BRADFORD CITY: Jon McLaughlin, James Davies, Luke Oliver, Kyel Reid, James Hanson, Will Atkinson, Gary Jones, Nahki Wells, Rory McArdle, Nathan Doyle. SUBS: Matt Duke, Stephen Darby, Ricky Ravenhill, Garry Thompson, Carl McHugh, Alan Connell, Zavon Hines.
PORT VALE: Chris Neal, Rob Taylor, John McCombe, Doug Loft, Louis Dodds, Jennison Myrie-Williams, Ashley Vincent, Tom Pope, Clayton McDonald, Ryan Burge, Richard Duffy. SUBS: Sam Johnson, Adam Yates, Gareth Owen, Chris Shuker, Sam Morsy, Ben Williamson, Ryan Lloyd.
ATTENDANCE: 11,030 including 661 visiting supporters
BRADFORD CITY: Jon McLaughlin, James Davies, Luke Oliver, Kyel Reid, James Hanson, Will Atkinson, Gary Jones, Nahki Wells, Rory McArdle, Nathan Doyle. SUBS: Matt Duke, Stephen Darby, Ricky Ravenhill, Garry Thompson, Carl McHugh, Alan Connell, Zavon Hines.
PORT VALE: Chris Neal, Rob Taylor, John McCombe, Doug Loft, Louis Dodds, Jennison Myrie-Williams, Ashley Vincent, Tom Pope, Clayton McDonald, Ryan Burge, Richard Duffy. SUBS: Sam Johnson, Adam Yates, Gareth Owen, Chris Shuker, Sam Morsy, Ben Williamson, Ryan Lloyd.
ATTENDANCE: 11,030 including 661 visiting supporters
After nine successive games naming the same starting eleven, Micky Adams made to changes for the trip to Bradford in League Two's big match of the day at the Coral Windows Stadium.
Chris Shuker and Sam Morsy were both dropped to the bench, while Rob Taylor came in at left back, allowing skipper Doug Loft to play in his favoured role in the Vale midfield, where he was partnered by Ryan Burge.
Chris Neal was called upon to make a really good reaction save after just 15 seconds as the home side pressed right from the kick off.
Kyel Reid crossed hard and low from the left and Neal reacted to keep out Nahki Wells’ first time effort. From the resulting corner the home side hit the side netting.
Although Vale were playing their part in the game, it was the home side who were looking the more likely of the two to open the scoring.
As the home side you would perhaps expect that, but Vale weren’t quite as fluent going forward as they had been in their previous three games on the road.
minute when he flung himself to his left o hold on to a 12 yard header from James Hanson.thChris Neal made another impressive save in the 19
In a rare bit of forward play for the Vale Ashley Vincent shot over the bar, but the ball had take a slight deflection and the visitors were awarded a corner kick.
The home side had appeals for a penalty turned down after Louis Dodds appeared to handle the ball inside the Vale box and just seconds later Vale went in front against the run of play.
Richard Duffy’s long ball out of defence on thr right was knocked on by a Bradford latched on to it in a flash, beat his marker and drove low past Jon McLaughlin for the opener.TOM POPE player and
A back post header from Pope could have easily doubled Vale’s advantage just six minutes later, but McLaughlin was well positioned to make a point blank save.
As was expected, the home side piled bodies forward in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Vale defence stood firm.
Ashley Vincent made the wrong decision when he elected to shoot, with Myrie-Williams in acres of space to his right, as Vale continued to make their presence felt.
A shot from Myrie-Williams then took a slight deflection to take it out for a corner as Vale looked dangerous once again on the break.
Chris Neal then made a comfortable save at his feet from a Hanson header then minutes later Vale made their first change, with Adam Yates coming on for Richard Duffy.
Clayton McDonald then blocked a shot on the line as the home side looked to hit back, but Vale looked solid at the back.
minute Vale made another substitution when Sam Morsy came on for Ashley Vincent to give Vale a more solid look in the middle of the park.thIn the 85
Three minutes into stoppage time Neal was called upon again, this time fingertipping a 20 yard effort from Hines over the crossbar.