By Jason McKeown

This wasn’t quite revenge, but by the end Valley Parade revelled in the Schadenfreude of giving an old foe a good kicking when they were already down. Glee dripped down from the home stands, as further misery was heaped on a beleaguered Carlisle United who are trapped in a doom loop of adversity. The visitors are in disarray and Bradford City enjoyed the chance to twist the knife. A small but deeply satisfying dollop of vengeance for May 2023.

If you were a Carlisle United fan asked to write a script for how this would go, the last person you’d have wanted to cast in the role of heroic match winner was Andy Cook. But here he was. Netting two memorable goals. Putting Carlisle United to the sword. The man the Cumbrians once released without giving a game, and who has up until now struggled to show them what they missed. Two years ago, Andy Cook was scoring goals for fun in League Two – except when coming up against Carlisle. Four games vs United, no goals. Cook was a subdued presence in that two-legged play off battle. Tamed and beaten.

But here, this was the Andy Cook we at Bradford City know and love. After slightly dipping in form and goals last season, Cook looks in fine shape and now has five goals to his name this campaign – a year ago at this point he had none. Cook led the line superbly, making clever runs, bullying defenders and scoring two well taken goals. He is the King of Valley Parade, re-confirming his status by smashing up an opposition club whose fans revel in taunting him.

This was Cook’s day for sure, but he shares the limelight with many of his team-mates. They got off to the best possible start, seizing on Harry Lewis’ first touch of the ball back at Valley Parade, when the former City keeper played a hospital pass to Jon Mellish. Jamie Walker smelt blood, robbed the defender of possession and charged at goal. He squared the ball to Cook, who finished smartly past his old team mate. The game was less than two minutes old.

It was a brilliant moment for Walker, awarded his first league start of the season after a curious period where he was sidelined. “The best in the league” for timing and smelling half chances Graham Alexander’s post-match verdict of the Scot. The boost of the early assist set Walker up for an all action performance where he was creative, purposeful and behind so much of City’s better moments. In the race for the attacking midfield position slots, Walker has just jumped up the queue.

On the back of such a torrid start to the season, going behind so early meant the sky threatened to fall in on Carlisle. Their woes added to by left back Ben Williams going off injured after just 11 minutes. It was clearly harrowing for much of the first half for them. The play it out from the back approach exposing them to needless risk that City routinely pounced on. Olly Sanderson missed a sitter to make it 2-0. If the Bantams had have earned a second goal in that first half hour especially, it probably would have led to a Carlisle collapse.

There was much to like about City’s intent, even if it wasn’t flawlessly executed. Picking Walker and Clarke Oduor as number eights allowed them to press effectively, with Brad Halliday – much improved after a slow start to the campaign – and Tyreik Wright pushing up to block the space. Carlisle tried to play through City, but were routinely out-thought by opponents who set the traps to fall into. The energy and athleticism of Halliday, Wright, Walker, Oduor and Sanderson especially allowed City to make quick transitions between defending and attacking.

It all works so well because of the balance provided by Richie Smallwood. The City skipper was once again superb here and is having a fantastic start to the season. Smallwood is forcing more than a few of us into revising our opinions of what he can provide the club. He is excellent at holding his position to allow others to push on, fills in gaps when they appear, wins the ball routinely and has a good passing range to begin attacks (no player on the pitch produced more passes than his 55). Smallwood has become the heartbeat of the team. The man who makes everything tick.

Nevertheless, because City didn’t quite seize the moment to run riot, confidence belatedly returned to Carlisle shirts. They grew into the game, with Sam Walker forced to make a couple of important first half saves. Dominic Sadi – the on loan Bournemouth wide forward – caused plenty of problems operating in the space between Wright and Ciaran Kelly. City’s sloppy use of the ball on the left hand side especially gave the visitors hope. Carlisle certainly creaked in that first half, but they did not collapse.   

It must have been a difficult afternoon for Lewis. Arguably the most popular Bradford City goalkeeper of the last decade was routinely booed by large parts of the crowd – though did receive a great ovation when he headed out to the Kop for the start of the second half. Lewis must have been told at half time by Carlisle’s caretaker management trio – which included former City winger Jamie Devitt – to stop playing it out from the back. There was definitely a more direct approach taken in the second half, and Carlisle were all the better for it.

United should have equalised when slack defending from Kelly allowed Charlie Wyke in at goal, but the ex-Bantam forward smacked a shot against the post. That was by far Wyke’s most telling contribution of the afternoon. Apart from the early departed Williams, not a single starter on the field had fewer touches than the 24 Wyke had all afternoon. If there’s reason to have confidence that Bradford City are getting smarter in the transfer market, it’s the fact they didn’t sign Wyke during the summer. A good player in the past for sure, but a questionable recent record that made the financial outlay unappealing. Carlisle are probably finding this out the hard way.

Wyke didn’t score but Carlisle soon did. Sam Walker had just pulled off another brilliant save from a free kick attempt, when a cross into the box was flicked tamely towards goal by Harrison Neal. Walker caught it, and then didn’t. The ball somehow falling out of his grasp and dropping into the net. It was a horror moment for the keeper, and is a worry given it comes just a week on from making a costly error at Grimsby. On an afternoon when we all expected a Lewis howler, it was actually City’s seemingly reliable goalkeeper Walker making a contribution to the next Own Goals and Gaffes Christmas video.

(The first person to console an utterly dejected-looking Walker? Smallwood. He gave Walker a comforting pat, then grabbed the front of his shirt to drag him back to his goalline to shake off the mistake and get on with the game.)

Moments later Cook seized on some weak defending and ran at goal, saw his shot blocked by Lewis, and then Sanderson’s rebound attempt was superbly saved by the Carlisle keeper. And it suddenly all began to feel Very Bradford City. Especially when moments later Kelly had the chance to set up an attack, yet played an awful ball that allowed Carlisle to counter attack. But maybe, the well-versed Bradford City plotlines aren’t going to be replicated this season. Maybe, things are changing. Because just at a point where it seemed City were wobbling and in danger of falling apart – and where you feared an out of form opponent would triumph, with former City players returning to haunt – the Bantams got a grip of themselves and went again.

Indeed, the moment of misjudgement from Kelly was a turning point of sorts. With Bobby Pointon brought on for the lively-but-not-influential-enough Oduor, City began to get on top. In the five minutes just before going 2-1 up, the Bantams had more than 60% possession. They netted through Cook, when he powerfully headed home Wright’s cross after good work from Walker and Halliday. Cook’s movement, anticipation, muscle and power to seize the chance was hugely impressive. Cook is now five goals away from entering the top five all-time Bradford City scorers. He’s already in some sparkling company in terms of his goal contribution to the club.

As the majority of team mates ran after Cook in celebration over in the corner between the Kop and Midland Road stand, Smallwood raced off in a different direction. He headed over to Wright, the man who had produced such a tremendous cross, and who was stood alone. The skipper was making a point of recognising Wright’s vital contribution. Wright had some difficulties in the first half especially and had some of the crowd on his back, but his decision making improved after the break. He deserves credit for showing strong mental strength to grow and play such an important part in the win.

There were half chances for Carlisle late on. But with Walker making some comfortable saves with minimal fuss, it felt like the natural order had returned. City’s game management was good and they ran down the clock effectively. The late introductions of Jack Shepherd, Vadaine Oliver and Alex Pattison helping to shore things up. A satisfied Alexander declared, “We have to go out and show what a good team we are and I think we did that for large spells.”

And so City are fifth in the early League Two table. 10 points from a possible 15. It’s a pleasing start – their joint best since returning to this level in 2019, and better than the last two campaigns. The team has suffered key injuries, but the depth of the squad is proving encouraging. At the back there are still questions, although Cheick Diabate had a fine league debut here. Neill Byrne is settling in and contributing, even if pace is a worrying weakness. With Walker and Sanderson having very good games, at least 10 players’ names write themselves on the teamsheet. And there’s plenty more in the wings breathing down their necks.

It is fair to say that City have not yet hit top gear yet. They’ve not completely convinced in any game, even if this was as close as they’ve come to a good 90-minute performance. There is room for improvement for sure. But there’s definitely some grit and resilience within the ranks. They’ve successfully bounced back from their first tough week of the season. And in doing so made it seven points from nine on home turf.

We’ll say no more than that about City’s prospects. Been here before, feeling excited in September – only for new dawns to prove false. So instead, let’s just enjoy this moment. This was a really good game to watch. A lively atmosphere, boosted by a proper away following. Needle from both sets of fans, and even in the dugouts. This was a game of football that really mattered to every single person inside the stadium. One team’s joy the other’s evident hurt.

We may not hate Carlisle, but – let’s face it – we wanted to bring them down a peg or two. A torrid 18 months for the Blue was continued here. It was nice to do our bit. In the League Two table Carlisle are now…hang on I’m scrolling down…still scrolling…aha! 22nd. This is in all probability their rock bottom moment, before it gets better. Glad we got to be the one to dish it out.

For City this was another step on the road to recovery, and it was one that really mattered. Because it’s difficult to achieve a true redemption arc without first dishing out some payback to those who hurt us along the way.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2024/25, BCAFC, Carlisle United, League Two