Bradford City thankful Evans is firing on all cylinders

You don’t expect to hear Songs of Praise drifting in the air at kick-off.

But City could certainly do with some divine intervention right now.

Just when it looked like Peter Taylor’s plans for the fast-approaching new season were running smoothly, then they are suddenly thrown into the lap of the Gods.

Injuries may be an occupational hazard but the timing could not be worse.

Attack, in particular, has become a real cause for concern.

James Hanson, last season’s leading scorer, faces a race to be fit after turning over his ankle in Friday’s loss at Ashford. He will struggle to make it.

Leon Osborne is already out with the thigh injury he suffered on the same night.

With no Omar Daley and Gavin Grant obviously wiped from the equation, Taylor’s resources up front are looking a bit thin on the ground.

Chris Simm is not the answer, nor Fola Onibuje, who got a late call to appear against Ashford. The clock is ticking with less than a fortnight to go.

It’s been a costly few days for the Bantams boss but at least Gareth Evans is back and scoring.

Evans, too, has had his problems this week and missed Friday night with an illness. He still wasn’t feeling top of the world for the tour-closer at Chelmsford but responded with two goals in a lively 45-minute outing.

City need a fit and confident Evans because a lot will be resting on his shoulders over the next few weeks.

His second goal – a carbon copy of one of those crackers against Northampton last season – showed again what he can do on his game.

Lee Bullock angled a cross to the far post where Evans shaped to meet it with a waist-high volley that fizzed past keeper James Pullen.

It was the best strike of City’s best performance of the week. And came against the best opponents too.

Chelmsford have finished runners-up in the Blue Square South division for the past two seasons, only missing out on promotion to the Conference in the play-offs.

But after the embarrassment at the hands of Jamie Lawrence’s Ashford, City put the record straight with a resounding victory to restore morale.

For once, they were treated to a surface that did not resemble a ploughed field and used it to out-pass their hosts.

If Evans was one plus, the surprisingly large contingent of away fans will also have enjoyed their glimpse of Tom Adeyemi.

The on-loan teenager showed a leggy enthusiasm to support the striker in City’s 4-3-3 set-up, looking to burst into the box at any opportunity.

It was one of those runs which earned City a penalty after 11 minutes as Adeyemi’s turn of pace took out Josh Brown, who was forced to bundle him over from behind.

Pullen guessed the right way with Evans’ spot-kick but the shot was too precise and in the corner.

Taylor was holding his breath again when Bullock stayed down holding his ankle after Matthew Lock had clumsily gone through the back of him.

But after a few anxious moments, City’s midfield enforcer was able to continue and was soon supplying the ammunition for Evans to fire his superb second.

A third goal followed nine minutes before the break.

Adeyemi has admitted he needs to learn to add goals in his game to maintain the promise that Norwich have seen. Saturday’s wasn’t bad for starters.

Once again the teenager glided into the Chelmsford danger zone, latching on to Simon Ramsden’s pass and then beating Pullen with a cool chip.

With the job done, Evans stepped aside at half-time and Adeyemi followed to a loud ovation on the hour.

There was no chopping and changing of personnel this time; with bodies down, Taylor did not have the scope to do so. Getting through the game without adding to the casualties will have been a more satisfying result for the gaffer than the scoreline itself.

Chelmsford, who included former City left winger Alex Rhodes in the first half, never threatened a response.

Rhodes, on the look-out for a new club in the south-east after leaving Grays, saw quite a lot of the ball early on but did nothing with it. Meanwhile, the speed of the pony-tailed Ricky Modeste on the other flank could have troubled Robbie Threlfall if he had found any end product.

As it was, City’s well-oiled offside trap kept the level of traffic on Lloyd Saxton’s goal at a bare minimum.

The rookie keeper dealt with a couple of crosses confidently but was never called upon for the type of save which could have wiped away any lingering demons from his previous night’s struggles.

The second half saw little incident, with Simm wasting City’s best chance when he burst clear but still failed to get a shot off before right back Anthony Cook had nipped the ball away.

That merely confirmed Taylor’s thinking that the Southport striker would not be up to the task. Just who might is a question that will be dominating the manager’s thoughts as he returns to the office this week.

CITY: Saxton, Ramsden, L O’Brien, Bullock, Rehman, Oliver, Daley (Hunt 46), Adeyemi (J O’Brien 60), Evans (Simm 46), Neilson, Threlfall. Subs (not used): Speight, Lewis, McLaughlin.