Clarke sets Bantams on road to redemption

BRADFORD City past and future continues to be under the microscope in an agenda dominated by talk of a takeover and painful reminders of events 30 years ago.

But what about the here and now? Is the present suddenly irrelevant with all this debate about the before and after?

On Saturday, a football match broke out. Yes, remember them, the reason we turn up week in, week out in the first place.

And it proved a welcome diversion from the politics and pain currently swirling around Valley Parade.

The near 2,500-strong away contingent may have snapped up their advance tickets at a time when Bramall Lane looked a potential signpost on City’s route to the play-offs.

But with that avenue sealed off by the post-Easter slump, it still provided a pertinent pick-me-up both on and off the field.

For the players, salvaging a draw from a Yorkshire derby – even one lacking the usual blood and thunder you come to expect – was genuine redemption from the humiliation heaped on them at Valley Parade four days earlier.

“It has been a difficult week for us,” admitted skipper Stephen Darby afterwards. He might have been talking purely about the 6-0 Bristol City drubbing but his comments summed up City on a wider context.

He added: “It was the worst defeat we’ve had on a football pitch. It hurt but we had to take it on the chin. It was important we showed some character and bounced back quickly and we’ve done that.

“A Yorkshire derby was a big motivation. We knew our fans would travel in numbers, as they always do.

“We owed it to them that we proved what it means to wear the Bradford shirt.

“We knew it would be a tough game but everyone stood up to be counted. It was a good result in the end.”

Indeed it was, particularly in the manner of the fightback.

Billy Clarke’s well-taken equaliser ended a wait of nearly six hours since City last hit the net when Tony McMahon rounded off Good Friday’s convincing win at Doncaster.

Topping off a 3-0 success in stoppage time, it looked all systems go. But a lot can change in a fortnight.

The team that turned up at Bramall Lane had not taken a single point – or even scored a goal – since that victory just 21 miles down the road at the Keepmoat.

To then fall behind after all the usual obstacles – clearances willy-nilly off the line, a standard “nothing to see here” penalty shout, chances going to waste, you know the score – it looked a depressingly familiar script.

But not this time and Clarke’s decisive intervention to take him clear at the top of the club’s scoring charts put a much-needed smile back on the face of Phil Parkinson.

The City boss said: “The strength in character in the team was great.

Sheff Utd v City picture gallery

“When we went a goal down, as manager you’re looking on the pitch for a response and I thought the lads were terrific. They kept going and never lost faith that we could get one back.”

Parkinson had shaken things up as much as he could with four changes from their home hammering.

Gary Liddle was given the afternoon off to get his breath back as much as anything after playing such a pivotal part of the campaign.

Just as significantly, Andrew Davies returned after three weeks and five matches out and immediately re-introduced that physical presence that had been so woefully lacking against the division’s champions.

Davies misses too many games every season but this was another example of when he stands strong there are few better in his position. You see those around him grow a couple of inches.

With Filipe Morais once again troubled by the knee pain that has hung around for going on a couple of months, Parkinson switched to a midfield three. Former Blade Tony McMahon and Chris Routis backed up Billy Knott while Clarke pushed up alongside James Hanson and Andy Halliday.

It was a switch that could have paid dividends from the off as Halliday and Knott both went close in the opening exchanges.

That made for a lively start from both sides, with Jamie Murphy shooting wastefully wide for the Blades and Clarke denied athletically on the line by Chris Basham.

The contest tailed off as the half wore on, barring a decent shout for a City penalty which predictably got nowhere.

Terry Kennedy appeared to handle as Knott went to push past him in the box but, as per, the referee cocked a deaf ’un.

It is coming up to two full seasons without a spot-kick away from Valley Parade. Not that they have exactly been plentiful there, either.

The last, if you can still recall, was in February 2013 when Nathan Doyle tucked away his second goal of the night at Wycombe.

No wonder Parkinson greets any mention of a possible penalty with a rueful smile.

“The lads were absolutely adamant but we don’t expect to get them,” was the latest verdict.

When Knott sent another fierce effort the wrong side of the post, the standard plotline was developing for those watching from the far end. Once more, City had nothing to show for their attacking intent.

That air of inevitability could have taken hold when Sheffield United livened up enough to grab the lead 12 minutes into the second half.

Murphy burst forward on the right and, although a combination of Rory McArdle and Ben Williams foiled Michael Doyle, the ball ran kindly for Jason Holt to slot his fifth goal in seven games.

But City regrouped and showed the backbone that had gone AWOL against Bristol City.

With six minutes left, McArdle pumped a free-kick deep into the box, Davies won the header and Clarke swept it home low and hard from 15 yards.

McArdle’s day then ended with a second booking for blocking off Steve Davies but City had made their point – and, at least for a while, got people talking about football again.