By Tim Penfold

It was, in many ways, a classic League Two Boxing Day game. Bradford City and Morecambe put everything on the line for the points today, in a game that had more perspiration than inspiration, but was still good enough to send over 18,000 fans home entertained. Bradford City gave themselves a mountain to climb by conceding two early goals, but raised their game in the second half to force a point, and were the width of a crossbar away from taking all three.

Graham Alexander’s starting line-up has picked itself in recent weeks, fitness permitting. Unfortunately, fitness was what caused the change today, with both Jamie Walker and his obvious replacement Alex Pattison unavailable. It wasn’t a huge concern though, as the likes of Clarke Oduor, Harry Chapman and Bobby Pointon have all done well in the attacking midfield role in the Football League Trophy in recent weeks. It was a big surprise, therefore, to see Emmanuel Osadebe taking the role of Walker’s replacement, while both Pointon and Chapman didn’t even make the matchday squad.

Osadebe had an instant impact on the game, setting up an early chance – unfortunately, it was for Morecambe as a free kick was cleared into his heel and ricocheted straight into the path of James Connolly, who fired past Harry Lewis. No real blame could be attached to Osadebe – it was just a piece of bad luck, and City had to respond.

They nearly did, as Tyler Smith scampered through only for his shot to be saved, but otherwise they ended up launching the ball at a solid defence and seeing it come straight back at them. Andy Cook won some headers, but they didn’t drop to a City shirt, and there was a big Walker shaped hole in the middle of the pitch which Osadebe was completely failing to fill.

Morecambe didn’t really look like much of a threat, until they suddenly sprung a quick counter down City’s right. It was a simple move, a run to the byline and a cutback hammered high into the net by McKiernan, who had escaped the attentions of Matty Platt. Two shots, two goals and City were floundering.

Osadebe had one half chance immediately after the second goal, but otherwise City were toothless. Errors and sloppiness crept in, and attacks broke down too easily, particularly down the left. The Irish midfielder bore the brunt of the frustration from the crowd, too often slowing attacks down and giving the ball away. It was the visitors who carried the greater threat, such as it was, heading against the post from a corner and following up with a cross shot that deflected wide off Cook.

City looked to the bench for options, but in the positions where we needed improvements there were slim pickings. Oduor was the obvious sub for both Osadebe and Lewis Richards, who had been the poorest performers in the half, but he could only be used once. Graham Alexander’s decision was to introduce Oduor in place of Osadebe for the start of the second half, and the sub was greeted by cheers from part of the crowd.

The Bantams started the second half with a bit more tempo and a bit less hoof, linking quicker through the middle and stretching the defence. The pressing worked better as well, and created a good chance when Alex Gilliead won it high up the pitch, slipped in Brad Halliday who pulled it back for Oduor. It was a repeat of the goal against Gillingham – only for Oduor’s shot to cannon into Smith and loop over the bar.

The pressure was mounting though, and referee Darren Drysdale took centre stage, denying a shout from Andy Cook for a penalty. I wasn’t sure if it was one, but the one thing it was not was a dive from Cook, which was the referee’s bizarre decision.

The Bantams were not disheartened though, and got their goal shortly after. Halliday swung a cross in, which Cool nudged into the path of the onrushing Oduor. This time there was nobody in the way and it was 2-1.

This didn’t quite produce the siege that City fans might’ve been expecting, as Morecambe rallied without ever creating anything of note. The visitors were well organised and tough to break down, sitting deep and taking every opportunity to slow play down and frustrate us. There was one good chance that Platt headed over from close range, but a change in strategy was needed. Vadaine Oliver was summoned from the bench in place of Smith, and City went more and more direct.

Gilliead was everywhere, winning the ball back high up and starting attacks. Oduor found pockets of space but his final ball let him down at times. Richards charged forward down the left but too often made the wrong decision and had his crosses blocked. Morecambe put bodies on the line and cleared well.

Just as it looked like the visitors would hold on, the equaliser came. Ciaran Kelly swung a deep cross over from the left, and it was the unlikely figure of Brad Halliday who ghosted beyond his man at the far post and slammed the ball past the keeper. Halliday has been one of the stars of the recent good run, thriving in his role as wingback and adding an extra attacking dimension to his game. The goal was the least he deserved for another afternoon of constant running.

There was still time for a winner, and Andy Cook came close, finding just enough space in the box to head a Richards cross against the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten. There were, surprisingly, only three minutes of stoppage time added on by a referee who was alert enough to book a Morecambe player for timewasting but not alert enough to actually add the time that they’d wasted on to the end of the game. In the end both teams ran out of time and were forced to settle for a point.

The second half was a performance of great heart and enough skill to rescue a point, but we can’t fully ignore the issues of the first half. Walker and Pattison’s injuries left a vacancy in the team, but at no point in his time at the club has Osadebe ever shown himself as the answer there, and we are not short of alternative options. Oduor proved a much better option, and it is not difficult to make the argument that both Chapman and Pointon would too.

Pointon’s continued absence from the squad is bizarre. He was the best City player in that first half at Notts County before being subbed for tactical reasons – why is he not even on the bench now?

However, the second half showed the character that has been instilled in this team. There were some echoes of the Parkinson era, as a team not quite at its best forced a result through drive and desire as much as ability. It is this that gives us hope that the unbeaten run can continue, that performances like the first half remain an aberration and that this league campaign will not just peter out into mediocrity like so many others.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2023/24, BCAFC, League Two, Morecambe