The teams were greeted by a youthful crowd, thanks to the free tickets issued to local schools, in bright sunshine. Traditionalists expecting to see the Bantams emerge in their trademark amber and maroon were shocked to see their away kit, a little number which was described as “raspberry pink” by the fashionista around me. There was a time when an obvious clash was the only reason for the appearance of an alternative strip, clearly not the case here.
Referee Lee Collins made an early mark by showing a rather harsh yellow card to Harry Pell as the game began quietly. Tom Barkhuizen cut inside the full back only for his cross to be cleared, and then he did well to win a throw. The youngster certainly gets some distance on his throw-ins, and whilst not yet in the Rory Delap league, it does give the Bulls an extra option. A tame shot from Simon Clist seemed easy meat for visiting keeper Matt Duke, but he needlessly spilled the ball at the expense of a corner. Nicky Featherstone’s kick was headed clear, but straight to Leslie, lurking with intent some 25 yards out. A terrific goal-bound shot was impressively flicked to safety via the crossbar by the alert Duke.
Bradford created a couple of chances of their own, as the rapid Kyel Reid made a promising run but his final ball cleared his team-mates, and then a fortunate ricochet let in the much-vaunted Craig Fagan. The ex-Hull City man, eager to impress after returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, attempted a chip over David Cornell but cleared the bar by some margin.
Barkhuizen and Clist combined well to win a number of corners and throws for the Bulls. From one such, the clearing header found Pell, who attempted to loop a header over Duke but could not get sufficient purchase on the ball. Rob Purdie then sent Barkhuizen away down the right, and the resulting corner eventually found the head of Joe Heath, but his arcing effort met the same fate as Pell’s, with the keeper making a comfortable catch.
HT: HUFC 0 BRADFORD CITY 0
Nathan Elder had had a rather quiet opening period, but was in the thick of the action after the restart. Firstly, he made a lively run, only to be baulked by Marcel Seip, and then received a terrific pass from Leslie, who had combined well with Featherstone. On this occasion, Elder was bowled over, and Todd’s effective free kick found the striker in a goal scoring position, but he was penalised for the gentlest of shoves.
Bradford offered little in the way of clear-cut chances, though Ritchie Jones and Fagan seemed to have a useful understanding in some tidy but unproductive play. Jamie Devitt neatly beat himself when well placed, and then Elder and ex-Bull added to the comedy with an entirely accidental, and rather painful looking, off-the-ball collision. Barkhuizen broke free down the flank, and his sharp low delivery needed only a touch from Elder, but he was agonisingly unable to reach it. A spate of substitutions followed, with Yoann Arquin and Delroy Facey boosting the home attack. Arquin muscled his way past defenders, appearing to control with a hand that was unnoticed by the officials, and fired a near post shot that was well saved. From a Featherstone corner, some frantic head-tennis occurred, and Hereford had penalty appeals for a hand ball waved away.
Micky Flynn tripped Leslie and earned himself a booking. Leslie blasted the free kick towards the top corner, and once more, Dukes fingertips were stung by the effort. On 79 minutes, Pell then embarked on an energetic run towards the penalty area, and the hapless Flynn, who, in his defence, seemed to be trying to avoid the collision, nevertheless caught Pell from behind in a tangle of legs, and was shown a second yellow card for his sins. Once again, Leslie placed the ball, 25 yards out, and this time unleashed a tremendous, swerving shot beyond the reach of Duke, and into the top corner of the net. Third time lucky, and an early contender for Goal of the Season?
Bradford seemed disillusioned, whereas Hereford noticeably gained in confidence. As home fans anticipated the final whistle, the points were made safe.
As the last minute arrived, Barkhuizen went on a run and seemed momentarily to have lost control of the bobbling ball. However, he nudged it to Arquin, who expertly returned the pass for Barkhuizen to trundle the ball home. Little time remained and the Bulls celebrated a just victory.
FT: HUFC 2 BRADFORD CITY 0
Attendance: 2462
HUFC: Cornell, Heath, Stam, Todd, Purdie, Leslie (Townsend 91), Clist (Facey 66), Featherstone, Pell, Barkhuizen, Elder (Arquin 66).
Bradford City: Duke, Oliver, Flynn, Moore (Bryan 83), Threlfall, Seip, Jones, Reid, Devitt (Stewart 67), Reed (O’Brien 67), Fagan.