By Jason McKeown

This looked destined to be a story about the struggles that come from losing a key player to injury. And in the end it was. But not in the way we expected.

Because the story here wasn’t the absence of Andy Cook, the state of his knee and the big shadow it casts over Bradford City’s season. It was the story about how the team found a way to win and win well without their talisman. Of an afternoon lit up by the all-action, swashbuckling Alex Pattison, running the game from midfield and scoring a brilliant goal. Of an occasion beautified by the cunning creativity of Antoni Sarcevic, who linked midfield and attack and left opponents dazed, earning a penalty and providing the assist for Pattison’s game clinching third.

It was a story of two lower league maestros right at the top of their game. All of which begs the question – how on earth did we cope without them for so long?

Sarcevic was injured in August and has missed 22 of City’s 31 games this season. Pattison picked up another momentum-wrecking injury in September, returned in December and then got himself a three-match ban for a red card at Crewe. The pair have only started five games together all season – City’s record when they have is W4 D1 L0.

As City stumbled their way through Autumn, the lengthy injury list was a mitigating factor. But some absences were bigger than others. You wonder how much better off the Bantams could be right now if Sarcevic and Pattison had remained fit, and Graham Alexander had got there sooner in working out the 3-5-2 formation wasn’t playing to their strengths.

Now, here we are with a 3-4-3 and two big players who have found meaningful roles to excel in. And as they soar, so to do the Bantams.

This latest victory was a team effort, it really was. And with the guy who they rely on so heavily sidelined for who knows how long, it was commendable how well everyone else came together to put in a shift and compensate for the loss of the best striker in League Two. But here, Sarcevic and Pattison showed they can lift City to levels they’ve failed to reach all season. That they can be the difference between a team struggling to make the play offs and one who should habour top three ambitions. On this showing, the sky really is the limit.

It all just clicked. Grimsby are no slouches. They began the day above City in the table and in the play off positions, rocking up to Valley Parade for an early kick off with a superb 2,000+ away following who initially made an almighty racket. But the Bantams played them off the park with possibly their most complete performance of the season. It took Grimsby 45 minutes just to register a shot at goal. By that point they were 1-0 down and chasing a game that soon went beyond them.

Playing a 4-2-3-1, Grimsby just couldn’t live with City’s press. They tried to play it out from the back, where they were confronted by the energetic Calum Kavanagh, Bobby Pointon and Sarcevic. The Mariners’ two holding midfielders, George McHaran and Evan Khouri, were completely outgunned by Richie Smallwood and Pattison, who pushed up high in hungry search for possession, never allowing their opponents to settle. The supply line was cut off to Grimsby’s attacking midfield three, and in turn lone striker Danny Rose was isolated. Town’s captain competed well but had no impact on City’s back three.

It just worked so well. Grimsby’s lack of time on the ball was in contrast to City’s, with Smallwood, Pattison, Sarvevic and Pointon especially finding time and room to demonstrate their skills. Some lovely link up play ensued, especially with wing backs Brad Halliday and Lewis Richards bombing forward to provide an outlet.

Kavanagh took the Cook role. It was a thankless task, and he certainly made plenty of mistakes. Confidence is clearly still not where it needs to be. But fair play, he had a really good go and never let his head drop. Kavanagh never shied away from making himself an option. He wasn’t going to win some of the high balls that Ciaran Kelly, Aden Baldwin and Smallwood especially sent his way, but he made life difficult enough to allow City to win second balls and get up the pitch. The 21-year-old pressed well – much better than Cook is ever able to – and that helped pin Grimsby back.

Smallwood had his best game since his early season run of outstanding displays. When the 3-5-2 began to sag, it was because opposition teams had worked out that Smallwood was being asked to do too much on his own, and could be easily overrun by swarming on him. Now with Pattison as a partner, there is renewed energy and thrust. Smallwood would win the ball, find a team mate (often Pattison) and an attack would begin. And if it broke down and Grimsby tried to come forward, Smallwood would be one of the first to press and win it back again.

It helped that Grimsby maintained principles of passing it around and trying to play through Smallwood and Pattison. You thought they’d get wise, throw on another forward and go direct. But it never happened, leaving them pleasing on the eye but toothless in attack. The first half was largely all City, with a whopping 10-1 shot count and 60% possession. One especially great save from visiting keeper Jordan Wright, and other moments of heroic last ditch defending, was all that kept the score at 0-0.

But just on half time, the breakthrough arrived. A corner was half cleared and Pattison produced a superb crossfield ball to Halliday, who worked the ball to Baldwin, who had stayed up. The defender has rightly had question marks against him for his last two performances but here he showed the value of his quality on the ball, as he produced a great cross that picked out an unmarked Richards to score.

It’s Richards’ second goal in two games and his first league goal at Valley Parade. Fitting reward for another superb display – he just gets better and better, reaching heights that seemed beyond his ability just a few months ago.

The pleasing aspect was that City did not go into their shell after the break. They began the second half on the front foot, on the attack within seconds. And barely a minute had been played when Sarcevic was tripped by Cameron McJannet for a penalty. Probably a harsh call, but Grimsby players themselves didn’t complain significantly. Smallwood picked up the ball and dispatched it comfortably from 12 yards, sending Wright the wrong way. And City were in a great position.

Alas, those self destructive tendencies remain a character flaw. There was nothing on when Rose shot tamely from distance, and really Sam Walker should have held onto the ball instead of palming it behind for a corner. It got worse, as City’s keeper found himself rooted on his line from the set piece that was swung over. McJannet’s fairly tame header looped slowly and needlessly into an empty net. Out of very little, Grimsby were back in it.

It’s not been a great few days for Sam Walker, who was arguably at fault for Barrow’s second goal on New Years Day. He is underperforming his XG for the season by 5.15, which suggests he should have conceded five fewer goals than the 27 that have been scored against him so far. The lack of competition Walker is facing is definitely something to consider this January.

What was especially heartening for City was that even when they were facing the greater anxiety of Grimsby narrowing the deficit to 2-1, they still played on the front foot. Still had more possession. Still had more shots on goal. They kept the ball really well over this period, especially Pattison and birthday boy Pointon.

That meant that when the next goal came, it was to City and it wasn’t a great shock. And it was a goal that showcased so much what was so good about their overall approach. Grimsby had the ball until Smallwood won it off them. He was crowded by visiting players, but still found a pass to Pointon, who quickly played it to Sarcevic, who set Pattison away. From just inside his own half, Pattison ran and ran before firing an angled low shot from the edge of the box. It arrowed past Wright, hit the inside of the post and bounced over the line. 3-1. And the sight of visiting Grimsby fans making for the exits showed it was effectively game over.

Indeed, it could have been more. It probably should have been more. They kept pushing. Kept playing. Strong at the back (Jack Shepherd had a great game), creative in midfield, and full of industry and running. A group of like-minded footballers on the same wavelength, well-drilled and well-coached. Enjoying themselves and giving enjoyment to their public.

Alexander talked after the game about the curious development of signing more midfielders in the early stages of this January window, when he already seems so overstocked. He explained why we wants depth in this area. Namely, due to the impact that injuries had over the first half of the season. And seeing Sarcevic and Pattison at their mesmerising best was a strong argument for why it could really pay off to be flush with options for this part of the team.

Because this is the standard that has been set. This is how well they must aspire to play every week. Injuries and suspensions will absolutely happen. And if you can have back up options at almost the same level as your most influential performers, there is less reason for things to suddenly derail.

There are two things to add here though. The first is that you can definitely have too much of a good thing. With an abundance of attacking midfield options, there was no Jamie Walker in the matchday squad here – unthinkable earlier this season. And as much as the Scot remains loved by City fans, well, it’s probably for his own good that he’s allowed to leave this window. The team shape and its approach has evolved in a way that is less suited to Walker’s obvious strengths. He is falling down the pecking order very fast.

The second thing to say is that the strength in-depth of midfield needs to be replicated within other parts of the team. We’ve talked about the goalkeeper, and there’s got to be worries about an over-reliance on Richards. And of course, what about up front?

City managed the first outing post-Cook injury absolutely brilliantly. But they still missed his prowess and his hold up play. Had Cook been able to play here, it probably would have been the 4-1 or 5-1 thrashing that the game’s pattern merited. With no Olly Sanderson in this squad, Tyler Smith not seen for months, and Vadaine Oliver rumoured to be on his way, a lot is resting on Kavanagh coming good. So yeah, the priorities in this window are obvious.

We’ll see how that plays out. For now, we can enjoy another really good home win. An eighth success in 12 Valley Parade league matches this season, which is the second best record in the division. In fact, only six teams in the entire 92 have won more home games so far this season.

For greater context on the significance of those eight home wins, in both 2023/24 and 2022/23, City only won nine of their 23 home games (a 39% win record). And the year before that (2021/22), they won six out of 23 (26% win record). This season they have a 67% home win record. At long last, Valley Parade is becoming a fortress. (Next up at home, leaders Walsall – interesting!)

If they can lift their away form, make the necessary January transfer additions, and the treatment room stays much quieter (and Cook doesn’t need to visit it for long), they’ve got a real chance this second half of the season. A chance because of their decent range of defensive options. A chance because of the adventurous wing back play of Richards and a returning-to-form Halliday. A chance because of the midfield leadership of Smallwood. A chance because of the bravery and high quality decision making of Pointon. And a chance because of the stardust provided by a fit-again Pattison and Sarcevic.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2024/25, BCAFC, Grimsby Town, League Two