By Jason McKeown

Has there ever been a happier Bradford City substitute than Nick Powell? The 32-year-old came off the bench here to score a brace that rescued the Bantams from a losing position, once again relishing his impact role. This is his job, and wow, does he do it well.

Powell was introduced in minute 57. By minute 59, he’d equalised. By minute 71, he’d struck what proved to be the winner. Four goals now in 11 substitute appearances that total just 288 minutes of action. Limited minutes; major impact.

He is some weapon to have. For most of last season, the wisdom of recruiting Powell had looked highly questionable. When finally fit, the former Manchester United forward had some influence at the end of the campaign, but the decision to re-sign him over the summer was drawn-out and reflected a sea of doubts. It’s now abundantly clear that talks centred around his willingness to accept a super sub role. And it’s quickly turned into another Graham Alexander masterstroke.

This was probably the clearest example yet of Powell’s value to City. He equalised when fellow sub Bobby Pointon received the ball outwide from Macaulay Gillesphey and sent over an excellent cross, from which the veteran escaped his marker and headed the ball through the legs of George Mair. 12 minutes later, Pointon again did well and sent Corey O’Keeffe away, who produced some dazzling feet before crossing for Powell. The City number 25 chested the ball down, took a touch and finished coolly to win the game.

Powell is big, physical, tough and uncompromising. As legs and minds tire, his freshness off the bench gives him an edge. Throw in his high intelligence and vast experience, and City have a valuable weapon. It’s not just the goals, but the way he bullies and harasses opponents. The frustration he causes is evident. Here, it truly descended into red mist when Newcastle sub Johnny Emerson completely lost his head and booted Powell. A red card followed.

Job done, from a player rapidly rising the ranks of cult hero status. A catalogue of injuries have hurt his career and clearly place constraints over just how much football he can play. But City are managing that frailty brilliantly, and the reward is to have the services of a player who is ultimately too good for this level.

Powell was certainly the emergency glass City had to break here. If he seems to love his more marginal status, the same probably isn’t true of many of his team-mates. Two weeks ago, this group of players looked so hungry as they demolished Leyton Orient. Here they looked as though the wind had been taken out of their sails.

It wasn’t the same, high-spirited performance of Brisbane Road, which will concern Alexander. Against Orient, the manager had been able to dangle the carrot to his back-up charges that a strong performance would boost their first-team prospects. The problem? Everyone took that incentive and delivered excellent individual displays, giving Alexander huge headaches. The fact he went back to his first choice XI for the subsequent two league games was fully justified by the six points delivered. But for those who gave their all at Leyton Orient and still found themselves back on the sidelines, maintaining that level of motivation can’t have been easy.

And it didn’t look like they’d succeeded here. Nine of the players who began this had started at Orient – but this was a performance that for large spells was anything but the same level. Those who had justifiable grievances for not playing more of late did very little to prove their point. And that gives Alexander a different type of headache.

He will have certainly wanted to tear his hair out over Stephen Humphrys. His vibrant display in East London two weeks ago was followed up by an utterly anonymous performance. Alexander has shown his forward some tough love of late, giving out a clear message that he wants Humphrys to display consistent high standards. Not just one-off good games. Any hopes the penny had dropped now need to be revisited. This was Humphrys at his frustrating worst, and really he’s got no one to blame but himself.

He was in good company for large spells of the evening. City started reasonably enough, with Kieran Morgan firing an early chance just over and O’Keeffe rattling the crossbar with a curling free kick. But after Gillesphey cleared the crossbar with an effort from inside the box, City retreated and allowed Newcastle’s kids to take over.

Cameron Dawson – making his City debut between the sticks – made a great save to keep out the outstanding Matheos Ferreira’s effort from distance, but soon after the same player superbly struck the opener with a long-range strike that followed Morgan losing the ball.

City just weren’t at the races. Morgan and Henry Cartwright looked laboured in midfield, with Will Swan and Adam Phillips barely involved either side of Humphrys (Phillips’ lack of impact since signing in the summer is starting to become a concern). Under Alexander, City have become accustomed to beating up Premier League kids in this competition. Before tonight, they’d won three out of four Alexander vs U21 cup ties, racking up an aggregate score of 14-4. And given Newcastle sit second bottom of the Premier League 2 table, another rout was not an unreasonable expectation.

So this performance was, to say the least, disappointing.

Until the cavalry arrived.

Powell’s introduction came alongside Pointon and Harry Ibbitson, with Humphrys, Phillips and Swan withdrawn. City were instantly better, equalising and taking full control. The winner followed not long after, and the final stages were played out to a Newcastle side increasingly losing their heads and ultimately ending the night a player light.

How much to read into this? Dawson looked fine in goal, which will ease some tension about going to Reading without Jon McCracken. Pointon’s resurgence in form continues. O’Keeffe is quietly proving to be an astute signing. Ibbitson has real potential and should be given more game time in this competition. Some green ticks then.

But there will also be learns that Alexander will take from this. Some of those who have spent recent weeks waiting for opportunities were unable to channel their frustration positively. That’s understandable. It is also dangerous. Competition for places only works when those left out respond by pushing harder.

Powell, however, is the perfect counterpoint. He is not a regular starter. Nor is he getting everything he wants. Yet every time his number goes up and he enters the fray, he proves his worth all over again.

That mentality won City this game.

That’s why the headlines belong to Powell. His specialist role is proving a revelation. In an era of five substitutes and constant rotation, he is giving City something different: a player capable of changing games in half an hour rather than starting them for 90 minutes.

Others spent the night looking frustrated by their role. Powell embraced his. And City collected the rewards.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2026/27, BCAFC, Football League Trophy, Newcastle United