Bradford City 1 (Morris 5)
Swindon Town 4 (Byrne 52, 61, 68, Obika 70)
Sky Bet League 1
Saturday 8 August 2015
at the County Ground
Attendance: 8,090 (1,025 visitors)
A strong second half showing from opponents Swindon Town condemned City to defeat on the opening day of the new 2015/2016 campaign.
A hat-trick from the lively Nathan Byrne after the restart and a fourth goal from the boot of Jonathan Obika made it a difficult afternoon for Phil Parkinson's men after such a promising opening to the game.
City found themselves deservedly in the lead at half time thanks to Josh Morris' first goal for the Bantams only five minutes into his full debut for the club.
Parkinson's side could have been further in front at the break but Billy Clarke saw a penalty saved by home shot-stopper Lawrence Virgouroux. The Irish striker also came agonisingly close with a fabulous lob from distance that bounced narrowly wide.
The Bantams will have been aiming to continue where they left off in the second period but a forceful response from Swindon, inspired by the presence of Byrne, saw the opening day points remain in Wiltshire.
FT: Swindon Town 4 Bradford City 1
90+4min: Stewart fires over from inside the box after being found thanks to a cross from Randall.
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
88min: YELLOW CARD - Robert is booked for a nasty lunge on McMahon midway into City's half of the pitch.
87min: SUB - Swindon bring Williams Randall on for Byrne.
86min: YELLOW CARD - Davies is booked for catching Thompson as the pair battled for possession deep inside Swindon's penalty area.
82min: SUB - Swindon bring on Anton Rodgers for Kasim.
81min: YELLOW CARD - Nathan Clarke is booked for catching Byrne as the winger burst past the centre half with purpose.
76min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Mark Marshall for Morris.
72min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Paul Anderson for Knott.
70min: GOAL - Swindon Town 4 Bradford City - A difficult second period gets even worse for the Bantams as Obika grabs Swindon's fourth. Turnbull's through-ball finds Obika just inside the box and the striker shrugs off the attentions of Nathan Clarke before firing past Williams.
68min: GOAL - Swindon Town 3 Bradford City 1 - Byrne completes his hat-trick to put Swindon firmly in control of the match now. After a period of Swindon passing, Byrne bursts into the area with menace, leaving a couple of City defenders in his wake, before firing low past Williams.
63min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Steven Davies for Billy Clarke.
61min: GOAL - Swindon Town 2 Bradford City 1 - Swindon's comeback is complete as Byrne gets his second of the afternoon. From a swift Swindon counter-attack forward, Stewart feeds Byrne into space inside the area and the winger pokes the ball low past Williams and into the far bottom corner.
52min: GOAL - Swindon Town 1 Bradford City 1 - The hosts equalise through Byrne early after the restart. The winger's shot across goal with the outside of his boot from an angle inside the box goes past a couple of players before nestling in the far corner.
51min: Byrne's low centre into the box goes across the six yard box but just out of the reach of Obika towards the far post and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.
47min: Obika's low drive from outside the box rolls wide of Williams' goal.
46min: Swindon restart the match.
HT: Swindon Town 0 Bradford City 1
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
40min: Routis' powerful downward header from Morris' far post corner is scrambled clear seemingly from right in front of Swindon's goal-line before Vigouroux can cling onto the ball.
38min: YELLOW CARD - Byrne is booked for a fierce tackle on Knott just inside City's half of the pitch. The Swindon man appeared to win the ball in the tackle but he did also appear to lunge in with some force.
37min: Robert engineers himself a sight of goal after a neat one-two with Byrne but Rory McArdle comes across to make an important sliding tackle to put the ball behind for a corner.
35min: So close from Knott! Morris' shot-come-cross across the six yard box just misses the sliding Knott in the middle. Any touch on the ball from Knott there would have surely resulted in a goal.
34min: Billy Knott latches onto a loose ball and shoots first time around 25 yards out but the low effort is dragged wide of goal.
34min: Stewart moves into a shooting position on the but his low deflected drive is comfortably saved by Williams.
30min: Billy Clarke goes agonisingly close with a tremendous effort from distance! After robbing Jordan Turnbull of the ball just inside Swindon's half of the pitch, Clarke spots Vigouroux off his line and tries to lob the ball over the 'keeper from all of at least 45 yards out. The superb strike has Vigoroux beaten but it bounces just wide of Swindon's goal.
26min: McMahon's effort from a free-kick roughly 25 yards out is held first time by Vigouroux.
21min: Byrne tries his luck from outside the box for the second time this half but this time his low effort is dragged wide of Williams' far post.
18min: PENALTY SAVED!!!!!! Billy Clarke takes responsibility for the kick but his effort is pushed behind by Lawrence Vigouroux, who dives to his right to repel the penalty.
17min: PENALTY TO THE BANTAMS! City have been awarded a spot-kick after Morris is tripped just inside the area by Kevin Stewart.
11min: Obika moves into space inside the area but his curling drive from a promising position deep inside the area rises over the bar.
11min: SUB - Swindon Town bring on Fabien Robert for Jermaine Hylton, presumably because of an injury to the young striker.
8min: Yaser Kasim fires a yard or so over the bar with a direct free-kick from just outside the box.
5min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Swindon Town 0 Bradford City 1 - Goal for the Bantams! City have the early lead thanks to Josh Morris. The midfielder scores on his City debut with a fine strike from the edge of the box after being picked out by Tony McMahon.
4min: Jonathan Obika turns away from the attentions of Christopher Routis just outside the box but his low drive whistles narrowly wide of Williams' near post.
1min: Nathan Byrne tries his luck from distance but the tame effort is comfortable for Ben Williams.
0min: The Bantams kick off the new season.
SWINDON TOWN LINE UP:
Vigouroux, Thompson, Ormonde-Ottewill, Williams, Rossi-Branco, Turnbull, Kasim, Byrne, Stewart, Obika, Hylton
Subs:
Belford, Robert, Brophy, Randall, Marshall, Cooke, Rodgers
Swindon Town substitutions:
Robert for Hylton (11), Rodgers for Kasim (82), Randall for Byrne (87)
Swindon Town cautions:
Byrne (38), Robert (88)
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:
Williams, Darby, McArdle, N Clarke, Meredith, McMahon, Routis, Morris, Knott, B Clarke, Hanson
Subs:
Cracknell, Sheehan, Marshall, Liddle, Davies, Anderson, James
Bradford City substitutions:
Davies for B Clarke (63), Anderson for Knott (72), Marshall for Morris (76)
Bradford City cautions:
N Clarke (81), Davies (86)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Stephen Martin
Assistant Referee: Andrew Handley
Assistant Referee: Andrew Handley
Assistant Referee: Adrian Tranter
Fourth Official: Paul Hobday