BRADFORD CITY AFC

Saturday 22 November 2014
Sky Bet League 1
Bradford City 1 (Legge O.G 56)
Gillingham 1 (German 90+3)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Coral Windows Stadium

Attendance: 12,434 (203 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Gintare Karpaviciute

The Bantams were cruelly denied victory by a barely-deserved injury time equaliser from Gillingham.

Following Leon Legge's own goal shortly before the hour mark, City looked to be heading for their third straight win in all competitions until Gills substitute Antonio German pounced to nab the visitors a point in the third minute of four minutes of added on time.

German's late leveller was cruel on Phil Parkinson's men, especially after they had looked the more likely scorers for most of the contest.

Billy Knott, who replaced the injured Filipe Morais early into the match, struck the post in the first half after great hold-up play from Jon Stead. Second half substitute James Hanson also hit the woodwork after being teed up by Billy Clarke.

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FT: Bradford City 1 Gillingham 1
90+4min: Yeates volleys wide of Nelson's near post after being played into a pocket of space inside Gillingham's penalty area by Liddle.
90+3min: GOAL - Bradford City 1 Gillingham 1 - Heartbreak for the Bantams as Gillingham equalise deep into injury time! Dickenson's far post corner is headed back across goal by Legge and German is on hand to convert the ball into the corner of Pickford's goal.
90min: Kedwell volleys narrowly over from around fourteen yards following McGlashan's cross into the penalty area.
85min: Knott's cross into the area finds the feet of Hanson. The striker eventually gets a shot away but the effort bobbles comfortably into the grasp of Nelson.
84min: After latching onto a loose Liddle clearance, Loft tries his luck from distance but the long range effort flashes well wide of goal.
84min: Yeates' deflected drive from just inside the area loops up into the path of Hanson but the back-peddling striker's header lacks the power or placement to trouble Nelson.
82min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Jason Kennedy for Clarke.
81min: Kedwell is involved almost immediately, connecting with Hessenthaler's wide free-kick delivery but his header is saved by Pickford.
81min: SUB - Gillingham bring on Danny Kedwell for Dack.
77min: Clarke plays Hanson into space inside the area and the striker's first time effort for goal hits the outside of Nelson's far post!
75min: Dack's cut back from the byline has German interested but the striker's close range effort is blocked out by McArdle.
70min: SUB - The Bantams bring on James Hanson for Stead.
68min: SUBS - Gillingham bring on Antonio German and Jermaine McGlashan for McDonald and Hause respectively.
66min: Yeates goes for goal from just outside the box but his curling strike is held low to his right by Nelson.
63min: Clarke's neat little ball into the box finds the run of Stead but the striker's shot is blocked by Hause.
58min: Chicksen's lofted ball into the area is helped on by Egan but the defender's glancing header is comfortable enough for Pickford.
56min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!! Bradford City 1 Gillingham 0 - The Bantams have the lead through an own goal from Legge. A slip from Hause gives Halliday a clear run into the penalty area. As the midfielder moves towards Nelson's goal, he attempts the curl the ball into the far corner and Legge, who is trying to clear with a sliding tackle, ends up diverting the ball into his own goal.
49min: Clarke fizzes the ball across the area, narrowly missing the runs of Stead and Yeates in the process.
48min: Halliday takes aim from around 25 yards out but his rising effort goes comfortably over Nelson's bar.
46min: Gillingham restart the match.
HT: Bradford City 0 Gillingham 0
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
45min: GOAL!!......NO! Stead has the ball in the net for City after slamming home Yeates' curling in-swinging cross but the striker's celebration are cut short by the linesman's flag for offside.
43min: Halliday's header from Yeates' searching far post corner is fumbled behind by Nelson.
42min: A neat one-two by Stead and Yeates looks to given the former a clear sight off goal inside the area but the ball is whipped off the toes of Stead by a great last-ditch tackle from Legge.
36min: Hoyte's floated ball across the six yard box has to be headed behind for a corner by Stephen Darby, who is positioned over by the far post and right in front of his own goal.
34min: Knott is denied by a great save from Nelson! Brilliant hold-up play from Stead eventually sees the striker tee the ball up invitingly for the on-rushing Knott just inside the area. The midfielder strides onto the ball confidently but Knott's power side-footed effort is turned onto the post by a great reaction save from the Gillingham's 'keeper.
32min: Leon Legge heads narrowly wide of Pickford's goal following Brennan Dickenson's searching corner delivery towards the far post.
30min: Yeates' teasing corner delivery flashes across goal, narrowly beating the runs of Stead, Davies and Clarke in the middle. The ball pops up for McArdle seconds later but the defender can't get the power required in his header and the effort from around ten yards out pops up into the gloves of Nelson.
28min: Dack goes mightily close to netting a stunning goal for the visitors! Doug Loft's wide free-kick delivery is headed out of the box by Liddle but Dack is lurking and connects with a superb volley from around 20 yards out that only narrowly goes over Pickford's bar.
27min: McArdle heads over after making a run to meet Yeates' near post corner delivery.
26min: Yeates and Liddle work a short corner, allowing the Irishman to send over a searching far post cross which Andrew Davies heads over via a deflection off Egan.
21min: YELLOW CARD - Jake Hessenthaler is booked for a late challenge on Halliday midway into City's territory.
19min: Bradley Dack is found in space by the byline deep inside City's penalty area. Dack elects to shoot instead of cross the ball and his effort on the half-volley smashes into the side-netting by Pickford's near post.
18min: SUB - Unfortunately it seems Morais isn't able to shake off his earlier knock - apparently an injury to his right arm - and the Portuguese attacker is replaced by Billy Knott. The change means Andy Halliday will move out onto the right flank, allowing Knott to partner Gary Liddle in central midfield.
18min: After seeing his corner delivery half-cleared, Yeates whips in an inviting cross towards the far post but Rory McArdle heads wide on the stretch.
15min: Adam Chicksen's cross into the area is headed well wide by Kortney Hause.
13min: Gillingham right wing back Gavin Hoyte is found in space deep inside City's penalty area via a searching forward pass from a team-mate. The angle of the pass crucially sends Hoyte away from Pickford's goal, however, and the defender's side-footed effort from a relatively tight angle is blocked by the Bantams shot-stopper.
12min: Cutting inside from a wide position, Stead fires for goal from just outside the box but his low angled drive doesn't have enough curl on it and the effort skips wide of Stuart Nelson's far post.
10min: Stead eyes must have lighted up as Morais' teasing cross looks to be falling into his path deep inside the penalty area. Just as the striker sets himself for a connection, however, the ball is whipped away from him by a vital intervention via the outstretched boot of Egan.
9min: There are muted shouts for a penalty when Stead appears to be possibly being held by John Egan as Morais' fizzes a cross into the mix. Nothing is given, however, as play is allowed to continue by referee Mr Duncan.
4min: Filipe Morais requires a spot of treatment from Head Physio Matt Barrass after an awkward fall trying to keep the ball in play deep inside Gillingham's penalty area. City have to briefly play on with only ten men but Morais is back on the pitch and able to continue shortly afterwards.
3min: Cody McDonald has the ball in the net for Gillingham after being put through on goal but the flag had already been raised for offside before the striker had even beaten Jordan Pickford.
2min: After being feed into space by James Meredith, Clarke moves into the box before fizzing the ball across the six yard box and out for a goal-kick, narrowly missing Jon Stead in the middle.
1min: Mark Yeates takes aim with a free-kick from just outside the box but the effort is straight into the Gillingham wall and the visitors can clear.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match. They will attack towards the Community Kop in the first half.


BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:
Pickford, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Morais, Liddle, Halliday, Yeates, Clarke, Stead

Subs: Williams, Sheehan, Hanson, Knott, Zoko, Kennedy, Routis

Bradford City changes:
Knott for Morais (18), Hanson for Stead (70), Kennedy for Clarke (82)

GILLINGHAM LINE UP:
Nelson, Legge, Egan, Hause, Hoyte, Hessenthaler, Dack, Loft, Chicksen, Dickenson, McDonald

Subs: Morris, Kedwell, McGlashan, German, Linganzi, Pritchard, Norris

Gillingham cautions:
Hessenthaler (21)

Gillingham changes:
German for McDonald (68), McGlashan for Hause (68), Kedwell for Dack (81)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: S Duncan
Assistant Referee: T Bramall
Assistant Referee: I Dudley
Fourth Official: C Akers