BRADFORD CITY AFC

Influential skipper Gary Jones scored two long range drives in an action-packed second period to help City twice come from behind to pick up a hard-fought point at home to Crewe Alexandra.

In wet and windy conditions, Phil Parkinson's side found themselves behind at the interval following Uche Ikpeazu's opener and a lacklustre first period display.

Despite the horrid weather still being in play, City started the second half in much greater fashion, with James Hanson and debutant Matthew Dolan both going close to equalising.

Having rode their luck in the opening exchanges after the restart, Crewe then stunned City with a second to double their lead when Ikpeazu swooped to slide home after Chuks Aneke's shot had been saved by Jon McLaughlin.

The Bantams roared back into the contest in dramatic fashion, however, as goals from Hanson and Jones within a minute of each other shortly after Ikpeazu's second sensationally brought Bradford level.

With chances coming at either end, in particular when Hanson fired over inside the area from a decent striking position, it was Crewe who retook the lead again twelve minutes from the end when Mathias Pogba drilled in an angled drive from inside the area.

Led by their captain marvel, City still weren't done though.

Jones fired in another stunner from distance, this time with his left foot, six minutes from the end to find the bottom corner and drag the Bantams level once again.

Both sides could have won it towards the end as they looked for the game's seventh goal.

Aneke was denied by a fine save from McLaughlin as the striker fired for the bottom corner from the edge of the area three minutes from the end.

The Bantams' best chance came barely ninety seconds later when Ben Garratt repelled Hanson's goal-bound header from close range following Adam Reach's searching cross into the area.

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FT: Bradford City 3 Crewe Alexandra 3
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
89min: SUB - Crewe bring on Abdul Osman for George Evans.
88min: Hanson's header from close range is repelled on the line by Garratt following Reach's searching cross into the area!
87min: Aneke turns into space but his low drive from just outside the area is superbly tipped around the post by McLaughlin.
87min: Aneke heads over from Moore's cross into the area.
84min: GOAL!!!!! Bradford City 3 Crewe Alexandra 3 - City are level again! Mclean is on hand yet again to tee up Jones, who fires another drive in from distance, this time with his left foot, and it finds the bottom corner.
82min: Bates has to flick the ball out for a corner over by the far post to stop Moore pouncing on Pogba's prod across goal.
78min: GOAL - Bradford City 2 Crewe Alexandra 3 - Crewe retake the lead when Aneke plays the ball into Pogba's path and the striker fires a fierce angled drive into the far corner from around ten yards out.
77min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Garry Thompson for Bennett.
76min: A great chance for City falls into Hanson's lap. Matthew Bates' curling cross into the area is knocked into the path of Hanson by Mclean. Hanson turns away from Mark Ellis but he fires over the bar with his effort for goal from around eight yards out.
68min: Mclean shoots for goal on the edge of the area but his goal-bound effort takes a nick off a Crewe defender before going through into Garratt's grasp.
65min: SUB - Crewe bring on Byron Moore for Ikpeazu.
62min: YELLOW CARD - Hanson is booked for a late tackle on Guthrie inside Crewe's half down over by City's right flank.
60min: Aneke curls an effort a good couple of yards wide of goal from outside the area.
59min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bradford City 2 Crewe Alexandra 2 - City are level in dramatic fashion! Barely sixty seconds after Hanson's goal, Mclean is on hand again to tee up Jones, who drills a superb strike into the corner from outside the area.
58min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!! Bradford City 1 Crewe Alexandra 2 - City have a goal back! Mclean's teasing centre across the box finds the lurking Hanson, who side-foots home from around eight yards out.
56min: Jones' corner delivery is headed over by Andrew Davies.
54min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Crewe Alexandra 2 - Despite dominating the first knockings off the second period, City now find themselves two goals behind. Crewe spring forward on the counter-attack using the pace of Bradden Inman before the winger tees upAneke on the edge of the area. Aneke's low strike is well saved by McLaughlin but Ikpeazu is first on the loose ball and slides home.
52min: Dolan's searching ball into the box from a wide free-kick causes a penalty area scramble. Hanson and Mclean both have efforts towards goal but Crewe are eventually able to clear.
49min: City go close to equalising! Jones' low cross into the area is missed by Hanson before Reach behind him sees an effort blocked by Garratt. With the Crewe 'keeper grounded, Dolan goes to slide the ball into the net but his effort on stretch goes agonisingly wide.
48min: Garratt produces a smart stop to push away Hanson's goal-bound header following Reach's searching cross from wide.
46min: The Bantams restart the game with the weather still very much of the windy and wet variety. This time, at least, it does appear to be slightly in their favour though with wind being at their backs for this half.
HT: Bradford City 0 Crewe Alexandra 1
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
43min: Adam Reach's first time shot on the turn from around 25 yards out flies narrowly over Garratt's bar.
41min: Pogba fires in a ambitious drive from all of 35 yards that whistles not too far over McLaughlin's crossbar.
38min: Kyle Bennett wriggles away from the advances of Jon Guthrie before fizzing in a rising drive from around 25 yards out that sails a yard or so wide of Garratt's goal.
17min: Harry Davis, up for a Crewe corner, fires a drive narrowly wide of McLaughlin's near post after being teed up by Pogba just outside City's penalty area.
15min: Dolan tries his luck from a fair distance out but his low drive bobbles well wide of goal.
11min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Crewe Alexandra 1 - The visitors take the lead through Ikpeazu. Carl McHugh tries to head a bouncing ball back to 'keeper Jon McLaughlin but he seems to lose the flight of the ball in the swirling wind, allowing Ikpeazu to nip in. The young striker lobs the ball over the advancing McLaughlin from just outside the area as he comes out of his goal and the ball just drops in under the crossbar.
9min: Jones tries his luck from outside the area with a shot that deflects up off the boot of a Crewe player before looping narrowly wide of Ben Garratt's goal.
8min: Ikpeazu heads comfortably wide of goal after connecting with Mathias Pogba's cross into the penalty area.
7min: Gary Jones' shot from distance sails a yard or so over the box.
7min: A long Stephen Darby throw-in into the area eventually drops into the path of debutant Matthew Dolan. He strikes for goal from just inside the area but his first time left-footed half-volley is deflected wide for a corner.
3min: Uche Ikpeazu fizzes a low centre across the six yard box. Andrew Davies and Chuks Aneke are closest to the ball but it rolls across goal and away.
0min: Crewe kick off the match. The Bantams will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first half. On a windy day in Bradford, it seems City will be playing with the wind against them in the opening period.

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
McLaughlin, Darby, Davies, McHugh, Bates, Bennett, Jones, Dolan, Reach, Hanson, Mclean

Subs: Jameson, Gray, Thompson, Taylor, De Vita, McBurnie, Atkinson

Bradford City changes:
Thompson for Bennett (77)

Bradford City cautions:
Hanson (62)


CREWE ALEXANDRA LINE UP
Garratt, Tootle, Ellis, Davis, Guthrie, Pogba, Evans, Grant, Inman, Aneke, Ikpeazu

Subs: Phillips, Mellor, Dugdale, Osman, Leitch-Smith, Moore, Waters

Crewe Alexandra changes:
Moore for Ikpeazu (65), Osman for Evans (89)


MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: G Horwood
Assistant Referee: M Astley
Assistant Referee: R Wigglesworth
Fourth Official: M Denton