Written by Jason McKeown (images by John Dewhirst)

These are the days you will never forget. The unrestrained joyfulness of Bobby Pointon putting Bradford City in front. The electrifying giddiness of Pointon grabbing his second. The euphoric astonishment of Josh Neufville/Pointon making it 3-0, before we’d even got to half time. The sights. The sounds. The hairs standing up on the back of the neck. The spines that were a tingling.

This truly was a cathartic occasion that went way beyond what you’d dare dream it could be. A higher state of consciousness experience, driven by more than 21,000 City supporters sharing in this blissful moment. It was the biggest City victory over our loathed neighbours Huddersfield Town since 1993. A Bantams battering. A Terriers traumatising. To win the first City-Town league derby for 18 years was one thing, but to win it this convincingly felt seismic.

So we cheered and we danced and we taunted and we roared – all at such a level that plenty of us will spend the rest of this weekend nursing croaky voices. And even when the elation starts to fade over the coming days, what we’re left with here was an afternoon of delight that we will talk about for decades.

It really was that special. City were marvellous, delivering another early season statement win. This one the most notable and most prized of the lot. For it shows that the Bantams are not just in League One merely hoping to stay there – they have a genuine chance of making a big impression. By 5pm and the completion of the League One round of fixtures, City stand joint top of the table. Look, I don’t want to risk making too outlandish of a prediction guys, but I think we’re going to stay up.

The place on the summit comes with the asterisk that City have played a game more than Cardiff – who share the top spot – and a trip to the Welsh capital next week may quickly pour cold reality over our dreamy state. But whatever. To be joint top of League One capped off a near-perfect day for the Bantams. You really couldn’t have asked for more than this.

And though it was ultimately a convincing derby success, there was an added layer of satisfaction gleaned from the fact City had to work hard to earn it. Huddersfield started this game better. They dominated the first 15 minutes, enjoying some 73% possession and racking up five corners. Just like against Doncaster a week earlier, City’s 3-4-3 set-up initially struggled against opponents lining up 4-2-3-1.

Town’s extra man in midfield hinted at proving telling, as wide midfielders Marcus Harness and Ruden Roosken sought to operate in the space between City’s midfield two and the wing backs. Tyreik Wright – brought in because injuries to Curtis Tilt and Joe Wright meant Ibou Touray was needed to fill in as left sided centre back – was initially caught out a couple of times (he got better really fast!) Aden Baldwin was wasteful in possession. Town pushed and pushed, with some clever movement in the final third.

And so for a little part of the afternoon, you feared the worst. This felt like a real step up – for everyone. As the team initially struggled, a curious quietness emanated from the home sections who were easily out-sung by the sold out away sections. Anxiety seemed to spread around the ground. This wasn’t how we wanted it to be. Suddenly Touray lost a 50-50 which allowed Joe Taylor to run at goal. His chipped shot beat Sam Walker, but smacked the top of the bar. A Town goal is surely coming. Gulp.

Two small but nevertheless important details changed the direction of travel. First there was the sight of Andy Cook warming up on the touchline – the City number nine back on the bench after not playing a league game since New Year’s Day due to injury. The presence of Cook going through his stretches near the Kop inspired some much-needed chanting, as if to shake everyone out of their nervous hesitancy. The team responded to the belated emergence of positive noise.

The second key moment came from Josh Neufville. He’d barely touched the ball was suddenly found in space and in a position to run at the Town defence. Roosken crudely stopped him, earning a yellow card. It was a rash decision from the Dutchman, and succeeded in boosting Neufville’s confidence. Here was a sign Town would struggle to handle him. Go and have some fun with that, Josh!

Which he certainly did. Because minutes later City cut through Town and scored, with Neufville a key component in the move, aided by the visitors standing off him at crucial moments. It all began with Baldwin spraying a brilliant long pass out wide to Neufville, who was given time to knock it back to the returning Matt Pennington. The central defender played a short pass to Max Power, who very quickly played it to Antoni Sarcevic, who flicked the ball for Neufville to sprint onto. Rooken wasn’t adequately tracking back, perhaps fearing a second yellow, and Sean Roughan was caught out, meaning Neufville was left in space.

Neufville’s first touch was poor, but it didn’t matter as it inadvertently sent the ball to Will Swan who had been criminally left free. As Joe Low raced across to engage, Swan sent a low pass central to the unmarked Pointon to sweep home.

Of course it was Bobby who opened the scoring. Four league home games, four occasions Pointon has found the net. The lad who grew up watching City from the Kop, immersing himself in the Bradford City culture and everything we stand for. Pointon is too young to remember the last City-Town league derby but has been full doctorated in the significance of this fixture – and what it would mean for a lad from Low Moor to score in it. And so One Of Our Own did the only logical thing you would do when you score for Bradford City against Huddersfield right in front of the Town fans – he ran over to them and gleefully rubbed it in.

Being honest, the goal was against the run of play. But by the end of this game, it mattered not one jot. And that’s because the goal transformed City’s self-belief whilst beginning to drain Town of their poise. The visitors still pushed, with the corner count reading 0-9 in Town’s favour by 30 mins. But City were defending with great verve, and the gaps that had been created in the early stages were suddenly hard for Huddersfield to uncover.

City’s growing authority was evident and couldn’t be dampened, even with the unfortunate early departure of Alex Pattison – who’d played well on his recall to the starting XI, with his ability to carry the ball up the pitch proving useful. Tommy Leigh replaced Pattison and was back to his usual excellent self after a slight dip at Doncaster. Power was superb alongside him, showing great reading of when to slow City down and when to up the tempo. The early initiative that Town had grasped was slipping through their fingers.

Especially after the events in first half stoppage time. 45+4. A City throw in level with the penalty area saw Power and Baldwin engineer a crossing opportunity. Baldwin’s ball into the box was flicked on by Sarcevic, and Pointon got free of Lasse Sorensen at the back post to slide it into the far corner. Another Pointon goal. Another Pointon goal against Town. Another celebration right in front of the fed-up looking Huddersfield fans. Bobby – you will never need to buy a pint again in Bradford for the rest of your life.

And amazingly the half’s action wasn’t done. 45+6. Town restarted the game and quickly ceded possession. Touray sent it to Swan, who with his back to goal turned brilliantly and was able to charge towards the penalty area. He danced around one challenge and played the ball to Antoni Sarcevic, who waited for Neufville to overlap him before playing it into his path. Neufville sent a low cross towards Pointon that landed in the back of the net. Another Pointon goal…maybe. Unclear from replays if he got a touch or if it’s Neufville’s goal. No offence, Josh, but a hat-trick for Bobby is a lot more romantic.

What we definitely do know is there were only 19 seconds had been played between Town’s restart and the ball crossing the line for the third time. It prompted hedonistic scenes across the near entirety of Valley Parade.

Half time – Bradford City 3 Huddersfield Town 0. Wow. Just wow.

It really was astonishing stuff. City were initially pushed back and then delivered three devastating blows to their opponents. And this is what we do. It was a game that reminded you of last January’s crucial 3-0 smashing of Walsall that changed the League Two promotion race, and of March’s 4-1 demolition of Colchester United that strengthened City’s top three hopes. In both those matches, the highly-fancied visitors came roaring out of the traps and posed big early questions of the Bantams. But they held out, fought back and utterly demoralised their opponents.

This became a very welcome repeat of that, and it’s remarkable to watch opposition sides visibly wilt in front of your eyes, completely bullied by a City side executing their well-rehearsed gameplan. Maybe at this higher level, you don’t expect the same type of contest to happen. For City to look this good. But here they went from 0-60 in double quick time, wrestling control and running away with it.

And that’s how this very quickly became such a wonderful, brutal Bradford City display. The intensity was dialled up to max power (if you pardon the deliberate pun). They beat up Huddersfield Town, leaving them dizzy and cowering. It was an awfully long way back for them.

And the doom and gloom for Town fans will have only grown darker during that second period. Because while the challenge to come back was considerable, it was an utterly pathetic Town effort to salvage something. They had plenty of possession, but rarely breached City’s final third. The players were spineless. No one assumed any responsibility. No one looked capable of making anything happen. Worse still they sulked, picking up a spate of yellow cards. For a time, Town looked more likely to get a man sent off than to actually register a shot on goal.

It all left City right where they wanted them. Players held their position behind the ball, waiting to press. When possession was won, they swarmed forward and pushed Town back. The shambles of Huddersfield was perhaps best exemplified by a moment when they tried to play out from the back and misplaced two passes under pressure, which almost led to City scoring another. A goal kick was the outcome. This time, Lee Nicholls wasn’t daring to play it out from the back and went long.

Whilst goal action wasn’t in huge supply City looked more likely than Town to register the next goal. Their best chance to add the fourth came when Power took a free kick quickly and sent Swan away. The in-form striker hit a powerful drive at goal, but only succeeded in hitting the same crossbar Taylor had managed in the first half. Really unlucky.

And maybe that might have proven an important ‘what if’ moment, because Town finally got some semblance of their act together late on. They went until the 80th minute of the second half before they managed a shot on goal, but from that effort they found the back of the net when substitute Zepiqueno Redmond tapped home after Bojan Radulovic had got clear at the backpost from a corner.

Could Town stage an unlikely comeback? They certainly improved after the goal and showed some spirit. But City showed their customary excellent game management, with sub Nick Powell especially impressing in the centre forward role. Powell showed good decision making in the channels he ran and the way he held up the ball. The most cheered substitute of the lot – Andy Cook – came on to do his bit to help the team over the line.

It all lead to big full time celebrations and the customary gathering at the Kop where one player – usually the match winner – is invited to stand in front of everyone else and produce a series of fist pumps for fans to cheer. Pointon got the nod this time. But really, every single player deserved to have a turn fist-pumping supporters.

Because this really was a team effort of superb performances. The back three – weakened by injuries – was patched up and excellent. Great to see Pennington back, Touray did really well in the centre and well done to Baldwin who keeps confounding the critics. Both wing backs were outstanding. Neufville’s influence on the game huge, but big respect to Tyreik Wright who defended and attacked with quality – his best game of the season no doubt.

Power and Leigh/Pattison easily won the midfield battle, with Pointon, Swan and Sarcevic pressing hard and always making things happen. And yes, let’s have another word on Pointon on this day of all days. Because it wasn’t just his goals that stood out – his all-round intelligence to play the right pass, make the right runs, and tie defenders in knots is growing. We are witnessing a really special player whose potential seems boundless. And we should enjoy him while we have him.

As we should enjoy Graham Alexander. The manager who has more than arrested the slide of this football club – he’s completely transformed it. The way he engineered such an effective playing style with a squad rotation approach, the level he has turned Valley Parade into such a fortress (this was the 24th victory in City’s last 30 home league games) and the way he has brought the pride back into being a Bradford City supporter. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. And we should all feel so grateful he is our manager.

What does all this mean for City? Joint top of the league, 17% of the season done, just one defeat. Are we on for double p…argh, don’t say it! Still feels too early to tell. Too unfair to slap on any expectation. But, you know, the growing significance of this blistering start to the season is becoming more difficult to ignore. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to start talking about what it all could mean.

But for now, we should bathe in the absolute truth of what this derby victory was – a milestone moment, and a major landmark reached on the road to redemption. Here Bradford City reached another level, to win the fixture we wanted to win more than any other. And whatever happens from here, we’ll never forget it.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2025/26, BCAFC, Huddersfield Town, League One