BRADFORD CITY AFC

On a night when the club joined together to remember the life of the legendary Bobby Campbell, it was fitting that City's current number nine netted the vital match-winning goal for Stuart McCall's men.

Hanson swooped to head home from deep inside the box just over ten minutes into the second half after Mark Marshall had stretched to keep the ball in play over by the far side.

The goal was officially recorded as coming in the 56th minute, another pointer to Campbell given that the striker - City's all-time top scorer - was actually born in 1956.

Ahead of kick off, a memorial video in honour of Campbell played out on the club's big screen. There was also a minute's applause while members of his family laid flowers in both goalmouths.

Once the action got underway, it was City who got slowly gained a hold of the contest after a fairly even opening.

The Bantams saw two penalty appeals turned down in the first period as they increased the pressure on Northampton's goal more and more nearer to the interval.

Hanson and Northampton 'keeper David Cornell clashed in the box after the shot-stopper had spilled a Marshall cross just after the half hour mark. 

Shortly before the break, the recalled Marc McNulty went down in the area following a challenge from Cobblers defender Gabriel Zakuani.

Both calls looked tight, with referee Mr Sarginson allowing play to continue on each occasion.

Haris Vuckic and Nicky Law both went close as play resumed in the second period before Hanson finally made the all-important break-through for the Bantams

Vuckic's cross into the box was kept in play by Marshall, the play looped up across goal into the path of Hanson and the striker powered a header into the corner from close range.

Marshall twice had chances to double City's lead later in the half but McCall's men were indebted to Colin Doyle in the seventieth minute when the Irish 'keeper made a brilliant one-handed side to keep out Alex Revell's header.

In the game's closing stages, Northampton decided to go with the more direct approach in search of a leveller, bringing on Marc Richards to partner the equally strong and aerially adept Revell in attack.

Northampton did have the ball in the net with five minutes of normal time remaining when John-Joe O'Toole headed in from Paul Anderson's cross but he had already been flagged offside.

An equalising goal at that point would have been harsh on City after an entertaining display but the Bantams managed to hang on, with help from late substitute Rory McArdle, to claim all three points.

90+5min: YELLOW CARD - O'Toole is booked for complaining after a foul is awarded against his side.

90+2min: Nathaniel Knight-Percival's pass in behind has Marshall interested and Cornell has to come to just outside his area to bundle the ball out for a throw-in.

90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.

90min: YELLOW CARD - Law is booked for kicking the ball away after he'd given a throw-in away inside Northampton's half of the pitch.

87min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Rory McArdle for Cullen.

87min: SUB - Northampton bring on Alfie Potter for Anderson.

86min: Richards heads the ball down to Revell from Hanley's long ball forward and the striker fires over with a rising strike from just outside the box.

85min: GOAL....NO! Northampton have the ball in the net as John-Joe O'Toole heads home from Anderson's cross but the flag was already up for offside.

79min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Jordy Hiwula for McNulty.

78min: Cullen turns into shooting space after Morais' cross is cleared to just outside Northampton's area. Cullen curls for goal but the effort is straight into Cornell's clutches.

77min: A brilliant diving tackle from Moloney puts the ball out for a corner just as Marshall looked to pounce from close range following Morais' low centre into the middle.

76min: Marshall's free-kick from roughly twenty-five yards out bounces not too far wide of the bottom corner.

74min: Moloney's searching cross towards the far post is headed comfortably wide on the stretch from close range by Richards.

71min: Revell requires a spot of treatment after taking a bang to his head during that previous chance. He is soon able to continue, however.

70min: A superb save from Doyle keeps City level! Revell sends a powerful downward header towards the bottom corner from Anderson's cross but Doyle thrusts out a strong right hand to keep out the effort.

68min: Law twists and turns into space over by City's left flank. The midfielder's eventual cross is overhit, falling to pick out a team-mate in the middle, with the ball actually dropping not too far away from the far corner of Cornell's goal.

66min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Filipe Morais for Vuckic.

66min: SUBS - Northampton bring on Raheem Hanley and Marc Richards for McCourt and Hoskins respectively.

65min: A superb first-time pass from Law plays Marshall into plenty of space down City's left flank. Marshall moves into the box before firing in a drive that is turned around the near post by Cornell.

63min: Zakuani is back on the pitch to begin Northampton back up to their full compliment of players.

60min: Northampton are currently down to ten man as Zakuani receives treatment following Marshall's chance seconds earlier.

60min: Marshall gets the better of Anderson to keep the pressure on following Vuckic's corner delivery into the box. Marshall drives toward goal from the byline over by far side, eventually trying to beat Cornell at his near post but the 'keeper knocks behind for a corner.

54min: Marshall plays the ball back to Law and the midfielder fires in rising drive from outside the area that whistles mere inches over the bar!

52min: Vuckic gets his head to Meredith's cross into the middle and the Slovenian's effort flashes just wide of the far post with Cornell rooted to the spot.

51min: McNulty receives the ball just inside the box via Law's pass but the striker's low drive is held by Cornell.

49min: City fail to clear their lines initially from a wide Taylor free-kick towards the far post. Rod McDonald has two bites of the cherry but the ball eventually bounces out for a goal-kick.

46min: Northampton restart the match.

45+1min: Taylor's free-kick from a good distance outside the box is comfortably held by Doyle.

45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first period.

45min: McNulty flicks the ball across goal, the cross just slips out of Vuckic's control before Cullen behind him fires over with a first time strike from the edge of the area.

44min: With City continuing to knock at the door, they have another penalty appeal turned down. As Cullen slips the ball into McNulty's path inside the box, the Scot looks to move into a shooting position but he appears to be felled by a tackle from Zakuani. Mr Sarginson claims the defender got something on the ball and allows play to continue but McNulty and his team-mates nearby seem certain it was a spot-kick.

40min: Hanson heads down into the mix from Law's corner delivery but Northampton manage to clear their lines as the ball bounces down in their six yard box.

38min: Taylor charges down Stephen Darby's attempted clearance inside the area but the Northampton winger's drive for goal from an angle rolls some distance wide of Doyle's far post.

37min: McNulty turns and shoots after Hanson heads the ball into his path around the edge of the area but the effort is straight at Cornell.

35min: Law's clipped ball into the box from a free-kick is headed out by Jak McCourt but only as far as Cullen just outside the area. Cullen fires for goal and his low drive deflects off of a Northampton player and narrowly past the near post.

32min: Sam Hoskins drives forward into space inside City's penalty area after latching onto Law's loose pass. Vincelot forces him while and the midfielder fires wide of the post with a low angled drive.

31min: The home fans appeal for a penalty when Hanson goes down in the box after Cornell spills a Marshall cross. Marshall's in-swinging delivery looks easy enough for Cornell but the ball spins out of his grasp right in front of goal. Hanson tries to pounce on the loose ball first but he goes down in the areas as Cornell attempts to reclaim possession. The shout for a penalty goes up around the home stands but the match official waves away the appeals.

30min: Marshall twists and turn into space over by City's left flank, the winger driving the ball across the box with a shot-come-cross. The effort appears to hit off Northampton defender Gabriel Zakuani and go behind but referee Mr Sarginson feels the ball came off a City player instead and awards a goal-kick.

29min: Law's corner delivery is headed down into the mix by Hanson and McNulty sees a shot from over his shoulder deflects off a Northampton player and over the bar for a City corner kick.

27min: Taylor tries his luck from distance direct from a free-kick but the effort sails comfortably over the bar.

18min: Paul Anderson tries to get in for a close range shot on goal following Revell's flick on from deep free-kick into the box from Brendan Moloney. Josh Cullen and Romain Vincelot combine to crowd out the former Bantams midfielder, however, and the ball bounces through to Doyle.

16min: McNulty and Nicky Law both get a touch on a deep Marshall cross, helping to get the ball into the path of Haris Vuckic just outside the box. Vuckic moves into shooting space but his effort curls over.

15min: Hanson rises highest to meet James Meredith's cross but his downward header is straight at Cornell.

15min: Matt Taylor fizzes over a testing delivery that whistles across City's goal and out for a throw-in over by the far side.

10min: With nine minutes on the clock, the home stands give a touching rendition of 'One Bobby Campbell' in reference to the former striker's favourite number.

5min: Marshall whips in an inviting cross for James Hanson but the striker guides a downward header comfortably wide of David Cornell's far post.

3min: A driving run from Marc McNulty gets the Scot into Northampton's penalty area, the striker slips the ball into path of Mark Marshall but winger slices behind as he attempts to cross.

1min: The ball bounces through to Alex Revell inside the box and the striker's bouncing shot into the area on the half-volley has to be pushed away by Colin Doyle.

0min: The Bantams kick off the match. They will attack towards The Kop Stand in the first half.
7:47pm: Shortly after a video montage to Bobby Campbell is shown on the big screen, the Northern Commercials Stadium joins together in a minute's applause to remember 'Big Bob' as members of his family lay flowers in each of the two goalmouths.

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:

Doyle, Darby, Vincelot, Knight-Percival, Meredith, Marshall, Law, Cullen, Vuckic, McNulty, Hanson

Subs: Sattelmaier, N Clarke, Hiwula, Morais, McArdle, Devine, Kilgallon

Morais for Vuckic (66), Hiwula for McNulty (79), McArdle for Cullen (87)

Law (90)

NORTHAMPTON TOWN LINE UP:

Cornell, Moloney, McDonald, Zakuani, Buchanan, McCourt, Anderson, O'Toole, Taylor, Hoskins, Revell

Subs: Smith, Richards, Gorre, Potter, Beautyman, Phillips, Hanley

Northampton Town substitutions:
Hanley for McCourt (66), Richards for Hoskins (66), Potter for Anderson (87)

O'Toole (90+5)