By Jason McKeown

There was a pause, a reset, a huddle and one very crucial conversation. Sam Walker was lying injured needing treatment, and Bradford City’s outfield players congregated around the dugouts for an impromptu time out. Jamie Walker strode over to Bobby Pointon for a quiet word. “It’s always on” was the Scot’s message.

And it was.

The game restarted. Straightaway Neill Byrne sent a cross-field pass up to Tyreik Wright, who successfully flicked the ball to Pointon. The pair exchanged a couple of further passes outwide, leaving Pointon in space with the chance to send the ball into the danger area. Bradford City had been crossing it all night, with a pretty low success rate. Pointon opted against another high punt, instead delicately rolling the ball back to the edge of the box. Right into the path of the onrushing Jamie Walker. “It’s always on”.

A low shot, a deflection, a goal. Just as Walker had advised Pointon moments earlier, try something a bit different and know the cut back is always on. It put Bradford City back in front, and this time they would add to, rather than squander, their advantage. Pointon would get on the scoresheet 10 minutes later. 3-1 was how it finished. A first win in five games. And a testament to the power of Plan A.

It really was back to Bradford City basics here. Reshaping into the 3-5-2 that the squad was built to play. Encouraging developments on the injury front enabled them to return to what they were, and they were all the better for it. The crucial final step of unlocking their true capability took place when Bobby and Jamie linked up midway through the second half. As though a light switch had been flicked on, City were brighter and dazzled.

The reuniting of the Pointon-Walker double act was overdue. Last April, the duo played a huge part in City’s end of season resurgence. And it has been one of the mysteries of the opening two months of this campaign why Graham Alexander did not continue pairing Walker and Pointon as his number 8s. Prior to Newport’s Monday night trip North, Walker and Pointon had played just 25 minutes together in their ideal positions – the Carlisle success of a month ago that had been City’s last victory. After the hugely influential role Pointon and Walker played here in winning the game, Alexander will have a hard time deploying anyone else.

Selection headaches for the right reasons, after the last few weeks of bare to the bones status stripped City of their fluency and their swagger. Byrne’s return to fitness was absolutely crucial. It allowed the Bantams to return to three at the back, which allowed the full backs to return to wing backs and push up, which allowed the midfield to return to a triangle of Richie Smallwood sitting deep behind number 8s, which allowed City to overcome decent but limited opponents.

Like Harrogate and like Morecambe, Newport packed bodies in the centre of the park, with Nélson Marques Jardim using a 4-2-3-1. But unlike Harrogate and unlike Morecambe, City were not outgunned.

It was a battle for sure. A real war of attrition in midfield But Newport’s narrow shape left huge gaps in wide positions. The hugely impressive Jay Benn and the returning-to-wing back Wright routinely had so much time and space. Newport were happy for City to have the ball in such positions, backing themselves to deal with the inevitable flurry of crosses. They did cope for a while, but ultimately didn’t. The source of all three of City’s goals was outwide.

It was not an edge of your seat thriller. With Sky Sports cameras beaming the game to homes across the UK and some 65 countries worldwide, they would have done well to keep a floating TV audience from switching channels. In the first half City toiled without looking menacing. Quality lacking in crucial moments. The fact Newport keeper Nick Townsend was booked for time wasting as early as the 23rd minute said much about the visitors’ commitment to TV entertainment. They were here for a long time, not a good time.

City have struggled so often in games like this when they have more of the ball and the opposition is playing a low block. But with their shape restored, performances across the pitch were that little bit sharper. Byrne’s influence at the back was huge. He settled down his younger central defensive colleagues Cheick Diabete and Jack Shepherd, who were far from perfect but improved on their recent showings. Byrne operated as the spare man at the back and set up several attacks with his excellent range of diagonal passing. He helped to get City up the pitch.

As did Smallwood, who was back by himself and thrived with the extra responsibility to produce his best game since, well, the last time he was playing on his own in the engine room. Smallwood helped to protect the back three by winning the ball higher up the park and setting up attacks. Like Byrne, Smallwood could see the space was on the flanks and regularly directed possession towards the wing backs.

It just needed that better quality in those wide positions. Wright got into so many good crossing positions but repeatedly failed to find a team-mate with his final ball. Everything is there for Wright to be City’s best player this season but he’s not quite putting it all together yet. He should be first choice left wing back for his quality on the ball, but is so far not doing enough to ease suspicions City haven’t recruited properly in this important area – something that may yet come back to bite them.

Benn was certainly more effective on the right hand side, and it already feels like a long way back for the dropped Brad Halliday. Benn was making his full City home debut, and the lad from Low Moor is looking like one of the finds of the season. As a pattern to the game was established of Wright and Benn running up and down the pitch to send in high crosses, it was no surprise that the more productive Benn set up the opening goal.

And it was some goal. Jamie Walker got free and sent a lovely low pass into Benn’s path. It was set up for him to cross first time, but his ball into the box seemed to be too slow and slightly behind a closely marked Andy Cook. Remarkably, Cook was not only able to tilt his head back and make a connection, City’s top scorer managed to get power and placement to nod the ball over Townsend and into the top corner. A simply stunning header. And one of Cook’s best-ever goals for the club.

It gave City a half time advantage they deserved. Newport were no slouches and carved two big opportunities at 0-0, but 6 foot 9 inch targetman Kyle Hudlin could not bully City’s backline in the way Morecambe’s 6 foot 7 inch Marcus Dackers had terrorised Diabete and Shepherd a week ago.

Nevertheless, the second half began with Newport looking more energised and City curiously flat. The visitors began to press and create some big opportunities, with City’s backline – Shepherd especially – starting to wobble. The Bantams stopped doing the things that had worked so well, going from 55% first half possession to having just 37% in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Newport smelt blood and got level when Keiron Evans crossed for Hudlin to head home after he got free of Diabete. It was Newport’s sixth effort on goal of the half. City had yet to produce a single second half shot.

Alexander instantly beckoned Pointon over to come on, with Tyler Smith also introduced. Clarke Oduor and Calum Kavanagh made way, and the change had a positive impact. It was not a great evening for Oduor, who had played himself into the team with some excellent recent form but once again demonstrated his lack of consistency. It was not easy in the overcrowded centre of the park for sure, but too often Oduor made the wrong decision on the ball and caused promising attacking moves to break down. Kavanagh is still well short of last season’s excellence but did look a little bit more his old self. He’s notably working harder and needs to keep doing the ugly things.

City got their second wind through Pointon’s introduction. After his con-flab with Walker about how “it’s always on”, Bobby set up Jamie for 2-1 to spark superb scenes of celebration across a half-empty Valley Parade. The build up to the goal was also useful evidence of how much better Wright can be when he has Pointon to link up with – something we saw a lot of at the end of last season.

Indeed, everything about City was working.

The game was sealed when Walker found space on the right and chipped a superb curling pass into the path of the onrushing Benn, who got to the byline and sent a cross towards Pointon, who flicked the ball into the net. Just a really, really nice goal. Fitting that Pointon got his reward for inspiring City to victory – he made such a big impact in a high profile TV game that will do plenty for his blossoming reputation. Fitting that Benn got another assist to cap off a man of the match display. And fitting also that Walker was so influential in the build up.

This was a really strong individual performance from Walker. The midfield logjam of the first half arguably disguised some of the fruits of his toil. But Walker was always leading the press. Always striving to get on the ball and make things happen. He has a bravery and character that so many players who’ve worn the claret and amber shirt in recent seasons have crucially lacked. Walker is a man for tough moments and getting you over the line. His quality shines through because his work-rate earns him the platform to be creative and impactful. You can’t be a successful team – at Bradford City especially – without players who stand up to be counted. And Walker will always stand up to be counted.

Walker scored one and played a big role in two of the other goals here. Like with Pointon, he began the season out of the starting line up and faced a huge battle to regain his place. He responded in exactly the right way, and earns greater admiration for that. The 31-year-old is a great example to others in so many different ways.

Walker is part of that spine of the team that will be so crucial to City’s chances. A spine fully restored here with Byrne’s return and the formation reset. Byrne went off late on with cramp and needs to be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of Saturday. The summer signing didn’t fully convince early doors this season, but we’ve seen a Bradford City backline without Byrne and it was not pretty.

And that remains the only slight nagging doubt from a really good evening for City. They were back to their old selves and eventually back to their best, fully meriting the three points that catapult them into the top half and the edge of the play offs. But it’s been a theme of Alexander’s 11-month reign that his team looks good when enough influential players are fit. Yet when injuries strike and Plan B is needed, the manager is found to be lacking, causing worrying and sometimes fairly dramatic dips in form.

From the post-Christmas slump after Jamie Walker got injured to last March’s injury-ravaged collapse, and more recently the September dip that has slowed the Bantams down, when City are under-strength under Alexander they really do struggle. All clubs face headwinds when injuries strike, but there is a really big drop off when City are missing players that has to be handled better.

With Aden Baldwin not far behind Byrne in returning to fitness, and the useful additions of the experienced Paul Huntington and Cory Evans, the hope has to be that there is now enough depth and resilience to cope with future injury set backs. There needs to be, because this is a squad with a very good Plan A but not much else. We’re absolutely all in on 3-5-2, and anything that undermines it – such as injuries – puts the club in a very vulnerable position.

In victory here, they’ve got through the season’s first sticky period. Survived a first injury crisis. It gave us all a valuable reminder of the strength and potency of this City squad, and how far it could take them. Because when the stars align for them, it’s always on.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2024/25, BCAFC, League Two, Newport County