Huddersfield Town 2-0 Bradford City
Huddersfield Town story posted by Sean Makin on 11/03/2007The West Yorkshire derby swung in favour of the Terriers in an early kick off at the Galpharm Stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The battle of the caretaker managers as some of the press saw it, it was Gerry Murphy, who has been put in temporary charge since the departure of Peter Jackson on Tuesday, coming out on top and he praised the players for their performance against the Bantams.
It was Danny Schofield?s finish in grand style that clinched the spoils in a dour derby. The game will be remembered most for the blood and thunder battling that saw four men from each side yellow carded in a brawl.
More than 3,400 fans gave their backing for City who had come down the M606. Without a win in eight games and are now desperate to wriggle clear of the relegation zone.
But they were in never in the hunt against a side responding to caretaker manager Gerry Murphy?s call for passionate commitment that was rewarded with a league double, ironically, over their major rivals.
It?s the first time Town have done a double over Bradford since the 1998/99 season.
City looked beaten well before Schofield?s 75th minute finish from a through ball from loan striker Paul Hayes, who got himself got his first goal for Town just 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the game.
Hayes had the 11,300 home crowd in raptures when he caught the City defence stone cold and after the failed to clear cleanly from Andy Taylor?s right wing corner which followed a great run by Michael Collins.
It was as good as pass for Taylor, whose loan stay from Blackburn has been extended.
He whipped in a cross to the near post and the Bradford defenders hesitated, Hayes pounced on it, getting ahead or Richard Edghill, to guide a close ranger header into the net.
Murphy watched on from the director?s box with assistant manager John Dungworth in the technical area. Murphy was rich in praise for centre backs David Mirfin and Frank Sinclair for their blotting out of the City raiders.
Keeper Matt Glennon had a pretty peaceful time in comparison to that of the previous week when Nottingham Forest stuck five away past him a week earlier. Although his judgement of coming out remains to be questioned.
The keeper never had a serious shot to save, though five minutes before the break he was indebted to a fantastic penalty area tackle by Andy Holdsworth.
The on loan Moses Ashikodi, who was caught offside more time than I?ve had hot dinners, broke free form the Town?s backline, which was a rare occurrence in this game, and looked certain to equalise when one-on-one with the keeper but Holdsworth slid in and made a superb timing tackle that wouldn?t be missed in the Premiership.
Bantams caretaker boss David Wetherhall played himself for the first time since the departure of Colin Todd and couldn?t disguise the fact that they never really took the game to Town throughout the full 90 minutes.
Anyone thinking of a goal fest after that great start by the Terriers could not have been more wrong. For the game turned into a belligerent battle.
There was free kick after free kick with players being told by referee Trevor Kettle to keep their cool.
Before the break Steven Schumacher blasted high when Gary Taylor-Fletcher erred then confident Town calls for a penalty when Kelly Youga appeared to handle were waved aside.
The only real test that Bradford made was when winger Omar Daley tried his luck right on half time with a half volley from 40 yards.
The ball bounced nastily in front of Glennon then dipped causing the Town stopper to tip the ball over the bar.
The second half turned into scrappy game, Then winger Danny Schofield clinched the game for Town. On loan Paul Hayes sent him clear of the Bradford offside trap with a one-on-one with the iritic Bantams keeper Donovan Ricketts, who has a trial at Town 6 years ago, Schofield kept his cool and finished excellently to kill the game off for Town.
There were 8 booking in the game, Worthington, Taylor-Fletcher, Beckett and Hayes were booked for Town with Ashikodi, Paynter, Daley, Johnson booked for the Bantams.
Taylor-Fletcher and Johnson were booked which resulted form a mass brawl when Andy Holdsworth went down.
Hayes could have added a third for Town when we raced away but keeper Ricketts saved with his legs after rushing out and then Beckett cut in the from the left but his shot was straight at the Bradford keeper.
A good win for Town which now surely starves off the small linger of relegation in the air. The defence were solid but Town were never really troubled by Bradford. If I was a Bradford fan I would be really worried.
Financially the Bradford Chairman is getting fed up pumping his own money into saving the club and on the field they look a side destined for relegation. Without talisman (porky) Dean Windass Bradford don?t look like scoring.
Two tricky away games for Town for the next two weeks. Away at Carlisle next Saturday and Brighton the week after hopefully Gerry Murphy can keep the band playing.
Sean?s Star Man- Frank Sinclair Won every ball in the area and was fired up for the derby. It was between him and David Mirfin but for me Sinclair gets the nod. Kept the Bradford strikers quiet and tackled superbly.
Teams:
Town: Glennon, Holdsworth, Mirfin, Sinclair, Taylor, Taylor-Fletcher, Collins, Worthington (Young 79), Schofield, Beckett, Hayes.
Subs not used: Eastwood, Brandon, McAliskey, McIntosh.
Bradford: Ricketts, Edghill (Johnson 77), Wetherhall, Bower, Youga, Parker, Schumacher, Bridge-Wilkinson, Daley (Colbeck 85), Ashikodi, Paynter.
Subs not used: Howarth, Clarke, Bentham.
Referee: T Kettle (Rutland)
Attendance: 14,772
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