Crawley Town 1 Bradford City 0
City suffered back to back defeats for the first time this season with a narrow defeat to Crawley Town. The visitors were well in the game in the first half but a below par second half display allowed Town to dictate the way the game went after Emile Sinclair had slotted home what proved to be the winning goal in the 53rd minute.
The Bantams started the game well and perhaps should’ve scored an early goal following some decent chances. Kyel Reid’s delightful ball forward was knocked down by James Hanson and Mark Yeates fired a half volley over the bar from 18 yards out.
Yeates then produced a cross that wasn’t dealt with properly by Kyle McFadzean who sliced the ball into the air; the ball fell invitingly for Garry Thompson who failed to take the opportunity when it’d looked certain he’d put the chance away from only a couple of yards out.
Jamie Proctor was proving a lively attacking player for the hosts and after taking on Stephen Darby he drove into the area before seeing his shot beaten away by Jon McLaughlin from a tight angle.
Garry Thompson was presented with another opportunity shortly after; Crawley had only half cleared a corner and James Meredith headed the ball back into the mix, Thompson emerged onside and looped a shot over Paul Jones but the ball landed on the roof of the net to let the hosts off the hook.
Nicky Adams was denied a goal by an excellent block from debutant centre back Matthew Bates; Josh Simpson’s low cross fell to him in the area and his firm drive was somehow diverted wide by the chest of the former Middlesbrough captain.
City had had chances in the first half but had rode their luck at times however, they got off to the worst possible start, conceding in the 53rd minute. Andy Drury’s incisive pass put Emile Sinclair through on goal and he slotted the ball past Jon McLaughlin from close range.
Things almost got worse soon after when after Adams had beaten Reid in a challenge he let fly a 20 yard drive that looked to be rising towards goal but was held well by McLaughlin.
A lapse in concentration at the back between Bates and Meredith allowed Proctor to nip onto McLaughlin’s pass and attempt a shot that the City stopper tipped wide brilliantly to deny the hosts a second goal.
Kyel Reid stole the headlines after City’s last away fixture – a 2-0 win at Walsall and he almost scored another stunning goal on the road; urged to shoot he let fly a fierce 20 yard shot that Jones had to expertly tip over the bar to keep his side in the lead.
Crawley almost scored a killer 2nd goal in bizarre fashion; Drury saw the run of Sinclair and tried to pick him out with a cross that eventually clipped the cross bar.
Sinclair was denied a 2nd goal himself when his low angled shot was saved by McLaughlin after Mike Jones had picked him out with a through ball when City had failed to clear their lines.
Hanson had worked hard all game but hadn’t really been presented with too much in the way of goal scoring opportunities but he came close to scoring a spectacular equaliser when he hit a dipping half volley towards goal from 20 yards that went just wide.
It wasn’t ultimately to be the Bantams’ day but Rory McArdle nearly equalised in injury-time with one of his trademark near post headers however after he had met Raffaele De Vita’s corner he saw his header somehow clawed off the line by Paul Jones to preserve the 3 points for his side.