By Adam Raj

Saturday’s defeat at Leyton Orient was a performance that showcased both the very best and worst of Bradford City. At our best in the opening 20 minutes, and for a short spell in the second half, it was high press, high intensity, creating chances at will and suffocating the opposition. At our worst, it was scrappy, lethargic, hesitant and a distinct lack of composure in possession.

City did not deserve to lose the game, however, they didn’t do anywhere near enough when they went behind. It was Orient who finished the better of the two sides and City’s grenade style handling of the football meant they couldn’t get a foothold in a game that kept drifting further away from them.

And it was a real shame, because that opening 20 minutes was as good as we’ve seen for months. City made their hosts look really poor, forcing turnovers in the final third and getting plenty of good quality shots off at goal. They were winning duels all over the pitch and not allowing Orient to get a period of sustained possession.

Stephen Humphrys was proving to be a nuisance in what was arguably his best all-round performance of the season. City created a number of chances in the opening period, with Humphrys and Jenson Metcalfe forcing good saves from Tommy Simkin. Metcalfe then robbed Jack Moorhouse as Orient looked to play out from the back, slipped through Antoni Sarcevic to tap home in an open net, but City’s number ten somehow hit the post.

The Bantams kept up the pressure and deservedly got their goal. Max Power sent a great ball down the line for Humphrys to chase who suddenly found Simkin in no man’s land. The City striker took the ball round the Orient keeper and finished into an open goal. It was no more than City had deserved for a really strong opening period.

Unfortunately, that was largely as good as it got. City seemed to drop off, started to lose some duels and give up possession to an Orient side whose gameplan was to dominate the ball and pass through the lines. City didn’t sustain their high intensity and ultimately it cost them. The hosts seemed to realise City’s drop off and you sensed that it gave them a mental boost as the momentum was shifting.

In addition to City’s drop off, credit must go to Richie Wellens for an early substitution and tactical switch. Tayo Adaramola was taken off for Omar Beckles and Orient switched to a 3-4-3 from their 4-2-3-1. It was a change that you have to commend as the Orient boss saw his side under immense pressure and had the bottle to change it early.

Orient started to dominate the ball, City began to retreat and had less joy with the high press as Orient’s tactical switch began to exploit holes in City’s midfield. The hosts began to break the lines and create some promising situations but City generally defended well and didn’t offer up any real sights of goal.

That was until the 36th minute when Dan Ballard got his first of the afternoon. Tyreeq Bakinson was afforded far too much time and space to cross into the box where Ballard was unmarked to head home. The striker had shown some clever movement to wedge himself between Aden Baldwin and Ciaran Kelly with neither picking him up, but City can’t be allowing a free header like that when they’re 4v3 in their own box.

And with that goal, you sensed a real shift in momentum. Orient didn’t create anything further of note until the break, but City continued to retreat and fail to impose themselves as they had done earlier.

City’s start to the second half was again bright. Humphrys found himself 1v1 with Jack Simpson, twisted him inside out before sending a stinging effort towards goal which Simkin tipped over. Sarcevic was then released by an excellent ball by Sam Walker, he was faced with Simkin again but his chip lacked the required elevation and it fell kindly into the keeper’s arms. Sarcevic has obviously been a real source of goals this season – but this afternoon, he had certainly left his shooting boots at Apperley Bridge.

Then out of nowhere, a real moment of madness from City. Walker opted to play a short goal kick to Baldwin, who played the ball out wide to Kelly. His ball down the line was blocked and ricocheted into the box which caused carnage and Ballard was on hand to slam home his second.

Ultimately, it was a goal littered with mistakes and unforced errors:

First error – Walker played the goal kick to Baldwin’s left foot with Ballard closing him down from the right. A minor point maybe, but Baldwin’s trademark diagonal is always played with his stronger right foot so this was already putting him under pressure. As a result, Baldwin looked uncomfortable and hesitated in his decision making when he received the ball.

Second error – Baldwin’s decision to pass the ball to Kelly instead of clearing the ball forwards. Already under pressure, Baldwin decided against the safe option in that moment and pass the ball to a player we all know struggles in possession.

Kelly then has his pass blocked before getting bullied by Ballard, Wright sees his clearing header fall straight to the striker and he puts it into the back of the net. Third error, fourth error.

If there was any doubt by that point, then that second goal really shifted the momentum in favour of the hosts. City really struggled to regain any sort of foothold in the game. They struggled to calm the game down, have any sort of sustained period of possession and failed to create another good chance.

When City needed composure, they had none. They played the last half hour like it was the final five minutes. Constant long balls, the back three belting the ball forwards straight through to the keeper and more unforced errors across the pitch.

If anything, that half hour has probably highlighted the necessity to improve the technical quality in the squad when going through the next phase of squad progression and evolution in January.

City like to do everything at 100mph. But often, you will find yourselves in situations like today where you need a period of keep ball to take the sting out of the game and wrestle back some level of control. At this point, I don’t see us having that ability within the squad to manage those moments. Fortunately for us, we’ve been that good, we’ve rarely been losing and haven’t found ourselves in those situations.

Ultimately, it’s a Saturday of immense frustration. So much was done so well and we’ve shot ourselves in the foot meaning we come away from the game with nothing. There’s lessons to be learnt but City have bounced back positively from their other rare league defeats this season. Hopefully it’ll be the same on Boxing Day.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2025/26, BCAFC, League One, Leyton Orient