Bantams battlers rain on County's promotion parade

Taylor fumed at the inconsistency after Saturday’s disappointment at Hereford.

He demanded better against much better opponents at Valley Parade – and his players showed their battling qualities to earn a draw against a side who have been beating all before them.

The ground-staff were out in force before the game as the pitch took a bashing from the heavy rain.

The ball was running freely during the warm-ups but the water was laying in several patches.

Taylor made four changes from the weekend loss at Edgar Street. Zesh Rehman, one of those coming back in, also took the captain’s armband from the suspended Lee Bullock.

Rehman lined up at right back while Steve Williams returned to the middle of the back four. Matt Clarke was not in the squad at all.

City were under no illusions about the task ahead. Notts came to Valley Parade with 16 points from a possible 18 in the six games since Steve Cotterill took over – including five clean sheets.

The home side were nearly undone within two minutes as Steve Williams failed to deal with a route one clearance from Graeme Lee. The former City skipper’s pass bounced past him to Luke Rodgers but he managed to do enough to put the striker off getting a clean shot at Matt Glennon.

A draw was not much use to either side so there was a positive feel to the early exchanges. Notts in particular had a shoot-on-sight policy, with the yellow-booted Rodgers happy to chase everything as he made the most of his reprieve from Saturday’s red card.

Robbie Threlfall, who renewed his loan to the end of the season this week, was in the wars after 17 minutes. The young full back slid painfully into an advertising hoarding and needed treatment.

While he was off, County went close, with Ben Davies teeing up Rodgers for a glancing header just wide.

Michael Flynn, back in midfield to cover Bullock’s absence, was in the hub of things for City as they tried to keep the ball on the floor despite the conditions.

But Omar Daley was finding it tough to get into the game on the right flank. When he got the ball, there were usually two opponents facing him.

When the Jamaican did get some space to whip in a cross, it was well dealt with by the stretching Ricky Ravenhill before Gareth Evans could react.

City were close to a breakthrough on the half hour. Luke Oliver nodded a free-kick into the mix, where Williams helped it on to Evans but the striker’s instinctive stab was shovelled past the post by Kasper Schmeichel.

Daley then gave away a cheap free-kick at the other end but Mike Edwards could not get any purchase on his header.

Threlfall, showing no effects of the earlier collision, chanced his arm from 30 yards but the ball sailed harmlessly into the TL Dallas Stand.

Adam Bolder was pulled up by referee Oliver Langford for the softest of nudges on Davies – and then booked for lashing the ball away in frustration.

Rodgers was playing on the last man all the time, looking to get behind the City defence from any pass over the top.

Notts forced their first couple of corners as half-time approached. The home side saw off the threat but again didn’t deal with a long ball coming back in and Davies sent a curler wide.

Daley joined Bolder in the book for a foul on Davies and the crowd weren’t happy with the number of decisions going against City. An offside flag for Rodgers drew ironic applause.

Luke O’Brien then showed a clean pair of heels to former team-mate Lee wide on the left. He slid the ball back to James Hanson inside the box but the big man was unable to get it out from under his feet and the danger passed.

City were certainly holding their own against the division’s in-form team. Given the pitch and the weather – it was still pouring – it was a decent, full-blooded contest.

Rodgers still posed the biggest threat and latched menacingly on to a misheader from Oliver on the halfway line. Cutting inside, he worked the ball on to Ravenhill, who found Craig Westcarr in space to his left.

There was genuine danger as the winger reached the box but Flynn had seen it and positioned himself perfectly to cut out his shot with a clearing header.

O’Brien whisked a low cross just beyond Hanson and then had a go from Threlfall’s pass but it was on his weaker right foot and flew off course.

City turned a Notts County corner into one of their own as Bolder sprayed a deep ball for Hanson to chase. The striker nearly got his reward as Williams’ header bounced into his path but he skied a drive from 12 yards out.

Home tails were up and Flynn charged forward before warming Schmeichel’s hands with a trademark blast. Cotterill can’t have been happy and sent on Delroy Facey for the anonymous Karl Hawley to give Oliver some genuine competition in the air.

County wasted a great chance on 65 minutes. Rodgers eluded Williams to cut the ball back from the byline, Westcarr’s dummy created space for Davies but the midfielder blazed over from eight yards.

City responded with a well-struck effort from Evans on the right flank which Schmeichel stretched to beat away.

But City’s sloppiness threatened to undo the good work. Rehman needlessly conceded a corner with a miscontrol from a long ball and then a poor touch from Evans set up Rodgers for a snap-shot.

Taylor reacted with a double switch as Jon Bateson and Ryan Kendall replaced Rehman and Daley. But the Notts County pressure was building as City were pushed further back.

County’s corners were clocking up and Hanson was playing a key role, getting a thumping defensive header on several of them.

Hanson then went back to the day job to fire a low drive straight at Schmeichel.

Oliver received City’s third yellow card for a late tangle with substitute Ade Akinbiyi before a good chance fell to Hanson, who scooped over.