Match Stats

Bradford Automatic Promotion Pays Pyro Penalty

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A stoppage-time Chris Long penalty as well as a first-half brace from Dan Agyei saw Crewe Alexandra defeat Bradford City at the Alexandra Stadium yesterday, a result that ended the automatic promotion dreams of the visitors.

Manager Lee Bell made two changes from Saturday’s 2-1 home win against Swindon Town as Zac Williams and Lachlan Brook replaced the injured Charlie Finney and Courtney Baker-Richardson, the latter dropping down to the bench, while former Alex loanee Sam Stubbs started for the Bantams in their backline.

The opening chance and goal fell to the hosts in the 15th minute with Long playing in Agyei down the Alex left, beating Stubbs for pace before clipping the ball in from a narrow angle over goalkeeper Harry Lewis before Tom Booth would deny Crichlow in the 32nd minute, turning the ball behind for a corner. The second Alex goal came 2 minutes before the break as Booth rolled the ball out to Conor Thomas, he found Long on the wing with his cross taking Lewis out of the game to allow Agyei to score from close range.

Bradford manager Mark Hughes sent his team out early for the second half and got an immediate reaction as Andy Cook would head home a Richie Smallwood corner to halve the deficit inside the opening minute of the half before they would be level 8 minutes later as a Smallwood free-kick would see Booth come for the ball and not get there, the ball dropping for Jamie Walker to finish into the unguarded net.

Substitute Baker-Richardson would try to chip Lewis but would miss the target in the first of 10 minutes of stoppage time before the Alex would get an opportunity to win the game 5 minutes into the additional time, Smallwood bringing down substitute David Amoo (who had come on for the impressive Joel Tabiner moments before) – Lewis dived right as Long smashed the ball down the middle to give the Railwaymen 5 straight home wins (the sixth in 7 games) to end the season.

The next game for the Alex sees them travelling to Newport County on Monday (12:30 pm kick-off) for the final game of the season.

What can we take out of this game?

Another three points thanks to the Bradford fans killing the momentum of the game right after the equaliser – stopping the game for about 5 minutes by throwing pyros onto the pitch and fighting with police allowing the Alex to regroup.

Good performance from Long to be involved in all 3 goals – just a shame that he’s missed most of the season.

Crewe Alexandra
3 – 2
Bradford City

Alexandra Stadium

League 2

3/05/2023 7:45 pm

Attendance: 6123

Referee: Adam Herczeg

Crewe Alexandra Bradford City
Agyei (2), Long Cook, Walker
Booth Lewis
Mellor Halliday
O'Riordan Stubbs
McDonald Crichlow
 
Willams
 
46 Ridehalgh
Thomas Gilliead
Finnigan Smallwood
Brook Banks
 
Tabiner Walker 90
Long Eisa 70
Agyei Cook

Substitutes

Richards Doyle
Adebisi 46 Platt
Offord Osadebe 70
Baker-Richardson
 
68 East
Ainley 90 Derbyshire 90
Colkett Pereira
Amoo 90 Clayton

Game Statistics

13 Goal attempts 18
5 On Target 8
1 Corners 8
15 Fouls 16
3 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 0
45 % 55

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