BRADFORD CITY AFC

In an absorbing contest which saw plenty of chances at both ends, City twice fell behind in the match following efforts from Billy Sharp but led with less than twenty minutes to play thanks to Timothee Dieng's first league goal of the season.

United defender Chris Basham scrambled the ball home from a John Fleck corner, however, and despite Jordy Hiwula hitting the bar late on, the goal ensured the Blades grabbed a draw from the topsy-turvy fixture.

The Blades took the lead for the first time in the afternoon when Sharp headed past Colin Doyle in the eighteen minute after Mark Duffy's ball from deep had picked out the striker's run in the box.

City equalised with ten minutes of the opening period remaining when Billy Clarke swooped to tap home from close range after Matthew Kilgallon's low centre into the six yard box had eventually dropped into his path by the far post.

United regained the advantage in the game just six minutes after the restart following a quickly taken free-kick from Fleck which allowed Sharp to ghost in and power home past Doyle.

Not to be deterred by this latest set-back though, City forced themselves back into the match once again on the hour mark. Josh Cullen's ball into the box was helped on by James Hanson and Hiwula was on hand to fire in from deep inside the box.

Sensing a momentum change, City managed to go one better eight minutes later to edge in front for the first time.

Kilgallon's low cross into the box found Dieng just inside the area and the French midfielder expertly guided the ball into the far bottom corner with a well-struck volley.

Just four minutes later though, this increasingly breathless match had another twist.

From Fleck's low corner delivery into the box, City failed to clear their lines and Basham was on hand to convert via the far post.

City nearly had one final say in a fantastic game of football five minutes before the end of normal time but Hiwula's rising drive following Nicky Law's header across the box hit the crossbar.

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

90min: Duffy curls one from the edge of the box but it is straight at Doyle.

85min: Hiwula hits the crossbar! Billy Clarke's ball into the box is headed across goal by Law and Hiwula strikes forwards with a rising effort that rattles against the bar!

81min: Lavery heads forwards from Duffy's in-swinging cross but his looping effort drops harmlessly over the bar.

77min: YELLOW CARD - Wright is booked for tugging back the shorts of Hiwula as the striker looked to burst clear into space down City's left flank.

73min: A big clearance forward from Lafferty isn't dealt with properly by Knight-Percival while under pressure from Lavery and Sharp eventually lands on the ball. Sharp shoots for goal from deep inside the box but the effort is blocked by the body of Doyle.

72min: Duffy's curling effort from a free-kick is pushed out for a corner by Doyle by his near post.

70min: SUBS - Sheffield United bring on Stefan Scougall and Caolan Lavery for Done and Coutts respectively.

68min: Billy Clarke tries to play Hiwula in with a run of goal but the striker's progress is halted by a great tackle from Wright.

63min: Sharp works his way into shooting space just outside the box and Doyle has to tip his curling effort around the post.

61min: Freeman's ball over the top finds Sharp in space but Knight-Percival forces him wide and the striker fires over the bar with a rising effort from a tight angle.

59min: Hiwula gets the better of Jake Wright to latch onto a ball and cross low by the byline. Ebanks-Landell is in the right position, however, to kick out for a corner with Hanson lurking behind.

57min: Law feeds Cullen into shooting space just inside the box and the midfielder's low drive flashes just wide of the far post. The shot appeared to be tip around the post by a fingertip save from Moore but only a goal-kick is given.

50min: Kilgallon cuts the ball out as Duffy looks to play Done into space inside the area but Sharp is quickly onto the loose ball and fires narrowly over with a shot on the turn from just outside the box.

48min: United have the ball in the net when they take a free-kick quickly and feed Sharp inside the area but the striker is penalised for a barge on Timothee Dieng before he fired past Doyle.

46min: Sheffield United restart the match.

45+1min: YELLOW CARD - Done is booked for complaining after giving away a foul on Knight-Percival as the defender looked to clear his lines deep inside City's half of the pitch.

45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.

44min: Billy Clarke's lofted ball over to the far side of United's penalty area is brought down by Hiwula. The striker looks to loop the ball goalwards, with his eventual cross-come-shot dropping narrowly out of the reach of Cullen and over the bar.

40min: There is a brief break in play as Done receives treatment following an accidental knock to the face from Knight-Percival as the pair challenged for an aerial ball. Play continues shortly afterwards.

31min: Billy Clarke's corner delivery is headed away from right in front of his own goal-line by Ethan Ebanks-Landell.

30min: Duffy's teasing ball from outside the area into the six yard box finds Matt Done lurking in space but the striker's close range prod for goal is repelled by Doyle before the Irish 'keeper gathers up the loose ball.

29min: Hiwula looks to get on the end of a forward pass but Moore is out right to the edge of his box to just beat the striker to the ball and make an important clearance.

27min: YELLOW CARD - Duffy is booked for a late tackle on Cullen a few yards outside City's area as the Bantams midfielder looked to kick clear.

26min: YELLOW CARD - Chris Basham is booked for dragging back Billy Clarke as he looked to surge clear down City's left wing.

20min: Doyle comes out to try and claim a hanging Paul Coutts corner delivery but he can't quite cling on, Daniel Lafferty eventually firing over as the loose ball bounced around City's penalty area.

19min: Matt Done breaks free down United's left and looks to pick out Sharp in the middle but Knight-Percival is on hand to slide clear from inside the six yard box.

15min: City look under threat for a moment when Kieran Freeman lands on the ball just outside the six yard box. Freeman looks to move the ball towards goal but referee Jonathan Moss spots a tug on Nathaniel Knight-Percival by Billy Sharp, preventing the defender from challenging for the ball, and gives City a free-kick. 

8min: Nicky Law crosses low into the box after twisting and turning into space over by City's left flank. The ball drops invitingly for Billy Clarke by the penalty spot but he seems to snatch at the chance and his side-footed effort drops harmlessly wide of Simon Moore's near post.

6min: Rory McArdle's floated ball to just inside the penalty area eventually lands at the feet of James Hanson after the striker had competed in the air for the cross itself. Hanson looks to pick out the run of the unmarked Josh Cullen deeper inside the area but his looping pass is slightly over-hit and the midfielder can't quite prevent the ball going out for a goal-kick.

0min: The Bantams kick off the match. City will attack towards the T L Dallas Stand end in the first half.

Doyle, McArdle, Vincelot, Knight-Percival, Kilgallon, Dieng, Cullen, Law, B Clarke, Hanson, Hiwula

Subs: Sattelmaier, Darby, N Clarke, Marshall, Vuckic, Morais, Devine

SHEFFIELD UNITED LINE UP:

Moore, Basham, Ebanks-Landell, Wright, Freeman, Fleck, Coutts, Lafferty, Duffy, Sharp, Done

Subs: Ramsdale, Hussey, O'Connell, Scougall, Lavery, Brown, Chapman

Scougall for Done (70), Lavery for Coutts (70)

Basham (26), Duffy (27), Done (45+1), Wright (77)