Tuesday 26 September 2017
Sky Bet League One
Bradford City 0
Fleetwood Town 3 (Hiwula 51, Cole 56, Hunter 70)
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at the Northern Commercials Stadium
Attendance: 18,799 (99 visitors)
The Bantams unfortunately suffered a night to forget as three unanswered goals after the break gave Fleetwood Town the victory at the Northern Commercials Stadium.
Two goals in five minutes towards the start of the second period from former Bantams duo Jordy Hiwula and Devante Cole put Fleetwood in the driving seat.
Cole's goal came just seconds after Colin Doyle had been booked for bringing down the Fleetwood forward just outside the box following a weak back header from Nathaniel Knight-Percival.
With Charlie Wyke and Paul Taylor called upon off the bench shortly Fleetwood's second, Stuart McCall's men pushed for a way back into the game.
Romain Vincelot saw a strike from inside the box well saved by Fleetwood 'keeper Alex Cairns, but the visitors then realistically put the game to bed twenty minutes from the end through substitute Ashley Hunter.
Hunter netted the Cod Army's third with a well-taken strike on the counter-attack just a minute or so after coming on.
The decisive start to the second period from Fleetwood came after a largely even opening half.
City's Jake Reeves and Omari Patrick forced saves from Cairns, while Fleetwood threatened at the other end when Kyle Dempsey hit the post.
The result, City's first loss in seven matches, was also Fleetwood's first victory at Valley Parade in their history.
FT: Bradford City 0 Fleetwood Town 3
90+5min: McMahon fires over with a free-kick from just outside the box.
90+2min: Gilliead's deflected cross drops into the path of Reeves but the midfielder's first time drive from the edge of the box rolls just past the post.
90+1min: Vincelot's downward header goes wide of the far post following Matthew Kilgallon's cross.
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
87min: Hunter's curling drive from the edge of the box is held at the second attempt by Doyle.
85min: SUB - Fleetwood bring on Wes Burns for Cole.
81min: SUB - Fleetwood bring on Jack Sowerby for George Glendon.
80min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Dominic Poleon for Chicksen.
80min: Gilliead looks to play Wyke through on goal but Cairns is out of his box quickly to make the tackle. With Cairns out of his goal, Taylor fires forwards but his effort from distance bounces wide of the post.
76min: Vincelot challenges for Gilliead's cross into the box, the ball drops into the path of Reeves just outside the area but his looping effort on the half-volley is held by Cairns.
75min: Dempsey finds Cole inside the area with a cross-field pass and the Fleetwood striker curls a rising shot narrowly over the bar.
74min: Vincelot's downward header following McMahon's wide free-kick into the box from deep is held by Cairns.
70min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Fleetwood Town 3 - City fall further behind when Fleetwood pounce on the counter-attack. Cole feeds Hunter into space and the substitute finishes brilliantly with a well-taken drive into the far top corner from inside the box.
69min: SUB - Fleetwood bring on Ashley Hunter for Hiwula.
68min: Gilliead's cross is sliceed narrowly past his own near post by Pond's attempted clearance.
62min: Gilliead's low cross into the middle finds Vincelot in space in the box but his powerful shot is repelled by Cairns before the ball is forced behind for a corner by Fleetwood.
59min: McMahon's deep corner is headed goalwards by Knight-Percival but Cairns is able to cling onto the looping header.
59min: Gilliead wriggles free by the far byline but he cannot find a team-mate in the middle as his cross from close range is somehow scrambled behind for a corner.
57min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Charlie Wyke and Paul Taylor for Jones and Patrick.
56min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Fleetwood Town 2 - Cole doubles Fleetwood's lead. Dempsey's resulting free-kick hits the wall but Fleetwood keep the attack alive. Dempsey crosses low into the middle and Cole is on hand to prod home from close range.
55min: YELLOW CARD - Doyle is booked for bringing down Cole just outside the box after the striker had latched onto Knight-Percival's weak back header to give himself a run at goal. Doyle was the last man but Cole's touch past the City shot-stopper had taken him away from goal, something that probably prevented a red card from being shown.
53min: Dempsey's testing cross towards the far post is headed goalward by Grant but the effort is held by Doyle at the second attempt.
51min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Fleetwood Town 1 - After a loose pass from Vincelot gives away possession, Devante Cole feeds the ball into the path of Hiwula and the striker moves away from Knight-Percival before finishhing neatly past Doyle.
49min: Alex Jones does brilliantly to get the better of Bell by the far byline and keep the ball in play with low cross into the box. Patricklooks to try and latch onto the ball into the middle but a watchful Pond does just enough to prevent the striker from connecting.
46min: The Bantams restart the match.
HT: Bradford City 0 Fleetwood Town 0
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first period.
41min: A great run from Patrick sees the attacker drive into the area, turning away from Amari'i Bell in the process, before firing in a low angled drive that is parried away by Cairns. Cian Bolger is then on hand to hook the loose ball behind for a City corner.
38min: Lewie Coyle comes in-field onto his weaker left foot before firing in a low drive from outside the box that Doyle has to push away.
30min: Dempsey's resulting free-kick hits the wall before City eventually scramble the ball behind for a corner.
29min: YELLOW CARD - Knight-Percival is booked for bringing down Jordy Hiwula just outside the box after the Fleetwood attacker had burst clear down City's right hand side.
24min: Vincelot closes down Cairns following Eastham's back-pass towards the Fleetwood 'keeper near his own goal-line. Vincelot's efforts force Cairns to rush his clearance, and the ball drops to Reeves midway into Fleetwood's half. Reeves looks to take advantage of the situation but his forward pass is just out of the reach of both Law and Omari Patrick ahead of him.
21min: Nicky Law lets rip from outside the box but his goal-bound effort is blocked from inside the area by the outstretched leg of Nathan Pond.
18min: Gilliead gets the better of Ashley Eastham over on City's right flank before fizzing over an inviting centre across the six yard box. Romain Vincelot goes flying in over by the far post but narrowly misses out on making an connection with his head. With Romain only a few yards out at the time, any touch there would surely have resulted in a goal!
14min: Kyle Dempsey hits the post for Fleetwood! The visiting midfielder beats Adam Chicksen to the ball before crashing in a low drive from just outside the area that hits the base of Doyle's near post.
8min: Tony McMahon's resulting corner delivery towards the near post is headed out by Jordy Hiwula, but Reeves is quickly onto the loose ball. The City midfielder goes for goal with a low drive from roughly 18 yards out but the effort is well saved by Fleetwood goalkeeper Alex Cairns.
7min: Jake Reeves' cross is headed out as far as Nathaniel Knight-Percival just outside the box. Knight-Percival takes aim but his effort is blocked out for a corner by Cian Bolger.
5min: Bobby Grant tries his luck from distance but Colin Doyle is able to watch the effort sail over.
0min: Fleetwood kick off the match. The Bantams will attack towards the T L Dallas Stand end in the first period.
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:
Doyle, McMahon, Knight-Percival, Kilgallon, Chicksen, Vincelot, Reeves, Gilliead, Law, Jones, Patrick
Subs: Raeder, Thompson, Wyke, Taylor, Poleon, Field, Hendrie
Bradford City substitutions:
Wyke for Jones (57), Taylor for Patrick (57), Poleon for Chicksen (80)
Bradford City cautions:
Knight-Percival (29), Doyle (55)
FLEETWOOD TOWN LINE UP:
Cairns, Coyle, Eastham, Pond, Bolger, Bell, Dempsey, Grant, Glendon, Hiwula, Cole
Subs: Neal, Burns, Rodgers, Ekpolo, Hunter, Schwabl, Sowerby
Fleetwood Town substitutions:
Hunter for Hiwula (69), Sowerby for Glendon (81), Burns for Cole (85)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Graham Salisbury
Assistant Referee: Gary Hilton
Assistant Referee: Richard Wigglesworth
Fourth Official: David Richardson