BRADFORD CITY AFC

A double from former Bantams midfielder Will Atkinson did most of the damage for the hosts before a late own goal from the unfortunate Romain Vincelot capped a bad day at the office for Stuart McCall's men.

After Nile Ranger had headed narrowly over early into the game, Atkinson fired Southend in front in the fifteenth minute after being put in the clear by Simon Cox.

There was a touch of controversy about the goal, however, with City's players seemingly convinced Cox had handled in the build-up.

Despite the debatable nature of the opener, Southend were worthly of their lead after a bright start, although James Hanson had headed just past the near post from Mark Marshall's cross less than sixty seconds earlier.

The Bantams came close to levelling when they hit the woodwork midway through the half, Timothee Dieng heading against the crossbar from a wide free-kick delivery into the box from Marshall.

On the whole though, City looked largely out of sorts in the opening period and Colin Doyle was required to make two good saves later in the half to deny Anthony Wordsworth.

Fresh from their half-time regroup, the Bantams looked improved after the restart and could have equalised but for some alert defending from Southend right back Jason Demetriou. 

Nicky Law's corner delivery just after the hour mark popped up into the path of Nathaniel Knight-Percival, who headed forwards. Dieng helped the ball towards goal but his effort was blocked on the line by Demetriou.

Substitute Marc McNulty tried to fire home on the rebound but his effort from a tight angle flew over.

It was one-way traffic at this stage as City looked for a way back in the game, but their attempts to do so were dealt a severe blow when Atkinson doubled Southend's lead against the run of play.

Adam Thompson flicked Demetriou's cross into the path of Atkinson in the box and the midfielder finished well with a low angled drive into the far bottom corner.

Incredibly, Atkinson could have sealed a hat-trick just minutes later when Doyle fumbled a Stephen McLaughlin cross but James Meredith was on hand to turn his goal-bound shot behind for a corner.

City composed themselves once again following that scare and came back at Southend but Hanson missed a good opportunity to give the Bantams a foothold in the game with fifteen minutes to go. 

The giant striker headed wide from just inside the box with the goal gaping after Oxley had pushed out a Marshall shot.

Filipe Morais came on for Stephen Darby with just over ten minutes to go, changing City's formation to only three at the back, but they were caught out on the counter-attack with time running out as Southend confirmed their victory.

Shrimpers' substitute Marc Antonio Fortune drove the ball across the box and the effort hit off Vincelot before rolling past a helpless Doyle via his near post.

City still could have netted in injury time but McNulty saw an effort pushed behind by Oxley before his shot from the resulting corner was blocked on the line by Ryan Leonard.

90+4min: City try to force the ball home from the resulting corner but Leonard is on hand to block on the line to deny the Bantams a late goal.

90+3min: McNulty turns into space inside the box but his shot from a tight angle is blocked behind by Oxley.

90+2min: Marshall sees a shot blocked before Law fires over from just outside the box on the follow-up.

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

90min: SUB - Southend bring on Luke O'Neill for McLaughlin.

89min: Marshall fires in a shot from just inside the box that is pushed out by Oxley before McNulty is flagged for offside as he looking to pounce on the rebound.

86min: Morais sends over a hanging cross that has to be pushed away by Oxley to prevent the ball from possibly dropping in.

79min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Filipe Morais for Darby.

75min: Marshall's fierce shot from inside the box is pushed out by a strong save from Oxley, Hanson looks to pounce on the rebound but his header from just inside the box goes wide with the goal gaping.

74min: Wordsworth heads over from Demetriou's cross into the middle.

74min: Doyle fails to hang onto McLaughlin's cross into the middle and Meredith is required to kick behind from right in front of his own line after Atkinson had prodded for goal.

70min: SUB - Southend bring on Marc-Antoine Fortune for Cox.

69min: With City on top at the moment, Marshall crosses into the middle but Timothee Dieng on the stretch can only send a header wide.

63min: City come so close to levelling things up! Law's corner delivery into the middle eventually loops up into the path of Knight-Percival. Following the defender's header forwards, Dieng helps the ball towards goal but the effort is cleared off the line by Demetriou before McNulty blasts over from close range on the volley.

58min: Cox is back up and play continues once again.

57min: SUB - The Bantams use the stoppage to bring on Marc McNulty for Hiwula.

57min: Play is stopped as Cox receives treatment for a bang to his knee.

51min: Wordsworth's clipped cross into the box from the edge of the area is contested by both Cox and Atkinson, with the ball eventually looping up into the grasp of Doyle.

51min: Marshall's shot from outside the area is gathered at the second attempt by Oxley with Hiwula looking to pounce on the rebound.

49min: Demetriou tries his luck direct from a free-kick roughly thirty yards out but Doyle is able to watch the rising effort sail over his bar.

46min: A well-placed ball over the top from Darby looks for a second to have Hanson in behind Southend's defence but a recovering Adam Thompson crucially gets the ball first and the City striker ends up giving a foul away. 

46min: Southend restart the match.

45+3min: Wordsworth's free-kick from a fairly wide position is sent goalwards but the effort is held by Doyle.

45+1min: After temporarily playing with ten man following Ferdinand's injury, Southend are back up to full numbers thanks to the return of the central defender onto the pitch once again.

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

44min: We have another break in play shortly before the break as Anton Ferdinand receives treatment following a clash of hands with Marshall just outside Southend's penalty area.

41min: Ryan Leonard's long throw-in into the box is cleared only as far as Wordsworth a few yards out the area. Wordsworth fires for goal and his low effort is pushed around the box following a great reaction save from Doyle.

38min: From Oxley's long kick forward, the ball breaks to Wordsworth just outside the area and the midfielder's rising drive on the half volley goes just over.

35min: SUB - Southend bring on Michael Timlin for Coker. It appears the Shrimpers' left back was still struggling with his earlier injury.

31min: Doyle produces a good save to repel a goal-bound Wordsworth free-kick from just outside the box, City's Irish 'keeper thrusting out a strong left hand to push the ball away.

27min: The ball drops into McLaughlin's path a few yards outside the box, the winger cuts inside onto his favoured left foot before firing in a strike that whistles not too far over Doyle's bar.

25min: City hit the bar! From Marshall's wide free-kick into the box, Timothee Dieng appears to gets his head onto the ball first ahead of a host of players in the middle and his effort for goal rattles against Oxley's crossbar!

21min: Law and Marshall play the resulting corner short, with the former crossing into the box. The cross is met by Nathaniel Knight-Percival but his glancing header drops a couple of yards wide.

20min: Nicky Law drives forward to just outside the box before firing in a low drive that flashes narrowly wide of the post after taking a touch off a Southend player.

18min: Cox looks to get Ranger in with a clear run of goal but an alert Romain Vincelot does just enough to halt his progress and the ball rolls through to Doyle.

16min: Cox spins away from Nathaniel Knight-Percival before crossing low into the box for Ranger. The former Newcastle striker plays the ball back to Wordsworth just outside the area but his first time effort flashes high and wide of goal.

14min: Mark Marshall's low cross is sent narrowly wide of Oxley's near post via a diving header from Hanson.

11min: Darby's cross into the box is headed down by James Hanson, Jordy Hiwula tries to fire goalwards as Mark Oxley fails to deal with the ball but Southend eventually clear.

9min: Wordsworth's intelligent ball over the top finds Ranger in a pocket of space behind City's defence but the striker's effort on the half-volley from just outside the box sails over.

8min: Coker's free-kick from deep eventually drops into the path of Ranger but his sliced effort bobbles through comfortably into Doyle's grasp.

7min: Ranger connects with the ball following Demetriou's cross into the box. The striker's shot for goal isn't cleanly struck but City still take their time clearing their lines before Josh Cullen kicks clear.

6min: Shortly after that Ranger near-miss, Coker returns back on the pitch to bring Southend up to their full compliment of players once again.

6min: With Coker temporarily off the pitch, Anthony Wordsworth's puts the corner into the box and Nile Ranger heads narrowly over with a close range effort that appeared to actually clip the top of the bar.

5min: Play is halted briefly ahead of the corner for Southend to allow Ben Coker to receive treatment. 

4min: Jason Demetriou's searching cross into the six yard box looks to pick out Stephen McLaughlin over by the far post but a watchful Stephen Darby is on hand to head behind for a corner.

0min: The Bantams kick off the match.

SOUTHEND UNITED LINE UP:

Oxley, Demetriou, Thompson, Ferdinand, Coker, Atkinson, Leonard, Wordsworth, McLaughlin, Ranger, Cox

Subs: Smith, O'Neill, Timlin, Fortune, Sokolik, King, McGlashan

Southend United substitutions:
Timlin for Coker (35), Fortune for Cox (70), O'Neill for McLaughlin (90)

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:

Doyle, Darby, Vincelot, Knight-Percival, Meredith, Marshall, Dieng, Cullen, Law, Hiwula, Hanson

Subs: Sattelmaier, McNulty, Vuckic, Morais, McArdle, Devine, Kilgallon

Bradford City substitutions:
McNulty for Hiwula (57), Morais for Darby (79)