Two-goal Bradford City trialist gives it his best shot

The Bantams boss reckons his squad is looking strong in all departments as the big kick-off looms ever closer.

But his one concern is up front and making sure that City possess the firepower to justify their ranking with the bookies as promotion favourites.

James Hanson is looking bigger and better than ever, adding some bulk from the gym to go with his constant aerial threat.

Gareth Evans, too, has come bursting out of the blocks and put in a superb shift on the right flank in Saturday’s second half.

But even with Jake Speight’s imminent return this week, Taylor clearly feels there is an opening for at least one more striker.

“I still think we’ve got to make sure we’ve got enough goals in the building,” said Taylor. “If we don’t score enough goals, we won’t have a good season.

“I’m always on the look-out for players, and especially goal-scorers.”

Lee Morris staked his claim with a quickfire double within minutes of coming on. Again partnering Hanson, the pair posed a much bigger threat to Ferriby than first-half duo Matt Tipton and Chris Simm, a new face from Southport.

Simm was joined by Robbie Threlfall lookalike David Syers, a former Farsley Celtic midfielder, who played alongside new loanee Tom Adeyemi after the break.

Taylor said: “I’ll make a decision over them (the trialists) pretty quickly. But Lee took his goals well, Matty Tipton has done well and the boy Syers and Simm looks dangerous.”

How early the manager makes those verdicts could hinge on the size of squad he wants to take south tomorrow for the hectic four-game tour based in Essex.

In Syers’ case, Taylor will want to check on the fitness of absentee midfielders Tommy Doherty and Michael Flynn.

But Saturday will have made far happier viewing for Taylor after the Luke Dean injury and the controversy surrounding Speight.

In an entertaining friendly, City played some good stuff on a surface far more condusive to knocking the ball about than Eccleshill’s bobbly Plumpton Park.

City survived an early couple of scares when Russell Fry thumped the underside of the bar and then the unconvincing Lloyd Saxton completely missed a free-kick.

But they grabbed the lead on eight minutes, Omar Daley taking Simm’s lay-off and cutting inside to drill in from 20 yards.

The two sides of the Jamaican’s game were on display. For the first 20 minutes he toyed with right back Tom Matthews and looked a danger every time he got the ball.

But then the mistakes crept in, twice giving the ball away cheaply in the box and failing to track Matthews when he stole upfield to volley narrowly over.

Simm tried hard but saw his best opportunity whisked away at the last by a sliding tackle from former City youngster Sam Denton.

The contest was effectively over within ten minutes of the re-start as the new City line-up netted three times.

Morris got the first two, his opening strike after some trademark harrying of the defence by Evans, before Hanson took advantage of a booming Luke Oliver header which sailed 30 yards from the halfway line before the centre forward applied the decisive touch.

Evans delivered a great cross to tee up Hanson again and Shane Duff headed across goal as City hunted more. But there were also openings at the other end and Jon McLaughlin had to be brave to clear from the feet of Paul Ellender, who had got clean through.

Ferriby got their deserved consolation when Gary Bradshaw followed up after McLaughlin had parried from Gareth Owen.

But City still had one more in the tank. Leon Osborne fired high wide and ugly before Evans showed how it should be done with a firm drive to cap off an excellent personal display.

CITY (first half): Saxton, Horne, L O’Brien, J O’Brien, Rehman, Williams, Neilson, Bullock, Tipton, Simm, Daley.

Second half: McLaughlin, Ramsden, Threlfall, Adeyemi, Oliver, Duff, Syers, Evans, Hanson, Morris, Osborne.