| Walsall 2 |
| Stirk 7, Faal 16 |
| Bradford City 3 |
| Cook 19, Walker 40, 53 |
By Adam Raj
Well, this one had everything. Win, lose or draw, there’s nothing straightforward about Bradford City. Two down, three two up, a man down and eventually…three points.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but City’s play off hopes are somehow still mathematically alive.
16 minutes in however and it was a very different picture. The Bantams found themselves two goals down against a rampant Walsall side who themselves were chasing that last spot in the top seven. It looked every inch a case of damage limitation, even at that early stage.
The hosts had flown out of the traps and deservedly took the lead on seven minutes with a ruthless counter attack. Isaac Hutchinson ran 50 yards unchallenged as Matty Platt and Ciaran Kelly backed off before playing in Ryan Stirk. The midfielder took one touch before striking past Sam Walker.
Things then went from bad to worse as Walsall doubled their lead. Calamitous defending from Walker, Platt and Daniel Oyegoke saw Mo Faal head into an empty net. Platt initially let the long ball bounce whilst Oyegoke then tried to shepherd the ball back to Walker who was too hesitant in coming off his line. Faal, to his credit, kept chasing and got his reward as he managed to nip in past Oyegoke and nod over Walker.
It was all a bit grim. City had barely touched the ball by this point and history suggested that it was most likely game over, even with 74 minutes still to play.
But out of nothing, City had a lifeline. Three minutes after going two down, Jamie Walker’s cross to the back post was expertly headed in by Andy Cook for his customary goal against the Saddlers. It was a terrific header, outmuscling Joe Foulkes at the back post and heading back across goal, leaving the keeper stranded.
The Bantams could quite easily have been two behind again as Hutchinson slammed against the foot of the post with a fantastic strike before Donervon Daniels’ header looped over the crossbar.
Walsall were cutting through City quite easily, the press seemed disjointed and Richie Smallwood was being overrun by a very energetic Saddlers midfield. In identical fashion to the opening goal, Stirk carried the ball into the City half and drove at a fragile looking back line before electing to shoot when a pass was the better option, letting City off the hook.
But five minutes before the break, up stepped Cook yet again. This time, scorer turned provider. Smallwood’s free kick was headed back across goal by City’s number nine and there was Jamie Walker at the back post to nod in from a few yards out.
Yes, that really is goals in successive games from set pieces.
For a team that is often wasteful in front of goal, that was a very efficient Bradford City attacking performance. They went forward twice and scored twice. Aside from a Bobby Pointon effort close to the break, the only time Walsall had to defend, they failed badly. For a change, it was the opposition who were wasteful – they’ll be kicking themselves that they didn’t score three or four.
City started the second half where they left off in the first. Eight minutes in and Cook and Walker were involved again. Pointon’s under-lapping run and cross to the back post saw Cook’s header blocked on the line, only for Walker to slam home the rebound in front a jubilant away end.
Some turnaround. City scoring three goals in itself is enough to raise some eyebrows but from 2-0 down? That’s definitely not very Bradford City-like and I’m not sure any of us saw it coming.
But the drama wasn’t done there. Walker would go from hero to zero after picking up two yellow cards in nine second half minutes. The first, for a stupid tug on Walsall keeper Jackson Smith to stop the counter attack and the second for a cynical foul on Ross Tierney.
It meant the remaining half hour had to be a slog. City had to time waste and scrap themselves to three points. It wasn’t pretty but a necessity in the circumstances. City were still indebted to Sam Walker’s heroics as he cleared a certain goal off the line and made a terrific save to deny Tom Knowles.
Today’s results have given a glimmer of hope of finishing in the top seven. Despite the dreadful season to date, City still have a chance of achieving their objectives. A win away at Barrow on Tuesday will really set it up for the final day – and whether or not it happens, it’s nice to have something to play for in the final few games of a season that’s mostly been miserable.
Categories: Match Reviews
Redemption, resilience and a win that Bradford City badly needed 
Humiliated and humbled: a bad night for Bradford City prompts revision of expectations 
A derby day to forget puts Bradford City’s resilience to the test 
Pride in pain as Bradford City push league leaders all the way 
widthofapost.com 
a great big laugh of a game in a season that has lacked many laughs
now we need a total rebuild
and a totally new midfield
Jamie walkers last game? – At least it was fun
Jamie will be available next Saturday!
he will
but he can’t play on Tuesday and if we win GA won’t change a winning team
and if we don’t win GA should give Wandsworth and Ibbottson a game
TBF I’m getting just a tad frustrated with implied sarcasm Raj. I like many am frustrated with the performance of the team – this season, last season the decade before seasons!! Being on a roller coaster is part of bring a city fan. Remember going to Wembley for a cup final, being thrashed & then getting into the play offs & having to get the wallet out to go to Wembley Again – then they made us go again against Millwall!
Its part of being a City fan so celebrate it, don’t write a match report sounding like your grumbling about it if it comes off! (nothing personal mate, I’m a big WOAP fan & appreciate you taking time to write up straight after the game but try to be a bit cheerful).
Are you suggesting that writers should only write in a manner that you appreciate?
Strange take
No I’m not. I acknowledged that Raj makes the effort to write a match report (which puts his commitment way above mine). I also suggested that in parts the report bordered on sarcasm (my opinion) & I asked if he could have been a bit more cheerful.
It was a comment written shortly after I had listened on the radio to a game I wished I had got to & described by Mark Bower as the best City game he has seen this season.
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
Why bother?
I can understand the criticism of this post but I also see what malicarr is getting at.
Some of this season has been poor, we get it. But sometimes, you just need to enjoy games like this. Don’t over analyse it, just enjoy it. That’s what we’re there for isn’t it?
We’ll probably look back on this season as one of “if onlys”.
One is: if only Sam Walker had been our keeper from game one. I never thought I’d be saying that in January but Lewis’s calamitous loss of form looks even more damaging. Still Lewis got us into the playoffs last year.
But if we do achieve 69 points we equate the total of 2013, and if both Barrow are beaten and Crawley are held on Saturday, we will have made it !
what about Doncaster? The form team in the division
its amazing how form goes out of the window in real real pressure situations
If Barrow lose and Crawley draw (and we win both games of course) then Doncaster are irrelevant.
Lots of ifs and buts, but I think GA and the players deserve a bit more credit than they’re getting for dragging themselves back to the point where it’s even a possibility. They could easily have given up after that horrible 4 game run.
The bizarre thing is the sarcasm you mention I cant even find in the article. Maybe my threshold is a lot higher and yours alot lower.
Feels that some people have a hidden agenda against an excellent WOAP writer. What was written was spot on.
I predicted 4-0 to Walsall , way out as it happened but should have been 8-3 reading reports . An ugly win beats a handsome loss eh .
The opening 20 minutes were absolutely comical but we’ve beaten a playoff calibre team who had everything to play for from 2 nil down and we somehow have 13 points from the last 15 available.
I have absolutely no idea what to make of it
the joy of being a city fan!
For the second goal I attach no blame to Sam Walker. I disagree that he was slow to come out. Oyegoke who was between Walker and the attacker should have dealt with it. But the real blame is with Platt who unaccountably made no effort to head it – on the full directly from their keeper. I’ve looked closely to see if he got a nudge and he didn’t. The ball was there to be headed: it was a long time in the air for the defender to see it. I wonder what Platt’s explanation is. I agree with an earlier poster that Lewis’s erratic form in the first half of the season has probably cost us a playoff place. Sadly we might win the last two games and still finish 9th or 10th. But as Alexander says, let’s just go and do the business at Barrow on Tuesday and see what happens. It’s the only sensible approach. I thought Smallwood had a terrific game. We will undoubtedly miss Jamie Walker in the next match.
it’s easy to blame Lewis but the one really big difference this season is cook
if he had been as good as last season we would have another 10-15 goals
play offs or possibly even automatic
can we get him sharp for next season?
Dunc, Have you seen the first one, a shocker, that Lewis conceded yesterday? It’s typical of several he conceded for us.
I agree
best bit of business we did this season
but despite that we would still at least be in the playoffs if cook had got 30 like last year
were you at Stockport away for instance
The fact is Cook is a goal scorer and any team in L2 or even L1 eould have him in an instance.
This season he was never going to be as prolific as last season but his games to goals ratio is fantastic.
We let him go at our peril.
Cook in league One you are having a laugh. His weight balloons up and down and he has another 2 years with us on £4k a week. Like us all he is getting older and worse season on season. Mark if he was that good he would be playing in League 1 now wouldn’t he…
Thanks for the article Adam.
Id already shelved the idea of making the Playoffs weeks ago, but it’s a lovely feeling to be able to dream again. At least for a little while longer 🙂
Up the Bantams!
Didn’t we go ten games unbeaten many moons ago to get in to the premiership? I’ve always had that in the back of my mind this season….
To point out the shortcomings of Lewis and Cook without making reference to the mediocrity of the rest of the players has ticked me.
Yeah, they’ve have comparatively bad seasons to the standards of last year.
With the exception of Halliday the rest have been bang average, and that is the reason we’re relying on an unexpected late surge and other teams slipping up.
Any one else predicting we’ll bottle it against Barrow now that we’ve got a glimmer of hope???
Don’t you think it’s funny that both Smallwood and Walker had good games yesterday when they both want a new contract? If they had both put the effort in over the season we would have the playoffs in our hands rather than hoping on others to drop points. It’s Doncaster to win the playoffs for me(similar to when we crept into them with Kamara).
To my eye, I haven’t seen any lack of effort from the two you mention, in fact with Walker it’s possible his commitment is what holds him back as he’s constantly picking up knocks from diving into every tackle.
Smallwood is imo a very good player but he needs the creativity along side him, when he has that, he’s a willing runner, he’s always open for the pass and he puts in the tackles, when the creative outlet isn’t there, he’s tries to be that outlet but it’s not his game and invariably ends up with him shouting at everyone and feeling the fans ire.
So it may just be that when Walker is fit, Smallwood has somebody to work with and they both look better.
Agreed. I think Smallwood is a good player with the right players around him. On the rare occasions we’ve got the balance right in midfield these last two years, he’s looked excellent. Still not sure I’d offer him a contract, but if we could add to the midfield it wouldn’t necessarily be so bad if he was still here.
they were saying on radio Leeds that Smallwood and McDonald were our only genuine midfielders. How’s that for legs!
Smallwood has won multiple promotions from League 1. He has been captain of a promotion winning League 1 side, captained multiple team in the Championship.
Last year his better performances came with Clayton in a 3 man midfield. This year his better performances have been with McDonald/Walker as the ball player, as he protects the defence. If he plays that roles he is a great asset to any side but due to the lack of options he’s been asked to do something else. He hasn’t cowered away from that responsibility and it isn’t a lack of effort, but a lack of technical ability. Richie Smallwood doesn’t choose who takes set pieces, he is under instruction to take them.
L1 promotion with Rotherham, Player of the Season for Rotherham in the Championship, Promotion from L1 with Blackburn, nicknamed the King of Ewood by Rovers fans, Captained promotion winning Hull City from L1 as an ever present. Each of these clubs describe him in a similar way. He’s the water carrier of the team not playmaker. Maybe ask why he hasn’t excelled as expected here. Mismanagement is the reason Richie Smallwood has not hit the heights expected not Richie Smallwood’s effort, attitude or endeavour.
I wouldn’t renew him on a wage as one of the highest earners because I believe you should save that money and spend it on goal scorers and creative players who are more of a premium. But if we play the system we currently are we would struggle to find a better player, at this level, in that role.
At Rovers – He was part of a group of players who helped transcend the atmosphere around Ewood when it was most needed; yes, he was far from the most talented or skilful to ever grace the blue-and-white halves but he atoned for that with his sheer endeavour, desire and commitment.
At Hull – He was exceptional last season, his leadership throughout was absolutely vital. His role in midfield proved key in anchoring the midfield which allowed George Honeyman and Greg Docherty to flourish.
All good teams need the proverbial water carrier and he was that, and I say that with the greatest of respect.
I believe your comments about Smallwood’s time at Blackburn then Hull have some validity, Lrdlockwood, but I would point out that he joined Blackburn when he was 27 , moving on to Hull aged 29, eventually being released by them in 2022 at the age of 31. It is reasonable to assume that those making the decision to release Smallwood were all too well aware of the effect the passage of time had had on his legs, the ravages of which have continued ever more so during the last two seasons. Yes, he is still reasonably capable of breaking up play and blocking off passing channels, but increasingly so this season opposition players with no more than a modicum of pace have zipped past Richie leaving him trailing in their wake. Maybe, as you say, mismanagement has inhibited his impact on the team, but maybe also his legs have ‘gone’ – he will be 34 in December.
Likewise John I think your comments are valid and while I don’t think it is an issue definitely one that should be considered – especially ahead of triggering any option or renegotiating terms.
He definitely won’t be the same player now as he was at Blackburn and Hull or he wouldn’t be here in L2. However, the year before signing he played 42 games in the Championship as captain of Hull playing the full 90 minutes most weeks.
I’m not sure he’s ever been the kind of player who relies on his physical attributes. He’s aggressive yes, relatively strong yes but acceleration and speed absolutely not. For me he passes the eye test, obviously I don’t have the data to see how his stats have declined.
While his set pieces haven’t delivered, I think the negative view of his time here has been magnified by this. Criticism of his leadership especially is just to build a narrative.
As I said he wouldn’t be on my ‘must renew’ list (that’s pretty short) but I’m more than confident he can be an important fixture in the team should we choose to to renew his contract. His experience and leadership could be very important.
McCall joined us at 34, Gary Jones 35 and we got another couple of good years out of them. If he has looked after himself 33/34 is no issue for the type of role he plays.
Jimmy Quinn I think the disrespect you show to Cook is incredible. You just wait until he leaves then you’ll see how hard it is to find a 20 goal a season striker.
I totally agree with you. Cook is a proven natural goalscorer and his value is immense. He is not the finished article. If he was he would be playing at an higher level but as you say once he leaves some fans will realise how difficult it would be to get another 20 goal a season player.