Bradford City take advantage of Accrington issues in big win

City fans have had plenty to grumble about over the last 10 months, understandably so, as a team that looked primed to give League One a good crack descended into a mid-table fourth-tier side that looked as if it had no idea of how to progress.

There was the continued crumbling of Mark Hughes’ empire, which began the moment Ben Barclay’s header sent Carlisle to Wembley instead of the Bantams in May.

For much of the season, it has been impossible to ignore the audible protests, in game and on social media, against owner Stefan Rupp, CEO Ryan Sparks and head of recruitment Stephen Gent.

And while Graham Alexander’s reign has had his highlights, a last-gasp win at Hollywood Wrexham, a stunning 4-0 success over automatic promotion hunting MK Dons and a superb run to the Bristol Street Motors semi-finals, at other times his side have looked lost and devoid of ideas in certain games, in attack in particular.

Clarke Oduor scores in City's superb win over MK Dons last month, with that and yesterday's game marking two of their best results of the season. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

But with Accrington Stanley the ones in disarray yesterday, with fans unhappy at both the sacking and manner of it, via WhatsApp, of long-serving boss John Coleman last Sunday, visiting City took advantage in scintillating fashion, cruising to a 3-0 win.

That has moved them to within five points of the play-offs, with at least one game in hand over most of the teams around them.

City’s first half display was outstanding, with some of their play more befitting of Barcelona than the Bantams, and a Tyreik Wright double and an Andy Cook goal meant the game was all over bar the shouting after only 38 minutes.

That now means the Bantams have won more league games on the road than at Valley Parade, but with only three defeats in BD8 so far, Alexander will hope his side can pick up a decent haul of points over the next nine days, as they face three games in a row on home soil.

Play like they did in the first 45 minutes in Lancashire yesterday, and few in League Two will be able to live with them, home or away.

The Bantams almost netted in the opening minute, as the outstanding Clarke Oduor did well down the right wing before laying a pass off to Richie Smallwood, back from a two-game ban.

The skipper’s brilliant clipped ball in was just missed by the unmarked Wright a few yards out at the back post, as he came agonisingly close to converting on the stretch.

It proved to be a manic first half for young Irishman Wright, who was caught offside when through on goal seven minutes in, earning himself a cheap booking by shooting wide long after the whistle had gone, having already thrown the ball away in frustration moments earlier.

And while Jon Tomkinson had to be at his best to deflect Jake Bickerstaff’s shot behind for a corner after the Stanley striker had been slipped in behind by Jack Nolan, it was soon all about Wright again, as the on-loan Plymouth winger gave the Bantams the lead.

His first goal in his second spell for City was a beauty, coming 13 minutes into the game.

A fine long ball up from Tomkinson was brilliantly touched on by Cook, and with Wright getting the wrong side of his man, he slammed in a shot which Accrington keeper Radek Vitek could only get a hand to, before it nestled into the bottom corner.

The hosts had not started too badly, but conceding the opener, seemed to throw them off completely.

Immediately after City’s first goal, good interplay from Lewis Richards and Wright saw the latter feed Cook, who was stationed inside the D.

But the big man leaned back and smashed the ball over the bar and out of the ground.

Cook soon atoned with some highly-intelligent forward play to help the Bantams double their lead.

He shepherded Richards' bouncing throw in into Wright and all of sudden the winger was in behind the Accrington defence.

The 22-year-old made no mistake with the finish, as he drilled a left footed shot across Vitek and into the bottom corner for 2-0.

Graham Alexander's faith in Tyreik Wright, who had made a slow start on his return to City, was rewarded in spades yesterday. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

If the crowd were unhappy ahead of kick-off, they certainly were not in the best of spirits by this point, with their side being comprehensively outplayed.

Oduor was fouled, before swinging in a bouncing free-kick which was nervously scrambled behind by Vitek.

Out of nowhere, Accrington had a couple of chances to halve the deficit.

Cook, who produced some good defensive contributions in the first half from Stanley set-pieces, blocked Shaun Whalley's shot, but looked to have ploughed into the home skipper on the follow through inside the box, a tackle which certainly would have been looked at by VAR in the top-flight.

Moments later, the Accrington captain then sent a dipping effort from 25 yards out past a flat-footed Sam Walker, which dropped just wide.

But then some woeful defending from Accrington saw the Bantams put the game to bed.

Tommy Leigh disastrously misjudged a header from Sam Walker's booming kick forward, letting Cook in behind the home defence.

The big man took the ball in his stride, opened his body up, then whipped a fine one-on-one finish beyond Vitek into the corner.

Accrington nearly responded instantly, as Whalley got in behind and just beat Sam Walker to the bouncing ball.

The home captain lifted the ball over the Bantams keeper but he put just too much purchase on his effort, sending it over the crossbar.

Leigh came close to atoning for his error on City’s third goal with a back post header from Joe Gubbins' deep cross, but his effort clanked off the crossbar and away to safety for City.

City responded by going straight down other end and creating a chance of their own, only for Liam Ridehalgh's teasing cross to be flicked just wide by Cook.

Wright brilliantly slipped in Richards after retrieving a poor Smallwood free kick, but the left wing-back’s second attempt at a cross was scrambled behind by the legs of Vitek.

Nobody could turn home Ridehalgh’s neat flick on from the subsequent corner, meaning City had to settle for just the three goals at the break.

If the first half was something close to perfect, the second did not start off in the same fashion, as the unfortunate Wright barely lasted 90 seconds after the break, limping off with what looks to be a minor foot injury, which he picked up in between his two goals.

The chance of the second half went the way of Stanley, as Whalley drove inside Tomkinson, but his curling effort did not start out wide enough and Sam Walker claimed the strike from the edge of the box easily enough.

City then came close to making it four when they won the ball back in the Accrington half.

Cook slipped a brilliant pass into Calum Kavanagh, who had come on to replace Wright, with the Boro man's shot superbly blocked over the bar.

And Brad Halliday should have done better when the corner found him as the free man at the back post, but he failed to head it back across goal, instead skewing the ball out for a goal kick.

Kavanagh was a constant threat after coming on, and he had a shot blocked on the edge of the box, but his persistence saw him win the ball back, only for him to drag his left-footed strike just wide.

Then a brilliant move by City saw Oduor set Richards scampering away down the left.

He slid a fine ball across the face of goal, and Kavanagh missed it on the stretch by inches, when any touch surely would have made the score 4-0.

That was followed by Accrington’s best spell of the game, which began with Bickerstaff dragging a bouncing ball wide from the edge of the box.

He was taken off moments later for Korede Adedoyin, whose first act was to leave Ciaran Kelly on the deck, only for Tomkinson to get a vital toe in to send the ball out for a corner.

Jonathan Tomkinson barely put a foot wrong in defence yesterday, and continues to make an impression on loan from Norwich City. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

That was cleared as far as Nolan, whose looping volley was well gathered by Sam Walker under pressure.

City got some brief respite and should probably have made the score 4-0.

Vitek made a mess of things when he came for a corner that had been won by a typically lung-busting run from Halliday, and he was out of his goal as the ball dropped for Richards at the back post, only for the wing-back to skew his shot over from a tight angle.

Stanley quickly hit back, and Whalley got his head to a bouncing ball over the top of the City defence.

But under pressure from Halliday, he could only nod the ball limply wide from 15 yards out.

Nolan, who was Accrington's biggest threat alongside Whalley, then came close from a free kick that had been won 30 yards out by Adedoyin, but he whipped the set-piece attempt a couple of yards over Sam Walker's crossbar.

Halliday then did well to get back and tackle Leigh, with the Accrington man taking the corner quickly.

Dan Martin was alert to it and had a great chance, but he could only skew his effort across the face of goal.

The hosts were then perhaps slightly fortunate not to go down to 10 men when Connor O'Brien went in recklessly on Halliday as they competed for a loose ball 30 yards from the Stanley goal.

He could have seen red, was handed a yellow, when orange was probably the most appropriate colour.

Oduor swung the resulting free kick just over Vitek’s crossbar, just before the winger and the also-excellent Cook were taken off with 10 minutes to go to rapturous applause from the 2,148 travelling fans.

They they were replaced by Smith and Jamie Walker with 10 minutes to go and the latter almost made an instant impact on his return from a two-and-a-half month injury lay-off.

The tireless Gilliead won the ball back in midfield, he found Kavanagh, who slipped in Walker.

The Scot got to the edge of the box but was superbly tackled and Accrington managed to get the ball away.

Accrington were getting desperate and centre-back Gubbins’ wild strike over the crossbar with five minutes to go epitomised that.

It was City who had the last chance of the game, only for Walker's strike to be well saved by the legs of Vitek.

A goal from the former Hearts man would have made it a perfect afternoon, but highly-satisfactory would simply have to do.

On to that Valley Parade triple-header then, with Forest Green up next on Tuesday.

Emmanuel Osadebe…don’t even think about it!