Cheltenham Town 4-0 Bradford City

Tuesday 28 December 2010
npower League 2
Cheltenham Town 4 (Goulding 31, 67 Pack 35, Thomas 76)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Abbey Business Stadium

Attendance: 2666 (237 visitors)

City endured a miserable return to action following two successive postponements as they fell to a comprehensive away defeat at the hands of Cheltenham Town.

After 17 days without a fixture, the Bantams only emerged from the winter break after two days of groundwork from Cheltenham staff to get the fixture played.

By the end of the afternoon this Tuesday though, City must have wished they hadn't bothered as they were put to the sword by the Robins.

Four unanswered goals from the vibrant hosts ensured the Bantams final fixture of the calendar year ended in a disappointing defeat.

Cheltenham had some good opportunites to open the scoring before Jeff Goulding's deflected effort wrong-footed Lenny Pidgeley to finally hand the Robins the lead.

Four minutes later, Marlon Pack pounced on a mistake from Tommy Doherty to rifle in Cheltenham's second of the afternoon and leave City with a mountain to climb at half time.

The Bantams started with purpose in the second period though as they looked for a way back into the match.

They seemed to have found a clink of light just before the hour mark when David Syers stooped to volley home from close range - only to be denied by a tight offside call.

Just as City looked like finally making a contest of it, their bubble was burst when Goulding tapped home from close range following a Robins corner.

The dangerous Wesley Thomas then got the goal his overall play had deserved when he curled a superb effort past Pidgeley from just inside the area.

Luke Oliver headed against the far post in the closing stages with Cheltenham keeper Scott Brown rooted to sum up City's fortunes.

--------------------------------------------

FT: Cheltenham Town 4 Bradford City

90min: Five minutes of added time.

88min: Cheltenham try a cheeky free-kick routine as the ball is flicked up for Pack to volley just past the far post.

86min: SUB - The Robins final substitution of the day sees Melligan taken off for Marley Watkins.

84min: It truly isn't the Bantams day. Oliver flicks Doherty's free-kick past a motionless Brown with a glancing header - only to watch the ball bounce off the far post and into the keeper's arms

80min: SUB - Thomas gets a standing ovation as he is replaced by Shaun Jeffers.

79min: Thomas, who has been a true threat to the Bantams all afternoon, nearly grabs his second of the afternoon as he races at last man O'Brien. As he moves past City's left back, the Bantams get a stroke of luck and he slips and drags his effort just wide of the post.

78min: Oliver heads just past the far post from a Bantams corner.

76min: GOAL - Cheltenham Town 4 Bradford City 0 - City will probably wish the full time whistle would just go now as they ship a fourth. Thomas pounces on some slack City defending to seize possession before superbly curling an effort past Pidgeley from the edge of the area.

75min: YELLOW CARD - Hendrie is booked for a late tackle on Pack.

73min: Evans rising effort from just outside the area is superbly tipped over by Brown.

71min: SUB - Pook is replaced for the home side by David Bird.

67min: GOAL - Cheltenham Town 3 Bradford City 0 - Just as the Bantams build up a bit of momentum, the Robins strike to leave Peter Taylor's with a huge mountain to climb. From a Cheltenham corner, Pidgeley produces a superb save to keep out Ridley's bullet header, although he is powerless though to stop Goulding tapping home from a yard out moments later.

62min: An unmarked Goulding volleys over from just inside the area.

60min: As City push on, they are nearly caught out at the back. Thomas does superbly to beat Oliver and O'Brien for pace, but Pidgeley is out quickly to smother his effort away.

59min: The Bantams have certainly upped the tempo in the second period and they are really working hard to get back into this fixture. Syers low header is kept out by Brown, while Evans' fizzing effort is just about scooped away by the Robins stopper.

57min: Syers wheels away pleading for a penalty after he seems to have his shirt tugged in the box as he challenged for Eckersley's superb cross. Referee Mr Sarginson is unmoved though.

55min: GOAL!......No! City think they are back in it as Syers taps home from close range, but he is denied by the offside flag. The Bantams midfielder is unmarked as Hanson heads O'Brien centre across goal, but his celebrations are cut short by the linesman just after he volleys into the net.

51min: YELLOW CARD - Thomas is booked for kicking the ball away after the award of a free-kick.

48min: Goulding twists and turns on the edge of the area to engineer himself space for a shot, but his low effort from the edge of the area is easily held by Pidgeley.

Hendrie's introduction has also brought a change of formation. The Bantams will now line up in a 4-4-2 formation with Evans and Hendrie on the right and left wings respectively.

47min: Pidgeley has to be on his toes to push away Andrew's free kick as he bends a low effort around the wall from around 20 yards.

46min: City restart the second period.

SUB - Hendrie has indeed come on for Adeyemi.

4:00pm: City are now back on the field and it seems that Lee Hendrie is coming on for Adeyemi at the interval

HT: Cheltenham Town 2 Bradford City 0 - The half time whistle goes and City find themselves disappointingly, but deservedly, behind at the interval. Cheltenham have been the brighter of the two sides in the first period and could have scored more than the two goal they have bagged so far. City will have certainly have to up their game in the second period if they wish to end 2010 on a high note.

45min: 1 minute of extra time to be added on.

41min: Eckersley ends a surging run into Cheltenham's territory by firing over from distance.

39min: Oliver goes close to firing City back into the contest, but he heads narrowly wide of the bottom corner from a City free-kick.

35min: GOAL - Cheltenham Town 2 Bradford City 0 - It goes from bad to worse for City as they concede in a disappointing manner for the second time in four minutes. Marlon Pack pounces on a loose pass from Doherty before rifling a shot into the bottom corner from just inside the area.

31min: GOAL - Cheltenham Town 1 Bradford City 0 - After a couple of close shaves, City finally go behind. The Bantams appear to have two chances to clear the ball, but Thomas is able to tee up Goulding, who's deflected shot completely wrong-foots Pidgeley as it goes in the opposite corner.

29min: Oliver produces a superb last-ditch tackle to deny the dangerous Thomas inside the area. The Robins forward turns away from Kiernan and looked set to pull the trigger from around six yards until Oliver intervened.

While City are enjoying the odd promising opportunity at present, Cheltenham are still the side on top.

27min: Adeyemi chests down Price's header around the penalty shot, but he can only fire height over the bar as Cheltenham defender rush to close him down.

25min: Melligan's long range effort whistles just wide from distance.

23min: Thomas has the beating of Oliver by the the Bantams byline before crossing for the waiting Smikle, who is standing only six yards from goal. The Robins midfielder looks set to smash home, but his effort is deflected away from danger by Kiernan.

18min: The chances are really coming thick and fast now. Hanson is played in the clear as he latches himself onto Adeyemi through ball. As the forward stretches to connect with the ball, Brown gets just enough of his body in the way to block the effort. Hanson is up first to the rebound, but Smikle is on hand to clear the ball before Syers can reach his attempted pass across goal.

16min: Thomas steals in to beat Rob Kiernan to Melligan's inswinging cross, but his flicked header drops just over the bar.

15min: Price does wonders by the byline to engineer City's first real chance of the match. City's skipper for the day out-muscles Ridley to tee up Evans around eight yards from goal, but his shot from a promising position is blocked away before it can reach Scott Brown's goal.

14min: Pook's fierce effort from distance stings the hands of Pidgeley, but the Bantams keeper is able to grab the ball at the second attempt.

13min: Cheltenham continue to boss proceedings at the moment and Richard Eckersley needs to be on hand to stop John Melligan enjoying a clear run on goal.

11min: Smikle's deflected fizzing effort from around 25 yards has Pidgeley grasping at thin air as it just whistles past the far post. From the resulting corner, Cheltenham should open the scoring, but Steve Elliott heads over from only two yards after latching onto Martin Riley's flicked header.

9min: Thomas' shot from just outside the area is well held by Pidgeley.

8min: There's a moments panic as Wesley Thomas looks to turn Luke Oliver in the box and latch himself onto Brian Smikle's flick on. Thankfully for the Bantams though, Oliver does just enough to prevent Thomas a sight of goal and Pidgeley is able to race out and grab the bouncing ball.

5min: It has been a bright and busy start by the home side. The nearest they have come so far to troubling Lenny Pidgeley is a header from distance by Pook which was easy for the Bantams stopper.

Despite pre-match talk of City possibly playing 4-4-2, City seem to be lining up in a 4-3-3 formation during the early stages.

James Hanson, Gareth Evans and skipper Jason Price seem to be playing as a reflex three up front. Tommy Doherty, Tom Adeyemi and David Syers will work away as a midfield three.

2min: Cheltenham skipper Michael Pook has the first effort of the game but his shot is well over the bar.

0min: Cheltenham Town kick off.

2.57pm: Both sides enter the field of play at the Abbey Business Stadium and we are nearly ready to go.

City are expected to line up as:

GK - Pidgeley

DR - Eckersley
CB - Kiernan
CB - Oliver
LB - O'Brien

MR - Adeyemi
CM - Doherty
CM - Syers
LM - Evans

CF - Hanson
CF - Price

Starting formation: 4-4-2

Absolute nash from us yesterday! I went to that game and it doesn't really help when you are unlucky AND play shite at the same time!

As I always say, we'll bounce back, but it sucks that this is the only match report I've actually had time to do. Been busy a lot recently.

It's been a disappointing season so far hasn't it BV, hopefully after that shite result (probably due to lack of match practise)......things will pick up.
Hope you had a great Christmas otherwise fella.
We've had the same Christmas but without a game at all, quite handy as we had a flu bug and many injuries to contend with.
Still you can still laugh at the fellas down the road , who seem to lose their bottle when it most matters!