Bradford City Reserves 3, Barnsley Reserves 1; by Richard Sutcliffe.
Bradford City battled back from a goal behind to seal their fifth consecutive victory at home in the FA Premier Reserve League last night.
The Bantams had gone behind against Barnsley ten minutes before half-time only to hit back with goals from Jorge Cadete, Robbie Blake and Stephen Wright.
But they left it late with Wright and Blake only sealing the points in the final ten minutes, although Barnsley could have few complaints about the result after City dominated the second half.
The Bantams took control of midfield after the break with John Dreyer and Neil Redfearn, facing his former club, impressing.
Blake also did well up front and his vision helped City to put Barnsley under so much pressure that they always looked like capitulating once they had been pegged back.
City's second-half display was in contrast to that of the opening 45 minutes in which bottom club Barnsley more than matched their efforts.
And, it was the visitors who went ahead after 35 minutes when Mattie Appleby rifled the ball past goalkeeper Liam Sutcliffe.
Within five minutes City were level. Lee Sharpe's determination allowed Gareth Grant to get away down the right and drill a low cross for Cadete to roll the ball into the net.
Ten minutes after the break Martin Bullock brought a save out of Sutcliffe, playing his second trial game, but after that it was all City.
Ashley Westwood went close with a header and then Redfearn brought an acrobatic save out of Barnsley keeper Tony Bullock.
But City would not be denied, and in the 80th minute Grant's cross was knocked back by Blake for Wright to drill a wonderful 20-yard effort into the net.
The Bantams sealed the points two minutes from time when Grant was brought down by substitute Brian O'Callaghan and Blake smashed the penalty past Bullock.
The win pushed City seven points clear of third-placed Sunderland, who have two games in hand.
City: Sutcliffe, Wright, Todd, Dreyer, Westwood, Myers, Grant, Redfearn, Sharpe, Blake, Cadete. Subs: Patterson, Kerr, Fishlock, Hardy, Dufton.
Barnsley: T Bullock, Moses, Jones, Goodyear (Parkin 84), Brown, Dudgeon (O'Callaghan 62), Appleby, McClare, Evans (Fallon 63), Dyer, M Bullock. Subs (not used) Walker, Richards.
Attendance: 848.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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