Bantams 0 Forest Green 2: Match stats and player ratings

T&A chief sports writer SIMON PARKER was among the suffering crowd at Valley Parade last night and provides the match stats and his player ratings.

MAN OF THE MATCH

It was the same team from Saturday but the performances were poles apart. Few stood out in claret and amber but Tyreik Wright played through the pain to offer some kind of attacking threat.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

City thought they had scrambled an equaliser late on but a combination of keeper Vicente Reyes and Forest Green captain Jordan Moore-Taylor somehow kept the ball from crossing the line.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

The Bantams very rarely concede from a corner under Graham Alexander. But they gave away a sloppy one straight from the kick-off – and then left the near post unguarded for Christian Doidge’s header to sneak in.

TACTICS

Graham Alexander had no need to make any changes with his starting 11 or on the bench after the weekend win at Accrington.

The biggest worry for the Bantams boss had been Tyreik Wright after that heavy knock he suffered. But the on-loan Plymouth flyer declared himself fit to carry on.

It was a milestone night for Alex Gilliead who celebrated his 200th appearance in a City shirt.

REFEREE: Simon Mather (Manchester)

BOOKINGS: Kelly (City), Robson (Forest Green)

OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE: 15,480 (with 85 from Forest Green)

SHOTS ON TARGET: City 6 Forest Green 3

SHOTS OFF TARGET: City 11 Forest Green 5

CORNERS: City 9 Forest Green 2

FOULS: City 6 Forest Green 5

PLAYER RATINGS

CITY: S Walker 6, Tomkinson 5, Kelly 5, Ridehalgh 6 (J Walker 46min, 6), Halliday 5 (Chapman 63min, 6), Smallwood 5, Gilliead 5, Richards 5 (Smith 81min), Wright 6, Oduor 5 (Kavanagh 63min, 5), Cook 5. Subs (not used): Oyegoke, McDonald, Doyle.

FOREST GREEN: Reyes 7, Thompson 6, Inniss 8, Moore-Taylor 7, Robson 6, McCann 7, Bunker 6, Robson 6, Osadebe 6, Omotoye 6 (Lavinier 68min), Doidge 7 (Bernard 90min), McAllister 6 (Jones 81min). Subs (not used): Johnson, Maddox, Robertson, Searle.