BRADFORD CITY AFC

Saturday 19 October 2013
Sky Bet League 1
Crawley Town 1 (Sinclair 53)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Checkatrade.com Stadium

Attendance: 3,836 (746 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Claire Epton

City fell to their second one-nil defeat on the trot in Sky Bet League 1 thanks to loss at the hands of Crawley Town.

Former Bantams trainee Emile Sinclair's strike early into the second half was the difference between the two sides at the Checkatrade.com Stadium.

Rory McArdle did nearly snatch a point for Phil Parkinson's men in injury time but his glancing header from substitute Raffaele De Vita's corner was repelled by a great reflex save from Paul Jones at his near post.

Eager to bounce back after last Sunday's harsh defeat against Tranmere Rovers, Parkinson's side started in bright fashion and created possibly the two best chances in the opening half an hour, with both of them falling to Garry Thompson.

Thompson's first opening saw the City winger blast over from just inside the six yard box when a Mark Yeates cross had deflected in his path. Thompson then lofted a shot onto the roof of Paul Jones' net later in the half after he had found himself in behind the Crawley backline.

As the half progressed, however, Crawley's presence in the match grew and City debutant Matthew Bates had to be in the right place to deflect behind a goal-bound strike from Nicky Adams less than ten minutes before the break.

Crawley were ahead eight minutes after the restart when a through ball from Adam Drury gave Sinclair enough space inside the area to fire a low drive past Jon McLaughlin.

Jamie Proctor could have doubled Crawley's lead just nine minutes later when he pounced on a loose throw out from McLaughlin but the City shot-stopper rescued the situation by tipping the Crawley's striker low effort the post.

Kyel Reid responded for City just minutes later though when he forced Paul Jones into a stunning reaction save with a powerful drive from outside the area.

Parkinson switched to a 3-4-1-2 formation in the final fifteen minutes or so of the contest in an attempt to force a way back into the contest for his side.

The Bantams dominated the final stages of the fixture but they, and in particular McArdle, were to be denied.

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FT: Crawley Town 1 Bradford City 0
90+3min: SUB - Crawley bring on Connor Essam for Adams.
90+2min: Paul Jones produces a fine reaction save to somehow prevent McArdle's glancing header from a De Vita corner from sneaking in at the near post.
90min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
88min: SUB - Crawley bring on Mark Connolly for Proctor.
88min: Reid's hanging cross to the far post is headed down by Folan into the path of the lurking Gary Jones but the skipper's strike for goal from inside the area is blocked by a brave challenge from Mike Jones.
85min: Adams' low ball into the six yard box is scrambled wide of the near post by Drury.
84min: Hanson strikes for a goal with a looping half-volley from around twenty yards out but the effort sails a yard or so over.
79min: SUB - Crawley bring on Gary Alexander for Sinclair.
78min: Cutting in onto his left-foot, Adams curls an effort from the edge of the area past Meredith but McLaughlin is equal to the effort and gathers quite comfortably.
76min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Alan Connell for Bates. As they did in the closing stages of last Sunday's game against Tranmere Rovers, City will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Connell just behind Folan and Hanson.
73min: Sinclair's low drive from the edge of the area is pushed away by McLaughlin before Darby kicks clear the loose ball.
72min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Raffaele De Vita for Thompson.
71min: From a wide position just inside City's penalty area, Proctor fires in a low angled drive that McLaughlin can pick up with ease.
68min: Looking to pick out Sinclair in the middle, Drury's cross into the centre is actually over-hit and ends up clipping the top of McLaughlin's crossbar and going out for a goal kick.
66min: Reid lets rip with a stunning strike from just outside the area but Paul Jones is equal to it and produces a fine reaction save to tip the fierce effort over the bar.
65min: Drury breaks free down Crawley's left flank but his angled drive across goal is blocked by McLaughlin before City can clear their lines.
64min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Caleb Folan for Yeates.
63min: YELLOW CARD - Dannie Bulman is booked for a late challenge on Reid around the halfway line.
62min: Poor communication at the back presents Proctor with a good opportunity to double Crawley's lead. McLaughlin looks to roll the ball out in the direction of Bates but, crucially, it seems the defender isn't expecting the pass as throw rolls past him, allowing Proctor to pounce. The striker seizes on the loose ball and drives into the area before firing in a low shot that McLaughlin does really well to get a faint touch on and tip around the post.
56min: Adams cuts inside from Crawley's right flank before firing in a left-footed drive from a central position just outside the area that McLaughlin gathers with relative ease.
53min: GOAL - Crawley Town 1 Bradford City 0 - The hosts have the lead when Sinclair is played into space inside Bradford's penalty area thanks to a neat through ball by Drury and the striker finishes the move nicely with a low strike past McLaughlin.
46min: The Bantams restart the match.
HT: Crawley Town 0 Bradford City 0
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
42min: Sinclair lays the ball off to the lurking Mike Jones a yard or so outside City's penalty area but the midfielder's first time low drive fizzes a good few yards wide of McLaughlin's goal.
39min: A surging run forward from McFadzean deep into City's half of the pitch eventually gives the central defender the opportunity to play Simpson into space down Crawley's right flank. The right back's low cross from near the byline could have been troublesome but McArdle is in the right place to kick clear.
36min: Crawley come close to taking the lead when Nicky Adams' strike from inside the area is vitally blocked behind by Matthew Bates. It was Josh Simpson's low ball into the area that picked out Adams and the attacker's effort from around twelve yards out looked to be probably heading in until Bates' intervention.
27min: Emile Sinclair finds himself in decent shooting space just outside City's penalty area but his strike is blocked by McArdle. The ball eventually reaches Proctor inside the area shortly afterwards via Adams but the striker is crowded out by Darby and McArdle as he looked to twist and turn into a space for a strike on goal.
25min: Thompson goes close for City again when a thumping header from Meredith back into the area after Crawley had initially cleared a City corner sees the attacker in behind the hosts' backline. With the ball bouncing up, Thompson elects to loft the ball over Paul Jones' head but the lob from around eight yards out lands on the roof of the net.
18min: Proctor turns away from Stephen Darby before driving forward into the area. The recovering Darby and McArdle manage to force Proctor wide, however, and McLaughlin is able to block the striker's resulting effort from a tight angle with his chest.
16min: Hanson runs onto a forward pass from Yeates, just beating McFadzean to the ball in the process, but the striker's touch inside the area is only slight and Paul Jones can save quite comfortably.
15min: Proctor turns away from Rory McArdle just inside City's penalty area before curling in a low drive that is straight at McLaughlin.
14min: Yeates' low ball into the area hits the arm of Kyle McFadzean after the defender's miscued attempted clearance. Nothing is given despite mild appeals from City for a spot-kick, and the ball comes through to Garry Thompson, who misses a great chance to give the Bantams the lead when he fires over by the far post from around six yards out.
10min: Kyel Reid's fizzed ball into the box is headed back down into the path of the on-rushing Mark Yeates by James Hanson. Yeates takes on the strike first time but his half-volley sails a couple of yards over the bar.
7min: McLaughlin can only get his finger tips on a Drury corner as the 'keeper looks to deal with the delivery. Josh Simpson over on the far side of the penalty area plays the ball low back into the mix but Matthew Bates is on hand to kick clear.
4min: Jamie Proctor's low angled drive is pushed out by Jon McLaughlin into the path of Adam Drury. The Crawley midfielder tries to turn the ball back towards goal from a tight angle but his effort is blocked behind for a corner by James Meredith.
0min: Crawley Town kick off the match.

CRAWLEY TOWN LINE UP
Jones, Simpson, McFadzean, Walsh, Sadler, Adams, Bulman, Jones, Drury, Sinclair, Proctor

Subs: Maddison, Connolly, Essam, Torres, Alexander, Rooney

Crawley Town changes:
Alexander for Sinclair (79), Connolly for Proctor (88), Essam for Adams (90+3)

Crawley Town cautions:
Bulman (63)

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Bates, Meredith, Thompson, Doyle, Jones, Reid, Yeates, Hanson

Subs: Ripley, Oliver, Kennedy, McHugh, Connell, Folan, De Vita

Bradford City changes:
Folan for Yeates (64), De Vita for Thompson (72), Connell for Bates (76)

Referee: D Whitestone
Assistant Referee: M Smith
Assistant Referee: M Webb
Fourth Official: E Kaye