By Tim Penfold

It was another big game today. The League Two promotion race is incredibly tight, and any dropped points could be really costly, but Bradford City rose to the occasion, producing one of their best displays of the season to see off an uninspiring MK Dons team.

City made three changes from Tuesday, with Callum Johnson replacing the suspended Jack Shepherd in the back three, while the cup-tied Tayo Adaramola and Michael Mellon returned at wing back and up front, and it was one of the returnees that made the early goal. MK had a lot of the ball early on, but didn’t create anything with it, and while playing it around the back they invited the press. Mellon came in and nicked it off the defender, poking it through to Antoni Sarcevic who finished coolly.

MK, while looking relatively neat and tidy, did not cope with the City press, nor did they create anything. Their neat interchanges were let down by sloppiness under pressure, and it was City who carried the greater threat. Halliday was finding space down the right, while Pattison was making his trademark bursts from midfield. Even the centre backs were contributing in attack, with Callum Johnson racing forward before being barged over in the box – naturally, no penalty was given.

MK’s greatest assistance came from the officials, although they did deny a similar shout for a penalty at the other end. Soft free kicks would go their way, and at one point the referee seemed to invent his own rules, booking Adaramola for dissent having wrongly given a free kick against him then bizarrely making him leave the pitch for thirty seconds as if sin-binning him.

On a worrying note, Alex Pattison hobbled off partway through the first half. Hopefully this was a precautionary change, with the run of fixtures coming up, but it was reassuring to see Brandon Khela come on and do a passable impression of City’s number 16. It’s another sign of City’s depth, and bodes well for the next few weeks.

It was, in the end, a fairly dominant first half. The Bantams only had 42% possession, but did far more with it – eight shots, compared to MK who did a good impression of an out-of-form Mark Hughes team, having no shots at all in the half.

The second half began in much the same way as the first. City pressed, and MK couldn’t cope, while the ref disrupted the game as much as he could. Sarcevic was dragged down near the box – nothing given, while Khela committed an identical foul five seconds later and was booked. A Mellon pass very nearly put Bobby Pointon in, but the visiting keeper came out to block, then Adaramola drove into the box and his low cross was blocked at the far post with Sarcevic ready to tap in (naturally, no corner given).

The pressure kept coming, and eventually the second goal did too. Again, it came from MK trying to pass out from the back and running up against the City press. Richie Smallwood won it back and poked it forward to Pointon, who bisected the visiting defence with a perfect through ball. Sarcevic ran on to it, went round the keeper and slotted it into the net.

After the second goal, MK finally provided a bit of a threat – but not much of one, and City still looked the more likely to score again. Mellon, who was a constant pest for the back line, nearly forced his way through after robbing a defender, before being replaced by Jamie Walker. Walker also had chances, almost getting free in the box after linking with Pointon, then just missing a cross from the same player which flashed across the six yard box.

In the end it was a very comfortable win – City’s ninth in a row at home, equalling a record set in the 50s. Valley Parade is finally a fortress, and has been the foundation of our promotion push. More fine performances like this can only help in that regard.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2024/25, BCAFC, League Two, MK Dons