BRADFORD CITY AFC

Tuesday 16 September 2014
Sky Bet League 1
Milton Keynes Dons 1 (Lewington 41)
Bradford City 2 (Mclean 25, Clarke 27)
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at stadiummk

Attendance: 7,139 (251 visitors)

A superb team effort from Phil Parkinson's Bantams got City back to winning ways with a much-deserved victory at an in-form Milton Keynes Dons.

Shrugging off the lost of James Hanson to a thigh injury in the warm-up, Parkinson's side secured their third away win on the trot thanks to first half goals from Aaron Mclean and Billy Clarke - Hanson's late replacement in the Bantams' line up.

The opener from Mclean, who was recalled as one of two changes by Parkinson from Saturday's Swindon Town game, came when the forward bundled home a Billy Knott corner in the twenty-fifth minute of the contest at stadiummk.

The Bantams doubled their lead just two minutes later when Clarke picked up a mis-placed pass from Dons defender Anthony Kay before drilling home his first goal for the club with a fine low drive into the bottom corner from just outside the box.

Dons skipper Dean Lewington gave the hosts a lifeline at the end of the half when Jordan Pickford failed to keep hold of an awkward Samir Carruthers free-kick delivery into the box and the defender pounced to slam into the net.

MK Dons pushed for an equaliser in the second half but City, who were marshalled superbly at the back by Rory McArdle and French defender Christopher Routis, showed commendable levels of discipline and determination to hold them at bay.

City, in fact, could have had a third in the match when substitute Filipe Morais teed up Mark Yeates inside the area fourteen minutes from the end but the Irishman's effort was repelled by home shot-stopper David Martin.

As time ticked down towards the conclusion of the match, City had to endure one or two nervy moments, including when Darren Potter fired over from a corner deep in injury time, but there was no denying City and their hard-working players.

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FT: Milton Keynes Dons 1 Bradford City 2
90+3min: Bowditch's corner delivery finds Hitchcock lurking at the far post. The striker helps the ball back across the area but Potter fires over the bar with a rash drive.
90+3min: McFadzean's ball into Afobe gives the striker a sight of goal inside the area. The forward's first effort is blocked by Routis before his second strike deflects off Liddle and out for a corner.
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
82min: YELLOW CARD - Potter is booked for blocking off Bennett as the City attacker looked to burst into MK Dons' half of the pitch.
80min: Bowditch's near post corner delivery from the resulting set-piece is flicked on by Kay but Pickford dives on the ball before Grigg can try to scramble it over the line.
80min: Bowditch's teasing centre into the six yard box is sliced across goal by Routis before Darby heads behind for a corner over by the far post.
79min: Powell's hanging ball into the six yard box is just too high for the lurking Hitchcock in the middle. The striker falls to the ground, seemingly suggesting he has been barged into, but the referee is having nothing of it and lets play continue.
78min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Mason Bennett for Clarke.
77min: SUB - MK Dons bring on Tom Hitchcock for Baldock.
76min: A flowing City move down their right flank eventually sees Morais pull the ball back from the byline to the waiting Yeates but the Irishman's first time effort is straight at Martin.
74min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Filipe Morais for Knott.
74min: YELLOW CARD - Baldock is booked for a late tackle on McBurnie by the near touchline midway into City's half of the pitch.
72min: Yeates fires low for goal from outside the area. The shot takes a deflects as it spins forwards but a diving Martin flings himself across to stop the ball going out for a corner.
69min: Alli plays the ball across the area to the waiting Powell but the winger's rising effort from just inside the box goes over the bar.
63min: McBurnie cuts inside towards goal before firing in a low drive from outside the box that is straight at Martin.
62min: Just before play can begin again following the two substitutions, MK Dons Karl Robinson is sent to the stands by referee Mr Marriner, presumably for something he said that had been reported to the official.
61min: SUB - MK Dons bring on Dean Bowditch for Reeves.
61min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Oliver McBurnie for Mclean.
60min: YELLOW CARD - Yeates is booked for a strong tackle on George Baldock as the pair went for the ball just outside MK Dons' box.
53min: SUB - MK Dons bring on Benik Afobe for Carruthers.
50min: Reeves plays a one-two with Carruthers before drilling in a low effort from outside the box which is held by Pickford.
46min: MK Dons restart the game.
HT: Milton Keynes Dons 1 Bradford City 2
45+2min: Carruthers makes a late run from outside the box to reach Reeves' low corner into the box but the attacker slides his near post effort from close range comfortably over the bar.
45min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
45min: Carruthers turns away from Liddle's attentions before fizzing in a low drive from outside the box that whistles just past Pickford's near post.
41min: GOAL - Milton Keynes Dons 1 Bradford City 2 - The Dons have a goal back through Dean Lewington from the resulting set-piece. Carruthers' in-swinging free-kick delivery is spilled by Pickford as the ball bounces awkwardly in front of him. City try to clear the loose ball from their box but Lewington is on hand to drive home into the bottom corner.
40min: YELLOW CARD - Stephen Darby is booked for bringing down Powell as the MK Dons winger turns away from City's skipper over on the hosts' left flank.
34min: A ball forward allows Will Grigg to turn away from Christopher Routis' diving tackle and move towards City's area with menace. Grigg strikes for goal as he enters the area but McArdle's blocks the effort with a sliding tackle.
32min: Pickford comes to punch away Reeves' corner delivery that follows but his connection isn't clean and the ball lands at his feet. The ball is loose inside City's box but McArdle is on hand to kick clear.
32min: Alli's strike from distance deflects off Jason Kennedy and wide of Pickford's far post for a corner.
27min: GOAL - Milton Keynes Dons 0 Bradford City 2 - The Bantams double their lead just two minutes later through Clarke! Kay's mis-placed pass in MK Dons' half of the pitch gives Clarke the time and space towards the area and a retreating home defence. As Clarke reaches the edge of MK Dons' area, the attacker lets rip with a fine low strike that finds the bottom corner.
25min: GOAL - Milton Keynes Dons 0 Bradford City 1 - The Bantams take the lead of the game through Mclean! Billy Knott's corner delivery is attacked with purpose by Mclean. The striker's connection doesn't seem to be the clearest but the ball still ends up dropping into MK Dons' goal.
21min: Daniel Powell wriggles free of the attentions of a couple of City players as he moves inside from MK Dons' right flank. Powell's effort at goal is well struck as he moves into the area but Pickford produces a smart save to push the drive around his near post.
19min: Samir Carruthers' shot at goal direct from the resulting free-kick is straight at Pickford.
17min: YELLOW CARD - Gary Liddle is booked for a fierce tackle on Dele Alli around 25 yards from Jordan Pickford's goal. Play will be delayed for a period now while Alli receives some treatment for the whack.
11min: After dancing past a couple of MK Dons challenges, Billy Clarke fires in a low drive from just outside the box that Martin dives down to his left to save.
6min: Aaron Mclean, who is sitting in an offside position, is suddenly played in with a sight of goal after Kyle McFadzean accidentally deflects the ball into his path. Mclean fires the looping ball goalwards with venom but his near post strike is straight at MK Dons 'keeper David Martin and is push out by the shot-stopper. The ball bounces back out to Mclean but the striker, who is positioned by this stage in an even tighter angle to goal, fires his effort into the ground before seeing it bounce up over the bar and onto the roof of Martin's net.
3min: Stephen Darby has to head clear off his own line after Anthony Kay had sent a free header goalwards from a Ben Reeves corner delivery.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match.

*** LATE CHANGE TO THE CITY LINE UP. JAMES HANSON HAS HAD TO PULL OUT OF THE BANTAMS' SCHEDULED START UP. HE WILL BE REPLACED BY BILLY CLARKE. REECE WEBB-FOSTER IS NAMED ON CITY'S BENCH FOLLOWING CLARKE'S PROMOTION UP INTO THE STARTING ELEVEN ***

MILTON KEYNES DONS LINE UP
Martin, Baldock, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington, Alli, Potter, Carruthers, Reeves, Powell, Grigg

Subs: McLoughlin, Flanagan, Bowditch, Spence, Randall, Hitchcock, Afobe

MK Dons cautions:
Baldock (74), Potter (82)

MK Dons changes:
Afobe for Carruthers (53), Bowditch for Reeves (61), Hitchcock for Baldock (77)


BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
Pickford, Darby, McArdle, Routis, Meredith, Knott, Kennedy, Liddle, Yeates, Clarke, Mclean

Subs: Urwin, McBurnie, Morais, Bennett, Wright, King, Webb-Foster

Bradford City cautions:
Liddle (17), Darby (40), Yeates (60)

Bradford City changes:
McBurnie for Mclean (61), Morais for Knott (74), Bennett for Clarke (78)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: A Marriner
Assistant Referee: S Ledger
Assistant Referee: D Cann
Fourth Official: D Whitestone