BRADFORD CITY AFC

Tuesday 21 October 2014
Sky Bet League 1
Bristol City 2 (Flint 8, 82)
Bradford City 2 (Clarke 20, Routis 85)
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at Ashton Gate

Attendance: 12,548 (181 visitors)

Phil Parkinson's side showed commendable levels of spirit to twice come from behind to pick up a positive and well-deserved point at table-topping Bristol City.

Unbeaten all season, Bristol City took the lead when central defender Aden Flint headed home after eight minutes from a wide free-kick delivery by Luke Freeman.

City responded twelve minutes later when Mark Yeates' own set-piece delivery found the net thanks to a flicked header from Billy Clarke that deflected in off home defender Mark Little.

The Bantams could have capped a remarkable comeback just seconds later but Clarke hit the post from only yards out with the goal gaping after a Yeates effort that had struck the bar dropped into the forward's path.

As time ticked away in the game, City looked set to take a share of the spoils until Flint's second goal of the game in the 82nd minute gave the hosts the lead again in controversial circumstances.

Jordan Pickford clearly seemed to be knocked into by Derrick Williams as he came to catch a Freeman corner but no foul was given and Flint was able to smash in the loose ball from close range.

Just three minutes later though, City were sensationally back level again through a corner of their own to ensure they collected a point to go with their positive performance against the league leaders.

Substitute Filipe Morais' kick was headed down into the mix by fellow replacement James Hanson for the lurking Christopher Routis. The Frenchman showed great calmness to connect with a controlled half-volley that rattled off the underside of the bar and then down onto the the goal-line before crashing into the roof of Frank Fielding's net.

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FT: Bristol City 2 Bradford City 2
90+2min: Flint mets an out-swinging Freeman corner delivery but his header goes over the bar.
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
85min: GOAL - Bristol City 2 Bradford City 2 - City equalise again! Hanson heads a Morais corner down into the middle of the box and Routis is on hand to crash home the ball with a controlled half-volley that rattles in off the underside of the bar.
82min: GOAL - Bristol City 2 Bradford City 1 - Flint bundles the ball home from a Freeman corner to give Bristol City the lead once again. Pickford comes out to claim the corner delivery but he fails to hang onto the ball, seemingly due to a nudge on the 'keeper, and Flint is on hand to fire the loose ball into the goal despite a couple of City players being on the line.
78min: Freeman's low angled strike on the turn from around the edge of the area whistles narrowly wide of Pickford's far post.
75min: Freeman picks up the ball just outside the area but his shot on the turn goes over the bar.
73min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Filipe Morais for Halliday.
72min: Emmanuel-Thomas strikes from distance but his left-footed drive goes over the bar.
69min: SUB - Bristol City bring on Jay Emmanuel-Thomas for Agard.
68min: SUB - The Bantams bring on James Hanson for Clarke.
62min: SUB - Bristol City bring on Greg Cunningham for Bryan.
57min: Routis' low driven cross into the box is pushed out by Fielding into space around the edge of Bristol City's penalty area. Yeates is first onto the loose ball but his low drive curls narrowly wide of the far post.
57min: After being found by Stead, Halliday runs at Williams before cutting inside and curling an effort goalwards with his favoured left foot from outside the box. Fielding can only parry the strike but the ball bounces just out of the reach of the lurking Clarke, who is looking for a simple tap-in.
53min: After a one-two with Wilbraham a few yards outside City's box, Marlon Pack fires in a low drive that goes wide of Pickford's goal.
47min: Elliott's searching cross towards the far post is out of the reach of Pickford but Bryan on the stretch over by the far by-line can only fire wide with a first time effort.
47min: Elliott tries his luck from distance and sees his dipping drive just sail over Pickford's bar.
46min: Agard looks set for a dangerous run towards City's penalty area but a well-timed tackle by Sheehan prevents the striker from having a clear run on Pickford's goal.
HT: Bristol City 1 Bradford City 1
45+3min: Sheehan takes aim from distance after receiving the ball after some patient City build up play. The defender's left-footed drive is on target but the effort flies straight into the gloves of Fielding.
45min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
44min: Yeates takes on a shot from distance but the effort goes over the bar.
43min: Freeman strikes for goal from outside the area but the midfielder's rising drive is held by Pickford.
42min: Meredith's long ball over the top threatens to put Stead in behind Bristol City's defence but Fielding sprints out of his area to head the ball away from the striker and clear the potential danger on his own goal.
41min: Elliott's cross into the box is met by the head of Wilbraham but the striker's header is straight at Pickford.
39min: The ball drops to Elliott just outside the box but the midfielder's drive for goal is sliced comfortably wide of its intended target.
37min: SUB - The Bantams do indeed bring on Alan Sheehan for the injured Davies. Routis and Liddle move back to their starting positions of right back and central midfield respectively as a result. Liddle has taken over the captain's armband.
37min: Davies is off the pitch at the moment and looking set to be substituted due to an apparent calf problem. Routis has moved temporarily to centre half and Liddle to right back.
32min: James Meredith's cross is met by Yeates but the Irishman's header on the stretch loops up as it makes its way towards goal, making it an easy catch for Fielding.
29min: Agard's lofted pass finds Little in space just inside the box but the right wing-back's shot on the turn flashes a yard or so wide of goal.
27min: Freeman drills a low drive across City's six yard box but the presence is just enough to prevent Agard having a simple tap-in as the striker slides the ball wide of Pickford's net.
25min: Clarke has a pop from outside the box after turning away from Wade Elliott but his right-footed drive is scuffed and it bobbles harmlessly into Fielding's path.
24min: YELLOW CARD - Aaron Wilbraham is booked for a late tackle on Liddle a few yards into the Bantams' half of the pitch.
23min: A driving run deep into City's territory by Derrick Williams ends with the defender trying a cross-come-shot into the box that Pickford has back-pedaling to ensure the ball doesn't drop under his crossbar.
22min: A free-kick from distance by Christopher Routis is floated towards the far post but Davies heads over.
21min: How have City not took the lead?! A fine driving run by Yeates into the box sees the winger beat Luke Ayling before lofting in a strike that pings against Fielding's crossbar. The rebound drops invitingly into the path of Clarke but the striker can only volley against the post with an open goal at his menace around six yard out.
20min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bristol City 1 Bradford City 1 - The Bantams are level through a deflected header from Clarke! Yeates' delivery from a wide free-kick is met by Clarke, who flicks the ball on with a glancing header by the near post. The ball seems to take another touch off a secondary player on its way through before beating Fielding.
18min: A clever pass into the area by Mark Little picks out Kieran Agard in a pocket of space. Agard looks to be in with a clear sight of goal for a second but a recovering Andrew Davies manages to put pressure on the striker and he fires wide of goal.
16min: After playing a one-two with Gary Liddle at corner, Yeates' clipped cross into the area is met by McArdle but the defender's header is straight at Frank Fielding.
14min: Joe Bryan strikes for goal on his weaker right foot from outside the box but his low drive is held by Pickford.
10min: City so close to possibly equalising! Mark Yeates' dangerous in-swinging cross into the middle is met by the lurking Andy Halliday, who has sneaked in unmarked by the far post. Stretching for the ball though, Halliday can only fire the ball across goal, not towards it, as his effort flashes just in front of team-mate Billy Clarke.
8min: GOAL - Bristol City 1 Bradford City 0 - The hosts have the lead when Freeman's wide free-kick from just outside the box is headed home by an unmarked Aden Flint around eight yards out.
5min: Luke Freeman bursts into the box after picking up the ball but he is forced wide by Rory McArdle and his effort on the half-volley from near the byline flashes over Jordan Pickford's bar.
0min: Bristol City kick off the match.


BRISTOL CITY LINE UP
Fielding, Ayling, Flint, Williams, Little, Pack, Bryan, Elliott, Freeman, Wilbraham, Agard

Subs: Richards, Osborne, El-Abd, Emmanuel-Thomas, Wagstaff, Cunningham, Burns

Bristol City cautions:
Wilbraham (24)

Bristol City changes:
Cunningham for Bryan (62), Emmanuel-Thomas for Agard (69)


BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
Pickford, Routis, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Kennedy, Liddle, Halliday, Yeates, Clarke, Stead

Subs: Williams, Dolan, Sheehan, Mclean, Hanson, Knott, Morais

Bradford City changes:
Sheehan for Davies (37), Hanson for Clarke (68), Morais for Halliday (73)


MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: D Bond
Assistant Referee: W Barratt
Assistant Referee: C Husband
Fourth Official: J Farries