REACH FOR THE STARS: CITY NEW BOYS SHINE IN
SPARKLING FIRST HALF
“New boys can get
Bantams smiling again,” the T&A headline had screamed prior to kick-off.
It wasn’t wrong.
It marked the
fusion of the old and the new: City scaling the intoxicating heights of
September with a dazzling passing performance from the familiar faces we know
and love, but blended perfectly with the fresh impetus offered by new
acquisitions. The mid-season resurgence that had begun with the courageous
second-half fight back at Brammall Lane continued in equally impassioned vein,
but with greater finesse and flow instigated by the hugely impressive Gary
Jones, Adam Reach and Kyle Bennett.
It was hard to
believe it was the first time they’d played together.
Though
Huddersfield loanee Chris Atkinson wasn’t fielded for a game in which the
Bantams recorded their first home clean sheet since September, his fellow
Championship stars Reach and Bennett enthralled with captivating wing play,
City working the flanks well and looking fresh, fluid and fast thanks to their
young acquisitions.
It was a wholesale
shake-up from the side who had played Sheffield United. Long-term absentee
Andrew Davies, making his first start since October, returned to centre-half as
Bates was pushed over to left back, meaning Carl McHugh had to settle for a
place on the bench. Thompson was sacrificed in favour of Doncaster striker Kyle
Bennett, while Adam Reach lined up on the left wing and Nathan Doyle slotted
back into centre midfield. The strike force remained the only untouched
outfield area, McLean and Hanson both retaining their places.
It was a very
promising opening for Parkinson’s men. From the outset, they were captivating,
to a man: Jones provided energetic, fluid dictation in the middle; Reach was a
lively and calming presence on the left; Darby provided excellent attacking
support for the lively Bennett, who oozed class in each and every manoeuvre:
every pass was perfectly picked out and played, every cut inside menacing,
every movement exciting, every attack even more promising than the last as City
grew in stature and confidence. After the winger had effortlessly skipped down
the wing, his inviting cross was teed marginally over by McLean, but the former
Peterborough man fired wide before later struggling to muster the finish to
Hanson’s superb flick-on. The Bantams looked organised and efficient, every
inch an exciting League One outfit.
But everything nearly crumbled just before the half hour
mark. Bennett fouled Preston midfielder Neil Kilkenny and a minor tussle
followed, with the Bradford winger dismissed after pushing his opponent. It was
a controversial red card, arguably a harsh and heavy handed one, and the
Lancashire side also found themselves reduced to ten men following Kilkenny’s
comedic flop to the floor.
City could have
folded, but it’s credit to the perennial stoicism and unwavering resilience of
Parkinson’s side that they carry on regardless of the problems they face. It
was another example of the deep-rooted spirit the team possess, and Stephen
Darby stepped up admirably to the plate to link-up well with McLean. Doyle
lashed two ambitiously venomous efforts towards goal but both took late
deflections, and McLean saw his textbook strike acrobatically denied by Declan
Rudd.
Preston grew into
the game more as the second half opened. John Brownhill came close as the
visitors capitalised on a Matthew Bates error and James Hanson flicked over the
crossbar shortly after, as the game descended into an enthralling end-to-end
clash. City threw everything forward, Bates, Davies and Reach all pummelling
down the wing to deliver teasing cross after teasing cross, but the game
remained at deadlock as the Bantams failed to capitalise. Preston hit the
woodwork in a frantic 20 minute period in which either side could have scored:
the Lancashire side were more clinical in the final third, but Bradford were
tidy throughout and were always on the front foot.
It was an
excellent showing for City – possibly the best display since those heady early
home highs against Sheffield United and Brentford – and high-flying Preston
never looked a cut above the hosts. Most settling of all, the back line –
bolstered by the return of lynchpin Andrew Davies - looked more stable and
correlated, and, though there were admittedly occasions on which Preston looked
like scoring, even Bates looked more assured, and McArdle came close to
replicating the form shown in the reverse fixture last year. As McLean and
Hanson get used to each other (McLean looks different to Nahki – perhaps a more
creative entity who links with the wingers better) and Reach, Bennett and
Atkinson are further integrated into proceedings, there is the potential for
some excellent performances during the final half of the campaign.
This display needs
to be kept in context, of course, but a lot of questions have been answered and
things suddenly seem so much brighter - yesterday was nothing but promising.
The next challenge now lurks ominously and imposingly down the M6, ready to
open the next draw of the Bantams’ League One account.
Bantams Blogger’s Top Three:
1st: Adam Reach: Dfyghsieinvosnchspaoegaujfksvpsv. Mind
blown.
2nd: Andrew Davies / Stephen Darby: Superb return to action
for the hugely influential centre half – a massive influence. Darby showed
tenacity and determination getting forward, which is going to be critical while
Meredith’s absent.
3rd: Gary Jones: Characteristically energetic in the centre
of the park. Some great passes picked out and really brought the wide players
into the game as City worked to make use of the flanks.