By Adam Raj

What is it about Bradford City on the road? As the travelling Bantams left South London with yet another win on the board, Mark Hughes’ side are two points away from the top three and top the away form table. Six wins and a draw from the last seven on their travels, and with three clean sheets in the last four. It makes for impressive reading.

Over the course of the last two fixtures, City have demonstrated the different facets that are present in every successful side. The first half at Mansfield showcased City’s high tempo pass and move football as well as their ability to dig in, scrap and time waste their way to three points in the second period. Whereas the visit to Sutton showcased City’s ability to stand up to an aerial bombardment and produce a professional and disciplined performance against very awkward opposition.

This afternoon’s encounter had the potential to be a real banana skin. Sutton were on a wretched run of form and had just been dumped out of the FA Cup by non league Farnborough. And that’s before you look at their injury list that meant their back line contained a winger at right back, a right back at centre back and a 35 year old midfielder at left back. In years gone by, City fans wouldn’t have had much optimism. But this Bradford City side is different.

Despite being without ever-presents Matty Platt (suspended) and Tyreik Wright (injured), City’s squad stood up to the test of losing two influential players. Yann Songo’o came in at centre back whilst Abo Eisa got the nod on the left wing in what were Hughes’ only two changes from the victory at Field Mill.

In the first half at Gander Green Lane, City looked very much like a side who had played 103 minutes on Tuesday, 35 of which with ten men. It was a very sluggish affair, with little quality from either side and City seemed to fall into Sutton’s trap of giving them exactly the type of game they wanted. Sutton were very much the stereotypical league two outfit – long balls, long throws, playing the percentages and launching the ball into the box at any opportunity. In other words, the exact sort of game in which you wouldn’t want to miss your biggest defensive aerial presence.

But step forward Songo’o and Romoney Critchlow. Both were excellent and MOTM contenders. Critchlow especially seems to have vastly improved in his physical game. He was always a defender who was comfortable and assured when defending on the ground but struggled with winning aerial duels, especially from long balls. Today, he didn’t miss a header and defended his box superbly. Similarly, Songo’o, after an early booking for a rusty challenge, was everything you need in this type of game – strong, physical and aggressive.

And at the other end, when you have someone in the form of Andy Cook, you only need a half chance to turn a game in your favour. And so it was of no surprise that City’s number nine, with his 15th goal of the season, broke the deadlock. Eisa faced up Enzio Boldewijn, cut inside and scuffed a shot towards goal that was deflected into the path of Cook. The City striker managed to stab a toe at the ball and redirect it into the bottom corner.

That goal sparked the Bantams into life. Harry Chapman had an effort cleared off the line by Rob Milsom moments before wasting an excellent chance to square for Cook. City were suddenly sniffing blood, meanwhile the hosts were glad for the half time whistle.

Whilst the game was still in the balance at 0-1, another goal was always going to wrap up the three points. Sutton didn’t look to have one goal in them, let alone two. And in very untypical City-like fashion, the Bantams made life easy for themselves with an early second half strike. A short corner worked its way from Chapman to Scott Banks, who hit a sweet, curling strike into the top corner of Jack Rose’s net. The Sutton keeper had completely lost his bearings, but Banks’ strike was the very definition of postage stamp. I’ll let you decide if it was a cross or shot.

Just as they were on Tuesday, the goal celebrations were special. Banks’ especially, in front of the 750 strong travelling faithful was superb, as City’s goal scorer was joined by his teammates, knee-slide after knee-slide. The atmosphere that followed in the away end was one of party mode, helped in part by some very joyful stewards who even got a rendition of “Sutton get battered, everywhere they go” going. The game was done, the players knew it and so did the fans.

On the pitch, City killed the game very effectively. They allowed their hosts to pass the ball along their back line, without needing to exert themselves in a press, knowing full well that Sutton didn’t have the quality to pass through them.

As you would expect, Sutton piled bodies forward in search of a lifeline but that just allowed City to counter attack, which really should have yielded better outcomes. Banks nearly doubled his tally with a jinking run that was eventually saved by Rose, but Eisa, Lee Angol and Vadaine Oliver late on wasted some good opportunities.

After the manner in which City exited the FA Cup last weekend, the last two fixtures have been the perfect response. Back to back wins, both of which fully merited, as well as impressive performances in two tough looking away fixtures means that City have established themselves as serious automatic promotion contenders.

Next weekend’s fixture with Northampton at Valley Parade already looks like a blockbuster matchup. A note of some confidence is that the league’s top scorer, Sam Hoskins, will be suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the Cobblers’ win at Gillingham this afternoon.

As for City, their next hurdle is to improve their stuttering home form and next week provides no better opportunity to do so.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2022/23, BCAFC, League Two, Sutton United