baxter's low shot from just outside the box is pushed around the post by McLaughlin.
45min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
42min: Ryan Flynn's cut-back cross from the byline is headed well wide of the target by a lurking Baxter in the area.
40min: GOAL - Sheffield United 2 Bradford City 0 - Things get worse for City when Maguire heads home a flighted Baxter corner to the far post. McLaughlin managed to get a hand on the header but it still squeezed home despite Jason Kennedy's presence on the line.
31min: SUB - A sizeable blow for City here unfortunately as Kyel Reid is stretched off after going down in agony following a challenge from McMahon. The winger receives treatment for nearly four minutes on the pitch from City physio Matt Barrass before he leaving on a stretcher and being replaced by Mark Yeates.
24min: Harry Maguire's far post header from a flighted Baxter corner is pushed over by McLaughlin.
21min: Baxter's curling effort from around twenty yards out but the strike is comfortably held by McLaughlin.
14min: McMahon's looping shot-come-cross across the Bradford box is reached by a stretching Baxter but he can only fire an effort well over from around eight yards out.
14min: A United free-kick into the box falls into Billy Paynter's path but his strike for goal is partially blocked by McArdle before Jon McLaughlin can gather up the loose ball.
11min: Rory McArdle heads wide from a decent position inside the area after jumping highest to reach yet another Jones corner delivery.
11min: CHANCE! City go tremendously close to equalising! Hanson's looping header from another Jones corner bounces off Long's bar. Carl McHugh is first to react and fires for goal from inside the six yard box with the rebound. Baxter is on hand to block the effort away on the line but the Bantams players close to the incident are incensed because they feel he has cleared the ball off the line with his elbow. On first glance, it looks like they may have a point.
9min: Mclean sends a powerful header narrowly over the bar from the corner delivery that follows.
9min: Aaron Mclean latches onto a knock forward from Hanson but his effort for goal is scuffed into the ground and eventually deflects out for a corner.
7min: GOAL - Sheffield United 1 Bradford City 0 - The hosts take the lead early into the contest when Tony McMahon's teasing low centre across the six yard box is converted by a sliding Jamie Murphy at the far post.
3min: James Hanson gets his head onto a wide free-kick delivery from Gary Jones but his header lacks the power or precision to trouble George Long, who can gather the effort with relative ease.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match. They will defend the goal housing City's estimated 3,000+ away following in the first half.

Long, McMahon, Maguire, Collins, Hill, Flynn, Doyle, McGinn, Murphy, Baxter, Paynter

Subs: Howard, Porter, Miller, Coady, McFadzean, Whitestone, Kennedy

Sheffield United changes:
Porter for Paynter (61), Miller for Baxter (80), Coady for McGinn (88)

McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Bates, McHugh, Thompson, Jones, Kennedy, Reid, Mclean, Hanson

Subs: Jameson, Oliver, Gray, Yeates, Taylor, Graham, Doyle

Bradford City changes:
Yeates for Reid (31), Doyle for Kennedy (72), Gray for Mclean (90)

Bradford City cautions:
Doyle (73), Darby (77),Thompson (84)

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: R East
Assistant Referee: R Ganfield
Assistant Referee: J Brooks
Fourth Official: D Whitestone