Bradford City v The Bantams – “Play It Like a Pro”
The third annual fundraising game “Play It Like a Pro” took place today at the Coral Windows Stadium between two teams of City supporters, the fixture itself has Bradford City as the home team and The Bantams as the away team as the supporters get to live their dreams for ninety minutes.
Heavy rain showers during the day had briefly threatened to dampen the fun at Valley Parade but the special fixture still went ahead as planned and in the end it turned out to be an excellent match despite the conditions, with the Bantams winning the game 2-1.
On the day, both sides had legendary managers with Bradford City being lead by former City player Wayne Jacobs, whilst the Bantams had former Premiership centre-half Ken Monkou who in his fifteen year playing career played for the likes of Chelsea, Southampton and Huddersfield Town.
The first half was fairly even with both teams creating some chances on the rain soaked turf, some small puddles of rain water on the pitch did make it hard for the players at times as the ball didn’t roll true on occasions.
However just before half-time Luke O’Brien, City’s 2009 Player of the Year, gave the Bradford City side a 1-0 lead when he struck a left foot shot from the edge of the area that gave the Bantams goalkeeper no chance.
Ken Monkou’s half-time team talk must have been inspired as the Bantams were excellent in the second forty-five minutes led by Lee Elam and my Man of the Match Luke Gallagher.
Both Elam and Gallagher created a number of excellent chances for the Bantams in the second half, they had a shot well saved by Eliot Broome in the Bradford goal and a second effort that hit Broome’s post.
In the final fifteen minutes of the game, the Bantams were in total control and scored through Colin Fieldhouse, after battling his way past three defenders at the edge of the city penalty area, he then turned into the area before sending an excellent shot past Broome in the City goal to make the score 1-1.
Following an excellent spell of pressure with about seven minutes remaining on the clock the Bantams won a corner which was floated in by Brannan Lawn, the Bradford City defence headed the corner clear but the ball fell to Tim Hird at the edge of the box, who sent in an excellent half volley that left Broome in the city goal no chance and the Bantams had a 2-1 lead.
Despite Wayne Jacobs attempt to get the referee to add an extra ten minutes to the game at the end, his side lost the match for the third year running, as the Bantams went onto win the game 2-1.
The game is organised to raise funds for the club’s youth department which I think you will agree has done an excellent job last season, winning their league and reaching the final of the National Youth Alliance Cup.
Match Details
Bradford City – Broome, Richardson, Egglestone, O’Brien, Steer, Teale, Fearnley, Rawnsley, Padgett, Stevens, Tumelty (Subs) Green, Hirst, Rodgers, Town
The Bantams – Spencer, Hird, Bingham, Elam, Tranter, Betteridge, Pearson, Gallagher, Storrie, Midgley, Lawn (Subs) Pickles, Owlett, Fieldhouse, Twite
Goals – (Bradford City) O’Brien, (The Bantams) Fieldhouse, Hird
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