BRADFORD CITY AFC

Wells' first of the afternoon early in the opening period had given Phil Parkinson's men the lead but two goals in four minutes from the visitors later in the half - the first City have conceded at home all season - gave Colchester the interval lead.

Colchester's equaliser came from a fine strike by loanee winger Jeffrey Monakana after The U's had caught City on the counter-attack from their own corner. Jabo Ibehre then stunned the Coral Windows Stadium by giving Colchester the lead shortly afterwards when he turned Rory McArdle before confidently slotting home past Jon McLaughlin.

Despite seemingly being shaken out of their stride a little by Colchester's quick-fire double, City came roaring back after the restart to level things up once again thanks to Wells' looping header seven minutes into the second half that found the far corner following a James Meredith cross.

City looked the more likely winners as the game ticked on towards its conclusion, with James Hanson heading narrowly wide from a Kyel Reid corner around fifteen minutes from the end and Mark Yeates forcing Colchester 'keeper Sam Walker into a fine tip-over with a clipped effort in the last minute of normal time.

Either side of those two chances, however, Colchester substitute Gavin Massey had hit the post for the visitors with a curling effort from just outside the area.

The final action of note from an absorbing contest was a rather unfortunate one sadly when replacement defender Daniel Poppoe was given his marching orders for Colchester in the first minute of injury time.

With Yeates struggling to keep the ball in play down City's left flank just as a throw-in had been signaled for the visitors, Popoe came steaming in with an unnecessarily-forceful lunge on the Irish winger which left the Bradford man down on the floor in agony and the Colchester defender facing an early bath.

The club doctor and members of the St John's Ambulance were pitch-side as initial fears grew that Yeates had done some serious damage to his left leg, but, thankfully for the City attacker, he was eventually able to carry on and complete the last few minutes of the game.

Pappoe is given a straight red card for fierce lunge on Yeates down by the near touchline. The ball had actually gone out for a throw-in but before play could be brought back the substitute defender clattered into the Irish winger to earn his straight red.90+1min: RED CARD -

Walker produces a fine tip-over to push over a flick for goal from Yeates after the winger had lacked onto a glancing header on from Hanson.90min:

Colchester bring on Daniel Pappoe for Gilbey.86min: SUB -

The Bantams bring on Ricky Ravenhill for Doyle.83min: SUB -

. De Vita heads forwards following Yeates' free-kick into the box from wide but the Italian's connection isn't clean and the ball bounces wide of Walker's far post83min:

Sears fires well wide with a strike from distance.82min:

The Bantams bring on Mark Yeates for Reid.80min: SUB -

Massey hits the post with a curling effort from just outside the area the beats McLaughlin's dive before striking the 'keeper's far post. Gilbey looks to pounce on the loose ball before Meredith can eventually clear.79min:

Hanson heads narrowly wide of the target with a thumping header from a Reid corner.76min:

The Bantams bring on Raffaele De Vita for Thompson.75min: SUB -

Colchester bring on Freddie Sears for Monakana.74min: SUB -

Reid's cross into the area eventually falls into the path of Doyle but the midfielder's effort from around fourteen yards out on half-volley seems rushed and sails over.73min:

69min: SUB - Colchester bring on Gavin Massey for Drey Wright.

66min: Wilson's side-footed rising drive from the edge of the area while under pressure from Meredith and Reid sails over McLaughlin's goal.

64min: YELLOW CARD - David Wright is booked for bringing down Reid inside City's half as the winger looked to burst forward down the left flank and into Colchester's territory.

60min: YELLOW CARD - Doyle is booked for a late tackle on Eastman midway into Colchester's half as the midfielder looked to keep control of the ball.

57min: Thompson's fierce drive from distance whistles only a yard or so wide of Walker's goal.

55min: Ibehre's clipped shot-come-cross from an angle while the striker is situated about ten yards from goal is grasped out of the air by McLaughlin.

48min: YELLOW CARD - Okuonghae is booked for pushing Wells to the ground just outside the area after Hanson's flick on had seen the Bermudian in with a chance of running towards goal.

46min: Colchester restart the game.

45+1min: Gilbey's low strike from distance is gathered by McLaughlin with relative ease.

45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.

45min: Andrew Davies' downward header from a Jones free-kick delivery into the area from distance bounces into the clutches of Walker.

42min: Brian Wilson takes aim with a free-kick from the edge of the area but his effort sails a good yard or so over the bar.

30min: Drey Wright's strike for goal from just outside the area initially bobbles out of the clutches of McLaughlin but the Bantams 'keeper can gather at the second attempt.

24min: A cross on the half-volley from Stephen Darby is flicked on by Hanson but the ball just bounces out of the reach of Wells in the middle of Colchester's penalty area.

19min: Hanson leaps highest to reach Gary Jones' hanging delivery from the resulting free-kick but the striker's headed effort falls into the clutches of Walker.

18min: YELLOW CARD - Garbutt is booked for bringing down Thompson just inside Colchester's half of the pitch after the winger had beaten the left back to a loose ball and was set to gallop free into yards of space down City's right flank.

16min: Wells' swerving half-volley from outside the area whistles a couple of yards past Walker's far post.

15min: Jabo Ibehre blasts over from a decent position in the middle of City's penalty area after being fed the ball by a low cross from Brian Wilson.

12min: Rory McArdle is in the right place to kick clear after Alex Gilbey had got the better of Nathan Doyle by the byline and squared the ball across City's six yard box.

10min: Tom Eastman's sidefoot volley from Luke Garbutt's corner flies a good couple of yards wide of McLaughlin's near post.

8min: Drey Wright's low shot for goal from around fourteen yards out is deflected narrowly past Jon McLaughlin's near post for a Colchester corner.

6min: Kyel Reid takes aim from distance but his low drive for goal rolls comfortably into the path of Walker.

6min: Nahki Wells twists his body to connect with Stephen Darby's cross into the area but his overhead kick isn't perfectly-timed and the effort simply loops up into the grateful hands of Colchester 'keeper Sam Walker.

3min: With James Hanson lurking behind him just outside the six yard box, Magnus Okuonghae has to make a vital headed clearance over his own bar to put the ball behind for a corner following Garry Thompson's teasing cross into the box.

: The Bantams kick off the match. They will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first period.0min

McLaughlin, Darby, Davies, McArdle, Meredith, Thompson, Jones, Doyle, Reid, Wells, Hanson

Subs: Ripley, Ravenhill, Oliver, Gray, Yeates, Connell, De Vita

Doyle (60)

De Vita for Thompson (75), Yeates for Reid (80), Ravenhill for Doyle (83)

Walker, Wilson, Okuonghae, Eastman, Garbutt, David Wright, Eastmond, Monakana, Gilbey, Drey Wright, Ibehre

Subs: Cousins, Morrison, Sears, Bean, Massey, Olufemi, Pappoe

Massey for Drew Wright (69), Sears for Monakana (74), Pappoe for Gilbey (86)

Garbutt (18), Okuonghae (48), David Wright (64)