npower League 2
Cheltenham Town 0
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Abbey Business Stadium
Attendance: 5,888 (1,495 visitors)
Phil Parkinson's ten-man Bantams earned a creditable goalless draw with fellow Play-Off contenders Cheltenham Town in their final game of the league season, booking a date with Burton Albion in the semis in the process.
Despite making as many as eight changes to his line up due to next week's Play-Off Semi-Final first leg, Parkinson, who overcame a recent sickness bug to make the match, saw his much-altered City side pick up a full deserved point against opponents who had begun the day with automatic promotion hopes.
City's efforts in the game weren't helped when Andrew Davies, who had earlier been given a debatable booking for tackle on Byron Harrison in the first half, was given his marching orders for his second caution after barging into Jermaine McGlashan on the hour mark.
Following Davies' dismissal, Cheltenham huffed and puffed in an attempt to snatch the lead but, despite seeing Robins midfielder Marlon Pack head against the post from a corner, City, who were backed by a tremendous following of nearly 1,500, comfortably held on for a draw.
MATCH UPDATES:
FT: Cheltenham Town 0 Bradford City 0
90+3min: Deering turns away from Ravenhill but his rising drive from just outside the penalty area flies well over the bar.
90+1min: Hines' cross-come-shot from a tight angle by the byline fizzes a couple of yards over Scott Brown's bar.
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
89min: McGlashan runs at a watchful McHugh but his cross-come-shot from the edge of the area sails a long way over the bar.
89min: Mohamed leads a dangerous Cheltenham counter-attack following the clearance of a City corner. The Cheltenham winger looks to feed the supporting McGlashan but his attempted pass is woeful and trickles through to a grateful Duke.
86min: Harrad's low strike is saved by Duke after the Cheltenham forward had turned away from Ravenhill inside the Bantams box.
85min: Hector's drive from distance whistles a couple of yards wide of Duke's near post after the City 'keeper had punched clear a Jones cross.
82min: Hines' dangerous delivery from the resulting free-kick is met by McArdle but his diving header blocked instantly by the frame of his marker.
82min: YELLOW CARD - Jones is booked for pulling back Ravenhill after the midfielder had dispossessed the left back over by City's right flank.
80min: CHANCE - Pack heads against Duke's far post after connecting with Jones' corner into the area.
78min: SUB - Cheltenham bring on Sam Deering for Penn.
78min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Garry Thompson for Gray in a straight swap.
77min: YELLOW CARD - Penn is cautioned for pulling back Hines midway into the City's half as the winger looked to burst forward on the counter-attack following a cleared Cheltenham throw-in into the Bantams' box.
73min: Hines bursts to the byline from a wide position inside Cheltenham's penalty area before cutting the ball back to Nathan Doyle, who is lurking free just inside the box. Doyle volleys for goal but his angled drive flashes a yard or so wide of the post.
72min: SUB - Shaun Harrad is brought on by the hosts for Harrison.
72min: Penn flashes a rising drive from around 20 yards out only a yard or so over the bar.
67min: SUB - Cheltenham bring on Paul Benson for Jason Taylor.
65min: Harrison's shot on the turn from just outside the area sails well over the bar.
64min: YELLOW CARD - Gray is booked for a firm tackle on Jones as the pair battle for possession of the ball inside Cheltenham's penalty area.
62min: SUB - Rory McArdle is brought on for Connell to cover for Davies' dismissal. Gray will play up front on his own now.
60min: YELLOW CARD = RED CARD - Davies is sent off for his second bookable offence after nudging McGlashan in the back as the winger looked to surge deep into City territory.
57min: Elliott heads a good few yards wide of Duke's near post after latching onto a Pack long throw into the area.
56min: Will Atkinson looks to get his head on a teasing cross to the far post from Connell but the City winger seems to bang into Jombati as he jumps for the ball and fails to make a connection as a result.
HT: Cheltenham Town 0 Bradford City 0
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
41min: Hines and Connell combine to lead out a potentially-dangerous City corner-attack, After being fed by Connell, Hines races for Cheltenham's area down on City's right flank but Russell Penn and Jermaine McGlashan gang up on the Bantams winger to clear the ball for a throw-in.
40min: Mohamed's hanging corner is pushed away by Duke. The ball still lands deep in City's penalty area but the well-placed Elliott can only side-foot an effort wide of goal when stood around eight yards out.
39min: Jones' inswinging free-kick from a wide position following Davies' caution beats everyone and Duke has to push the ball around his far post.
38min: YELLOW CARD - Andrew Davies is booked for bringing down Byron Harrison as the striker looks to surge forward deep into City territory. At first glance, the defender seems to get the ball with his challenge and actually the well-positioned referee Mr D'Urso isn't set to give anything until the linesman over on the far side raises his flag. With Davies the last defender between Harrison and a free 40-50 yard run on City's goal, the home fans begin to call for a red card but, after some discussion with the aforementioned assistant referee, only a yellow is given to the Bantams centre half.
34min: Jones mis-judges the bounce of the ball to see Zavon Hines in behind the Cheltenham left-back and with a decent amount of space to get a cross in. Connell is screaming for a pass in the middle but Hines' cross is blocked out for a corner.
28min: Jones' free-kick from a distance position a few yards outside the Bantams' penalty area slams into the waiting City wall.
20min: Marlon Pack's dipping free-kick from around 25 yards out is pushed out by Duke before Darby slams clear the loose ball to remove any remaining danger.
18min: Michael Hector's searching cross-field pass picks out the surging Jombati, who proceeds to cut inside from his right flank position and move towards goal. The right back takes aim but his low drag from the edge of the area goes wide of Matt Duke's goal by a couple of yards.
17min: Jombati sends over a clipped cross towards the far post and Kaid Mohamed heads a yard or so wide.
16min: CHANCE - Cheltenham miss a great chance to take the lead when Steve Elliott sends a downward header narrowly past the post from close range following Jones' wide free-kick.
11min: Billy Jones fizzes over a teasing centre and fellow full-back Sido Jombati flies in at the far end and narrowly misses out on making contact with the ball.
5min: After being picked out by a long ball forward from Stephen Darby, Alan Connell looks to play strike-partner Andy Gray in behind Cheltenham's defences. Connell delays his pass slightly as he gets the ball under control, however, and Gray subsequently strays offside.
0min: Cheltenham kick off the match.
CHELTENHAM TOWN LINE UP
Brown, Jombati, Elliott, Hector, Jones, Taylor, Pack, McGlashan, Penn, Mohamed, Harrison
Subs: Roberts, Lowe, Carter, Deering, Duffy, Harrad, Benson
Cheltenham changes:
Benson for Taylor (67), Harrad for Harrison (72), Deering for Penn (78)
Cheltenham cautions:
Penn (77), Jones (82)
Cheltenham dismissals:
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
Duke, Darby, Davies, Nelson, McHugh, Hines, Ravenhill, Doyle, Atkinson, Gray, Connell
Subs: McLaughlin, Meredith, Hanson, Thompson, Jones, Wells, McArdle
Bradford changes:
McArdle for Connell (62), Thompson for Gray (78)
Bradford cautions:
Davies (38), Gray (64)
Bradford dismissals:
Davies (60)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Andy D'Urso
Assistant Referee: Daniel Cook
Assistant Referee: David Woolford
Fourth Official: Nick Hobbis