By Jason McKeown

This is one of those stalemates where we need to see what happens next before we can judge its true significance. It might be evidence of Bradford City’s character and inner steel that they can claim a battling point against a fellow top six side whilst injuries are mounting. Or perhaps, a fourth straight draw shows they are starting to find life in League One a little tougher. We’ll only really know how good a result this is when more of the pattern emerges.

For now we can say that City are looking solid if not as sizzling. Dogged if less dominant. Just like on Saturday at Stevenage, a point here is certainly no bad result in isolation. But maybe the tactical shrewdness of Michael Skubala is a sign of League One’s growing respect for the Bantams. And that opponents are figuring out ways to curb their pressing excellence.

It might be half term week, but Skubala had done his homework on City. With James Collins playing deeper, Lincoln had an extra player in midfield to crowd out Max Power and Jenson Metcalfe. The Imps’ physical backline routinely cleared its lines quickly and refused to invite any City press. Out of possession, Lincoln were outstanding – with wide forwards Rob Street and Ben House regularly tracking back to support their wing backs.

It all meant City didn’t have their usual space to operate. Power was initially swarmed on and really struggled. The so often-favoured diagonal passes to City’s wing backs were habitually intercepted. And on occasions when Josh Neufville and Ibou Touray did get the ball in wide positions, there was no space in front for them to cause their usual havoc.

This left City looking disjointed by their usual high standards. Lincoln were purposeful, front-footed and created several early chances. But they did not take undue risks, quickly retreating into a defensive shape that stopped City finding their usual rhythm. The front three of Will Swan, Antoni Sarcevic and Calum Kavanagh were initially barely involved.

I guess we’ve come a long way from those opening home games of the season, where much more fancied clubs than Lincoln would turn up with their play-out-from-the-back philosophies and get completely beaten up. City made hay against such breathtaking naivety, and we all had a lot of fun. Lincoln were not here to play the part of fall guy. And so here was a reminder that football seasons can often be a slog, and that this division is not going to be as easy as City have threatened to make it look.

And that’s why ultimately claiming a point is encouraging. In the first 25 minutes especially, City were awful – indeed, the first half overall was by some distance their worst at Valley Parade this season. They struggled to get to grips with Lincoln’s physicality, and when their usual tactics failed to make any impression, they were initially left scratching their heads.

In those opening 25 minutes Lincoln had five shots to City’s zero, and 63% possession. Graham Alexander responded decisively, moving Kavanagh up alongside Swan — who’d barely touched the ball — and dropping Sarcevic into a deeper role behind them. The press was abandoned as a tactic, with Power and Metcalfe instructed to drop back and shore up midfield with the extra help of Sarcevic.

The tweak to a 3-4-1-2 steadied City and helped them gain more control. In that second part of the first half, City had six shots to Lincoln’s two, going closest through a curling Metcalfe effort from distance.

The pattern of City’s gradual improvement continued after the break, where Andy Cook was brought on for Swan – the latter doesn’t quite look his previous sprightly self. The game improved as a spectacle, ebbing and flowing between spells of City and Lincoln pressure. And maybe if you’re a Lincoln fan, you’d have liked to have seen your team push on a bit more and take extra risk. Because with all of the home side’s injury problems, there was definitely an opportunity for the visitors to win it.

That largely went away during the final 20 minutes when Alexander made a triple sub and restored City to their usual 3-4-3. The mounting injury list might have left the City boss with a weaker-looking bench to usual, but once again Alexander played his hand well and the Bantams looked better for the introduction of subs.

As part of the revert to 3-4-3, Tyreik Wright came on to play as wide left forward and was superb. He produced the cross of the night that Joe Wright couldn’t quite get on the end of, and later was played in by Cook and fired an angled shot that George Wickens palmed away. The loose ball fell to the feet of fellow sub Tommy Leigh on the edge of the box, but he could only blast the ball into the Kop.

Not long after Ciaran Kelly sent over a looping cross that Cook met at the back post, but Wickens denied the City legend on his 200th appearance for the club. The Bantams tails were up, and had the game gone on 5-10 minutes longer they probably would have found a winner.

That would be harsh on the balance of overall play and Lincoln were good value for their draw. Alexander was proud of how well City stood up to the challenge and the performance of his back three, who were brilliant. Kelly deserves a special mention – with his manager declaring this the Irishman’s best game for the club. Metcalfe was also superb and seems to be really growing in stature over recent weeks.

Outside of those four players, it was patchy. Credit to Power for the way he kept going and the bravery he showed in always calling for the ball. But that was a long way off what he can deliver. Touray and especially Neufville look like they need to rest up rather than play in this weekend’s FA Cup tie with Cheltenham. Sarcevic battled gamely but looked like he might have been rushed back from injury a little too quickly. Kavanagh couldn’t repeat his recent strong form and Swan/Cook were left too isolated.

The point lifts City back up to second, and that remains a beautiful, unexpected sight that no one should be downplaying. But that said, City’s league record has gone from W7 D2 L1 a month ago to W7 D6 L1. Still really impressive. Still well above expectations. But no longer quite as remarkable.

It’s fair to say they’re missing injured players, not quite hitting September’s heights, and encountering opponents who have learned how to nullify them. But whilst it’s four league games without a win it’s also seven league games unbeaten. And five of their next six league matches are against sides currently in the bottom seven. So whilst this might be a slight dip by recent high standards, there’s nothing to seriously suggest it will be more than that.

We shall see how it plays out. And that’s why – even though this game won’t live long in the memory – we may look back on this draw in a few weeks’ time and apply a better understanding of what it showed about City’s trajectory.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2025/26, BCAFC, League One, Lincoln City