BRADFORD CITY AFC

Billy Knott capped off a fine individual performance by grabbing the all-important match-winner four minutes before half time after being picked out inside the area by Andy Halliday.

Knott's strike seemed to deflect in off the right leg of Hayden Mullins as the County defender tried to clear it but the Bantams midfielder will undoubtedly be looking to claim the goal - his fourth of the season.

Before setting up Knott's opener, Halliday himself could have twice given City the lead earlier in the half, while Jake Cassidy hit the post for the visitors also in the first period.

As they did at Fleetwood Town only two days earlier, City kicked on after the restart as they looked to put the game beyond their visitors.

They were unable to find a second goal to relive some of the tension but Parkinson's men saw out five nervy minutes of injury time to pick up the win - the seventh in their last nine games.

The only downside on a day that saw popular former City skipper Gary Jones make his first return to the Coral Windows Stadium was an injury to Andrew Davies. The defender limped off after only 14 minutes with an apparent hamstring problem.

90+3min: Zoko comes within mere inches of sealing it for City! Latching onto Hanson's flick on, Zoko knocks the ball past Carroll from just inside the box but the ball rolls agonisingly wide of the far post.

90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.

90min: YELLOW CARD - Kennedy for booked for kicking the ball away after the award of a free-kick against City just inside their half of the pitch.

89min: YELLOW CARD - Zoko is booked for trying to charge down a Carroll kick forward out of his hands.

85min: SUB - Notts County bring on Ronan Murray for Thompson, who receives a nice reception from the home fans as he leaves the field.

83min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Jason Kennedy for Knott.

82min: McLaughlin beats Darby to a loose ball before driving dangerously into City's area. McArdle comes across to block him off and the winger's eventual rising drive sails high and wide of Pickford's near post.

81min: A pass backwards from Whitehouse potentially has County in all sorts of trouble for a second when it is mis-controlled by Hayden Mullins. Zoko tries to get onto the ball in a flash but Carroll, who out of his area, manages to block the striker's progress and County can eventually clear their lines.

79min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Francois Zoko for Stead.

78min: YELLOW CARD - McLaughlin is booked for bringing down Morais midway into City's half over by the far touchline.

77min: McLaughlin shoots on the turn just outside the box but his strike on the half-volley flies a yard or so wide of goal.

74min: Knott plays Hanson into space inside the box on a dangerous City break forward but the striker's effort from around twelve yards out is tipped around the far post by Carroll.

73min: McLaughlin drives dangerously into the area as County break forward with menace. The winger's angled strike for goal is blocked by Stephen Darby though and Rory McArdle can head away the loose ball.

68min: YELLOW CARD - McArdle is booked for catching McLaughlin late around the halfway line over by the far touchline.

67min: SUB - Notts County bring on Elliott Whitehouse for Alan Smith.

60min: After possibly injuring himself following his mis-kick earlier, Carroll requires some treatment as City wait to take a corner. The treatment delays the taking of the kick but Carroll is able to carry on.

59min: Knott nearly has the opportunity to catch Carroll way off his line when the 'keeper fluffs an attempted clearance but Jones robs the midfielder of the ball as he looks to take advantage of the shot-stopper being stranded out of his goal.

58min: Hollis is back on the pitch now to bring the visitors back up to their full compliment of players.

57min: County are temporarily down to ten men while Hollis gets some blood cleared off his shirt and mouth following an earlier whack to his face.

52min: Hanson bundles the ball wide from close range following Morais' searching corner delivery towards the far post.

51min: Morais ends a forceful run with a cross into the box but Stead's control lets him down from close range and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.

49min: After dispossessing Gary Jones in the middle of the park, Knott races for County's penalty area before playing a one-two with Stead. Knott then releases Halliday into a pocket of space inside the box. Halliday tries to run for goal but he is crowded out by Thompson and Dumbuya and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.

47min: Haydn Hollis heads comfortably over the bar after connecting with McLaughlin's free-kick from deep into the box.

46min: The Bantams kick off the second half.

HT SUB - County bring on Colby Bishop for Hall just before the restart.

45+1min: Sheehan's free-kick from deep into the box finds Stead but his initial touch takes him away from goal and the striker can only fire the ball across goal with venom from right on the byline.

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

37min: Garry Thompson's flick on into the path of Ryan Hall finds the attacker in shooting space around the edge of City's penalty area. Hall tries to knock the bouncing ball over Pickford's head with a dipping half-volley but the effort drops narrowly over the bar.

33min: Hanson meets Knott's cross into the area but his connection isn't quite clean enough and his header drops comfortably wide of County's goal.

29min: Sheehan has a free-kick from just outside the box blocked by the Notts County wall. The ball is initially cleared from County's area but Meredith keeps the pressure on with a cross back into the area. The ball falls to Sheehan's feet and the Irishman sees his rising strike from the edge of the area deflected narrowly wide of Carroll's goal.

24min: Halliday misses a great chance for City! James Meredith's ball on the ground into the box from City's left flank picks out the run of the midfielder perfectly but the Scot can only fire over first time on the stretch when positioned in the middle of goal and around seven yards out.

22min: Cassidy hits the post for County! McLaughlin lays the ball off to the visitors' main striker and the loanee forward fires in a low drive from the edge of the area that rattles against Jordan Pickford's far post.

21min: YELLOW CARD - Knott is booked for catching Blair Adams late midway into County's half of the pitch as the pair contested a bouncing ball.

16min: Stead hits the outside of Carroll's near post with a close range side-footed effort after connecting first with Morais' low corner delivery into the middle.

14min: SUB - The Bantams replace Andrew Davies with Alan Sheehan. Unfortunately it seems like Davies has picked up an injury early into the match.

10min: After Filipe Morais' cross into the area is headed away by Hayden Mullins, Gary Liddle's well-placed pass back into the box finds Billy Knott lurking in space. Around seven yards from goal, Knott turns into shooting space on his favoured left foot before curling an effort mere inches over the far corner of Carroll's goal.

6min: Hanson heads a long pass forward back into the path of strike-partner Jon Stead but the forward's effort from just inside the box is scuffed into the ground and bounces harmlessly wide of Carroll's goal.

5min: Andy Halliday goes close to giving City the lead! The midfielder latches onto James Hanson's flick on before knocking the ball past Mustapha Dumbuya to leave him through on Roy Carroll's goal. Halliday rounds Carroll as the shot-stopper comes out to meet him but the Scot's touch takes him away from goal and his eventual strike on the stretch from around ten yards out goes wide.

1min: With Stephen McLaughlin lurking behind looking for a possible close range strike on goal, Rory McArdle has to be alert in the middle to cut out Jake Cassidy's dangerous ball into six yard box.

0min: Notts County kick off the match.

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:

Pickford, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith, Liddle, Morais, Knott, Halliday, Stead, Hanson

Subs: Williams, Sheehan, Zoko, Kennedy, Routis, McBurnie, Mottley-Henry

Knott (21), McArdle (68), Zoko (89), Kennedy (90)

Bradford City changes:

Sheehan for Davies (14), Zoko for Stead (79), Kennedy for Knott (83)

Carroll, Dumbuya, Mullins, Hollis, Adams, Jones, G Thompson, Smith, Hall, McLaughlin, Cassidy

Subs: Pilkington, Murray, C Thompson, Traore, Whitehouse, Edwards, Bishop

Notts County cautions:

McLaughlin (79)

Bishop for Hall (46), Whitehouse for Smith (67), Murray for G Thompson (85)