Saturday 16 December 2017
Sky Bet League One
Southend United 1 (McLaughlin 75)
Bradford City 2 (Poleon 9, Wyke pen 90)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at Roots Hall
Attendance: 6,097 (409 visitors)
A ninetieth-minute goal from the penalty spot by top scorer Charlie Wyke secured yet another away-day success for Stuart McCall's Bantams.
Wyke's dramatic winner - his eleventh goal of the season - proved enough to claim City's eighth league victory of the campaign away from home.
City's penalty success came after Nicky Law had been brought down in the box by last-man Ryan Leonard when through on goal.
Southend skipper Leonard was given his second booking for the offence, with Wyke drilling the subsequent penalty down the middle in front of the delighted travelling City supporters.
Penalty-winner Law was also involved in City's opening goal.
The midfielder burst into the box before squaring for Dominic Poleon to fire in from close range in only the ninth minute.
Poleon had already seen a good chance repelled by Southend 'keeper Mark Oxley during a bright start to the game from the Bantams.
McCall's men continued to look in control going into the break, but Southend improved in the second period.
They had the better of the play after the restart without creating too many clear-cut chances.
Nathaniel Knight-Percival was replaced by Adam Thompson just before the hour mark due to a hamstring injury.
Southend managed to level things up fifteen minutes from the end when Stephen McLaughlin headed in from close range following sub Jermaine McGlashan's floated ball towards the far post.
With Southend looking on the front-foot at this point, they could have been seen as the more likely winners in the game's final stages.
Just as they did against Rochdale last weekend, though, City fought back with purpose.
Wyke saw a header from a Tony McMahon corner cleared off the line by Jason Demetriou five minutes from the end of normal time.
City then retook the lead with time running out thanks to Wyke and the late penalty drama.
Amazingly, there was still time for City to nearly net a third but sub Shay McCartan was somehow denied deep inside the box when Oxley turned his goal-bound shot around the far post.
City's Southend success was their third win on the spin in the league to keep them fourth in the League One table
The result was also the Shrimpers' first home loss of the season, meaning McCall's side have now ended the unbeaten home runs of four different sides in League One so far this campaign.
FT: Southend United 1 Bradford City 2
90+5min: McCartan denied by a great save from Oxley deep into injury time! McMahon plays a free-kick from just outside the box to McCartan in space inside the box. McCartan side-foots for the bottom corner but Oxley somehow tips the ball around the far post.
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
90min: YELLOW CARD – McMahon is booked for his celebrations after the goal.
90min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Southend United 1 Bradford City 2 - Wyke makes no mistake! City's number nine slams the ball down the middle from the spot-kick to give City the lead again!
89min: YELLOW CARD = RED CARD – Leonard is given his second booking for the foul on Law - the Southend skipper is dismissed.
88min: PENALTY TO THE BANTAMS! Law is played through on goal and the midfielder is brought down by a tackle from last-man Leonard as he looked to shoot.
87min: Fortune stretches back to reach a McLaughlin cross into the box but the flicked header forward sails some distance over.
86min: SUB – Southend bring Amadou Ba for Ranger.
85min: Wyke header off the line! The striker sends a downward header towards the corner of the goal from a McMahon corner but Dememtriou is in the right place to block on the line!
83min: McCartan’s free-kick from outside the box deflects off the Southend wall and out for a corner.
78min: McCartan fires across goal and just past the far post with an angled drive from inside the box.
76min: SUB – The Bantams bring on Shay McCartan for Poleon.
75min: GOAL – Southend United 1 Bradford City 1 – The Shrimpers are level when McLaughlin nips in at the far post to head home from close range following McGlashan’s hanging cross.
74min: YELLOW CARDS – Poleon and Leonard are booked for a brief coming-together after the Southend midfielder had fouled the City striker midway into the Bantams half.
72min: Leonard’s rising drive from outside the box sails comfortably over.
69min: SUB – Southend bring on Jermaine McGlashan for Michael Timlin.
67min: Leonard’s long throw-in into the box is headed into the side-netting off a header from Michael Turner that takes a touch off Vincelot for a corner.
63min: SUB – Southend bring on Marc-Antoine Fortune for Wordsworth.
62min: Leonard’s drive from outside the box is held by Sattelmaier.
59min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Adam Thompson for Knight-Percival.
59min: Gilliead volleys comfortably over from the edge of the box after a McMahon cross is headed away.
55min: Ranger's header from the resulting Ben Coker free-kick delivery into the box drops comfortably wide.
55min: YELLOW CARD - Knight-Percival is booked for blocking off McLaughlin as he looked to burst down Southend's left flank.
53min: Dememtriou's cross into the box from the resulting corner is met by White but the effort is straight at Sattelmaier.
52min: Ryan Leonard's ball wide to Wright is headed into the box by the midfielder. The ball eventually drops into the path of Wordsworth deep inside the area. He tries to get a close range shot away but he is crowded out and Kilgallon can eventually put behind.
48min: Great defending from Kilgallon denies Ranger! A ball over the top has Ranger in with a sight of goal, the striker skips past Nathaniel Knight-Percival and moves into the box but a great tackle from Kilgallon sees the ball run loose and a grateful Sattelmaier can gather up.
47min: YELLOW CARD - Nile Ranger is booked for late tackle on Sattelmaier as the German 'keeper came out of his box to clear.
46min: Southend restart the match.
HT SUB - The Bantams bring on Jake Reeves for Taylor just before the restart.
HT: Southend United 0 Bradford City 1
45min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the first period.
44min: McLaughlin's shot from distance deflects behind off a City player for a corner.
41min: YELLOW CARD - Josh Wright is booked for a late tackle on Wyke midway into City's half of the pitch.
38min: Taylor's left-footed drive from outside the box bounces comfortably wide of Oxley's near post.
35min: McMahon has a sight at goal with a free-kick just outside the box after Robinson is fouled following a driving run from the left back. McMahon natually goes goal direct from the set-piece but the effort hits the Southend wall and the hosts can eventually clear the danger.
26min: Wordsworth plays the ball out wide to McLaughlin as Southend spring forward on the attack. McLaughlin fires an angled drive for goal from a wide position just inside the box and the efforts deflects off McMahon and past Sattelmaier's near post.
23min: Stephen McLaughlin's cross into the box finds an unmarked Anthony Wordsworth but his header is straight at Rouven Sattelmaier. Good chance for the hosts there.
18min: The second corner sees Taylor and McMahon play a short one and the latter fires over with a rising drive from an angle just inside the box.
17min: From the resulting corner, Matthew Kilgallon's header is blocked before Gilliead behind him on the edge of the area sees a half-volley deflected behind for another corner.
17min: Wyke plays Taylor into space down the right-hand channel of Southend's penalty area. Taylor looks to pick out Poleon in the six yard box but John White is in position to knock behind by the near post.
9min: GOAL!!!!! Southend United 0 Bradford City 1 - Poleon gives City the lead! Nicky Law is played into space inside the box by a flick-on from Wyke. Law has the time and space to play the ball across the box to the unmarked Poleon, who converts with a simple shot from around six yards out.
4min: Paul Taylor plays the resulting corner short to Tony McMahon and the right back's shot for goal from an angle around the edge of the box goes over.
3min: Tyrell Robinson cuts inside from the left flank before firing in a low drive on his weaker right-foot from the edge of the box that Oxley shovels behind for a corner by his near post.
3min: A great run from Alex Gilliead sees the winger play Dominic Poleon into space deep inside Southend's penalty area. Poleon has Charlie Wyke waiting in the middle for a potential close range shot, but the striker elects to go for goal himself and Mark Oxley produces a good save to push the effort away. A promising opening for the Bantams!
0min: The Bantams kick off the match.
SOUTHEND UNITED LINE UP:
Oxley, Demetriou, White, Turner, Coker, Wright, Timlin, Leonard, McLaughlin, Wordsworth, Ranger
Subs: Bishop, Fortune, Ba, Yearwood, McGlashan, Kyprianou, Wabo
Southend United substitutions:
Fortune for Wordsworth (63), McGlashan for Timlin (69), Ba for Ranger (86)
Southend United cautions:
Wright (41), Ranger (57), Leonard (74, 89)
Southend United dismissals:
Leonard (89)
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:
Sattelmaier, McMahon, Knight-Percival, Kilgallon, Robinson, Gilliead, Law, Vincelot, Taylor, Poleon, Wyke
Subs: Raeder, Thompson, Reeves, Dieng, McCartan, Hendrie, Patrick
Bradford City subs:
Reeves for Taylor (46), Thompson for Knight-Percival (59), McCartan for Poleon (76)
Bradford City cautions:
Knight-Percival (55), Poleon (74), McMahon (90)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Keith Stroud
Assistant Referee: Matt Foley
Assistant Referee: John Flynn
Fourth Official: Paul Harris