Bradford City 0 – 1 Peterborough United: Match Report

A top of the table clash saw Peterborough visit Bradford for a match eagerly anticipated by both sets of fans. However it was the referee who stole the limelight with some controversial decisions which left, in particular the Bradford fans, unhappy.

Early chances for Mason Bennett and Conor Washington set the tone for the match. Both teams were playing decent football and had good chances and opportunities to score. Jordan Pickford made a fantastic save from Conor Washington’s shot after an excellent Peterborough counter attack. Again Peterborough were on the attack, it was pinball stuff in the box after a corner but the ball was eventually cleared away by Bradford’s Gary Liddle. Billy Knott saw his low drive saved by Ben Alnwick just before half time as Bradford we’re getting back on top. Just after half time, a collision between Andrew Davies, Jordan Pickford and Kyle Vassell saw Andrew Davies come off worst. He was forced off the field through a bad injury to his arm. Following the loss of Andrew Davies, Bradford’s performance took a turn for the worst. Just two minutes later, a fortunate ricochet and defensive mix up between Rory McArdle and Stephen Darby gifted Peterborough a goal. The ball broke loose and substitute Michael Smith layed it off to Kyle Vassell who fired the ball into the top corner. Despite Bradford’s best efforts to pass the ball and level the tie, Peterborough broke up the game and stopped the flow of Bradford’s play. With their team 1-0 down and the referee making some controversial decisions, the Bradford fans were beginning to get agitated. But that nearly changed when James Hanson’s thunderous strike from outside the 18 yard box was once again, saved by Ben Alnwick. Bradford saw most of the play in the final minutes but it was Peterborough who held on for the win.

CityVsPboroFormationBradford City

Jordan Pickford Made a few great saves and he was unlucky to concede a goal. 7.5
Stephen Darby Solid performance and decent defending as always, although a mix up between him and Rory McArdle was the fault that led to Peterborough’s goal. 7.0
Rory McArdle Great defending until his centre half partner, Andrew Davies, was forced off through injury. A mistake from him and fellow defender, Stephen Darby, gifted Peterborough the advantage. 6.5
Andrew Davies He played well and put his body on the line as usual. This resulted in what looked like a painful arm injury and forced him off the field in the 55th minute. 7.0
Alan Sheehan Looked a bit shakey at times but an all round decent performance. 6.5
Gary Liddle Made some crucial tackles and interceptions. He passed the ball and retained possession well. A fantastic performance from the first whistle to the last. 8.5
Jason Kennedy Defended and got forward well. He made some good runs and put in a good shift. 7.5
Billy Knott Looked to create things everytime he picked up the ball, great attacking display. He forced the ‘keeper into a tough save and will be a big asset to Bradford this season. 8.0
Filipe Morais Had a flair in his performance with some trickery and good moving forward on the counter attack. He could have crossed the ball and passed quicker. 7.0
James Hanson A typical James Hanson display. He won most headers and looked a big threat when attacking. He saw his phenomenal shot from the outside the 18 yard box saved but had it gone it, it would be a goal of the season contendor. 8.0
Mason Bennett He tried to make some good runs and wanted to attack. He was strong on the ball and showed lightning quick pace. 7.0

Substitutions

James Meredith Came on for the injured Andrew Davies in the 55th minute. An unusual poor performance from the left back. 5.5
Mark Yeates Got stuck in when he came on and did OK. He probably needed longer to get into the game. 7.0
Aaron McLean Was ineffective when he came on and he didn’t do much. Surprising for a player of his ability. 6.0

Peterborough United

Ben Alnwick Made some vital saves and ultimately kept Peterborough in the game. Very good goalkeeper. 8.0
Christian Burgess Got beat a few times but looked a solid defender. 6.5
Shaun Brisley Led the back line well and defended OK. 7.5
Ricardo Santos Very strong in the tackle, maybe too strong at times. 7.0
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing Created a good counter attack for Peterborough but went off injured after 20 minutes. 6.5
Kane Ferdinand A decent performance, got forward when needed and defended well. 7.0
Joe Newell Was quite influencial in the Peterborough midfield, created a lot of chances. 7.5
Jack Payne Closed players down well in the midfield. 7.0
Jermaine Anderson Was allowed time and space on the ball but didn’t do much with it. 6.0
Kyle Vassell Very strong and powerful, exquisite finish for the goal. 7.5
Conor Washington Had many chances to score but didn’t manage to put one away. He looked good on the ball. 7.0

Substitutions

Michael Smith Made a positive impact when he came on and got the assist for the goal. 7.0
Tyrone Barnett He didn’t really get involved much when he came on. 5.5
Grant McCann He also didn’t get involved much but when he did, he looked quite decent. 6.0

Man of the Match

Gary Liddle A top quality all round performance. Solid in every aspect of his game. Won tackles and distributed the ball terrifically. A thoroughly deserved man of the match but Billy Knott was a close second.  8.5

Highlights

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