Bradford City 0 Stockport County 0 ( Football League 2) Friday 29 December 2023

County extended their lead at the top of League 2 from 4 to 5 points last night via a share of the points with Bradford City after a blood and thunder fixture that finished 0-0 at Valley Parade .

The game was played out to the malevolent accompaniment of constant wind and rain, and in many ways the elements dictated matters. County will probably be well pleased with the point against an irritatingly combative Bantams side that were fortunate to have Lewis Smith refereeing proceedings- he let a lot go!

Notwithstanding Bradford`s interest in making a game of it ,at half time I thought we would take the game in the second half with a modest amount of good fortune.

We had not achieved too much in terms of goal chances, although Tanto did have one disallowed for `offside` before the break, but Powell had covered every inch of Valley Parade passing City off the park, so I was heartened that we were going to see a continuation of that welcome sight, and in the prevailing heavy underfoot conditions I felt Tanto`s pace would be needed as the game wore on and others struggled in the mud.

So, it was a surprise, to say the least, when neither Powell or Tanto appeared after the break.

I am a firm admirer of both Kyle Wootton and Ryan Croasdale, but the shock of them replacing Powell & Tanto held with me. I did not see injury as a factor with either subbed player, but of course I am probably wrong on that one , however both replacements struggled as others did to cope with the conditions.

Looking elsewhere County`s back 3 of Wright, Horsfall and Pye were outstanding throughout – all 3 giving stand out performances whilst to their rear Ben Hinchliffe collared his latest clean sheet pulling off another `worldy` in doing so!

It was a battling performance in trying circumstances and heartening to see that results elsewhere added to the value of the County effort!

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By way of contrast to Tuesday`s game, County found their touch from the off pinning City into their last third with great control and movement .

County had their first corner 2 minutes in and very nearly a goal but no less than 3 shots were repulsed in rapid order one ushered hurriedly off the line by Bantams.

But it stayed 0-0- City replying on 5 minutes, but Clarke Odour`s run was halted by Horsfall who I thought had his best game in County blue yet!

Then with conditions worsening Camps through ball for Tanto proved just too strong for him- the break dished.

Both teams did their best to master the elements and for County it made sense that they would feed Powell who was best equipped to keep the ball down and use it.

But City had ideas of their own and Odour was looking to be a man on a mission in that respect and just so unlucky to be matched with Akil Wright who was in wondrous form- his near perfect block seeing Odour`s shot wide of the County goal.

Another County man in top nick, Ethan Pye, cleared under pressure from the resultant corner .

End of pressure?

No, back the Bantams came this time via Tyler Smith whose pacy run was thwarted by excellent work from Powell.

Ten minutes had been played, and much effort put in by both sides but it remained 0-0.

Madden meanwhile was just Madden, back heading a corner clear after Camps had given the ball away, Camps worked hard though so the conditions probably set the error up.

Powell and Madden fashioned a delightful one/ two next only to see the intended recipient (Tanto) hauled down. We got the free kick and then a corner but could not progress the raid any further.

And Odour was still on the lookout for scraps for City and he would consider himself unlucky to see his snap shot drift a yard wide not long after.

Back to Powell then, and he won a free kick with a silky run 20 minutes in- Powell`s header from this cleared the bar.

Then we were indebted to Akil Wright again as Smith looked to take advantage of some loose passing by the blues. Smith was looking to be a danger for Graham Alexander`s side until Wright intervened rescuing the situation with superb timing and poise- great stuff!

I mentioned Camps earlier and we saw some of the good work I hinted at from him next as our hosts continued to sniff for half chances.

Further forward Powell was busy feeding the line with passes – Tanto was trying but with little success – unlucky on a run on 25 minutes…..less so 2 minutes later not getting a shot in on the end of good work by Powell and Knoyle.

He kept on drawing fouls though-one such resulting in a free kick that we took quickly and looked about to score from until the referee decided to get the kick re-taken – the chance flying west on the wings of Mr Smith`s selective stringency!

Eventually though Tanto looked to have secured a result via some Powell magic and a neat through ball from Madden, but having forced the ball home he saw Mr Smith rule the goal out which was annoying- I will defer to others better placed on whether it was offside or not!

With half time nearing, so City hit back, and once again Wright was the man of the moment for County with some brilliant play under pressure .

There was more too from Madden who again got back to head a City corner out.

The half ended with County defending a late/ late Bantams free kick – Pye cleared this in fine style only to be comprehensively mugged by the late arriving Jonathan Tomkinson!

That was appalling but I did not see a card of any colour waved by the ref at the Bradford player which was worse.

The half ended in a blizzard with the score still 0-0.

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Now, for Half Time Entertainment, something for those of a certain age – some very early Lonnie Donegan, well before his later commercial stuff……..

https://youtu.be/KhvlqOys_DU?si=SFcZv4SYPrHOGiMA

https://youtu.be/UERQbqkjc84?si=y8MF8nrCRRVs05IK

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It was not long after the re-start before Odour was troubling us again and he was in behind our defensive cover with Smith – Hinchliffe calmed the situation with a solid gather- but we had been warned.

And warnings continued as the attacks by Bantams went on- County content to concede a corner – Camps not so content seeing Gillead escape with a yellow card following a thoroughly bad tackle had laid the County man out on the sodden turf.

County eventually replied – Wootton doing well, Bailey and Tourey unlucky with a run down the left.

County were beginning to build back gradually, and it was disappointing to see Croasdale air kick a chance away, set up for him by Wootton, just before the hour, and more so to watch as he won and then surrendered possession tamely allowing Bradford top scorer Andy Cook a crack at goal which, more happily for us, he lifted over the bar!

Bradford were generally defending well- another raid by Bailey and Croasdale ending in disappointment for the blues who had more to rue almost immediately as Halliday`s intervention stopped the rot for his side with Bailey darting through onto a Wootton ball.

And Cook was getting more and more lively for County`s opponents and seemed to be about to score as he burst through sending a close range shot heading for the top corner of the net. Enter Hinchliffe with a superb save as he somehow twisted in mid air to push the ball over the bar- fantastic goalkeeping!

A foul by a Bradford forward did for the subsequent corner and another by Cook on Hinchliffe 3 minutes later did not merit a card according to Mr Smith the Referee- I thought otherwise and was not alone in thinking that!

We went into the last 10 minutes with County looking for that winning goal and now working more and more through Touray and he was doing well under abysmal conditions without reward. He had received a knock midst the attacking so I wondered if perhaps Richardson would come on down the left in what remained of the match, but Touray did not signal any distress to the County bench and played on bravely and as well as I have seen him ,so that did not happen.

On it went- Horsfall`s header from a free kick held firmly by ex-County loanee keeper Harry Lewis ……then Pye joined with Touray and Bailey to probe for that elusive opening but the underfoot conditions were having a deleterious effect on progress- Bailey particularly and understandably finding maintaining his usually pacy runs impossible in the ever-clinging mud.

Bailey did well to get on the end of Wootton`s through ball late on, only to spoil it by shooting wide, which he did again shortly after dragging his shot well wide from a free kick following a foul on Madden.

County kept plugging away right to the death- Madden`s late/late break seeing Bradford settle for a County corner with worse in prospect.

But we could not force the corner home and the game ended, probably justly, 0-0.

On the coach we learned that Wrexham had lost, and Mansfield and Barrow drawn ensuring that we now had a 5 point advantage at the top of the league, albeit in the knowledge that second placed Mansfield have 2 games in hand- but one of these is against us on Monday so get down to EP early on New Years Day County fans.

It will be one heck of a difficult game, but your support will be vital if the blues are going to win that one!

Believe it!

Bradford City line-up:-

Lewis , Halliday , Ridehalgh , Platt , Smallwood , Gillead , Kelly( Oliver 68) , Tomkinson, Odour , Smith , Cook .

Subs not used : Doyle , Taylor , Osabede , Pointon , Mc Donald , Derbyshire.

Stockport County line up :-

HinchIiffe , Wright , Horsfall , Pye , Knoyle , Touray , Camps , Bailey , Madden , Powell (Croasdale 45 ),Olaofe ( Wootton 45 ).

Subs not used : Smith , Byrne , Richardson , C Johnson ,Hilary .

Attendance: 19657 ( 2404)

hedgegrower

First a couple of crowd shots from hedgegrower......