BRADFORD CITY AFC

 

 

 

With only four minutes to go of normal time in a tight and evenly-fought contest, Morison struck from close range to crash home into the roof of the net after strike-partner Lee Gregory had flicked on a Jed Wallace cross.

 

Stuart McCall's men did have one chance to level things deep in injury time but Tony McMahon fired into the side-netting from a tight angle just yards out.

 

The result was a naturally an extremely disappointing one to take for McCall's side, especially after a keenly-contested encounter that easily could have gone either way.

 

The Bantams were arguably the better of the two sides in the first period, with Billy Clarke certainly at the heart of the half's best chance.

 

From a City counter-attack, Marshall played the Irishman through on goal but a brilliant reaction stop from Millwall 'keeper Jordan Archer via his finger-tips deflected the ball narrowly past the post.

 

Archer also produced saves from James Meredith and Rory McArdle, while Millwall's greatest threat before the break seemingly came from set-pieces.

 

The Bantams threatened via a set-piece of their own at the start of the second period, however, Rory McArdle heading over from a decent position in the middle following a Tony McMahon wide free-kick delivery.

 

In truth, Millwall had a greater say in proceedings as the half progressed, and Lions winger Jed Wallace fired narrowly wide from the edge of the box after being played into space by Lee Gregory.

 

Despite Millwall's bigger presence in the match though, the game still remained in the balance. Morison saw an effort blocked from close range by McArdle, while Meredith headed over from a McMahon cross later in the half.

 

The final's decisive moment came just as the match clock clicked into the 86th minute - and just as thoughts began to turn to extra time as well. Wallace's low cross into the box was glanced on via the head of Gregory and Morison was in position to beat Nathaniel Knight-Percival to the ball and fire home high into the net.

 

With little time left to react, City threw McArdle and skipper Romain Vincelot into more advance positions in the game's final stages. 

 

City did managed to engineer one last chance when a Marshall cross dropped into the path of McMahon. The right back's first effort across goal was blocked out before he fired into the side-netting by Archer's near post on his follow-up effort.

90+5min: Marshall's cross into the box drops into the path of McMahon. His first effort across goal is blocked, the ball drops invitingly back to the right back but he hits the side-netting from a tight angle while positioned close to goal.

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

90min: SUB - Millwall bring on Calum Butcher for Gregory.

89min: SUB - Millwall bring on Fred Onyedinma for Wallace.

88min: A Marshall corner is worked back to Cullen outside the area but his shot goes comfortably over.

82min: Meredith heads wide from McMahon's clipped cross into the box.

81min: Wallace sends a looping header sailing some distance over the bar following Ferguson's cross into the middle.

79min: Wallace's ball into Morison allows the striker a chance to shoot for goal. The forward's effort is blocked away by McArdle, however, before the defender kicks behind to prevent Wallace from latching onto the loose ball.

76min: YELLOW CARD - Meredith is booked for a late tackle on Wallace midway into City territory. over by the far side of the pitch.

75min: Ferguson's flighted corner delivery towards the far post is headed down by Hutchinson but Colin Doyle is able to gather up the loose ball.

74min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Alex Jones and Timothee Dieng for Clarke and Law respectively.

70min: SUB - Millwall bring on Shane Ferguson for O'Brien.

65min: McArdle heads wide of the target following McMahon's free-kick delivery from into the box from the right flank.

61min: Good chance for Millwall! Gregory plays Jed Wallace into a good deal of shooting space around the edge of the area but the Millwall winger fires wide with a low drive.

59min: Over from McArdle! McMahon's resulting free-kick delivery from wide into the box is met by McArdle but the defender heads over from six yards or so out.

58min: YELLOW CARD - Aiden O'Brien is booked for bringing down Marshall as the City attacker drove menacingly forward deep into Millwall territory.

56min: With 56 minutes up on the clock, City's end of the ground join together for a round of applause, seemingly in honour of the 56 victims of the 1985 Valley Parade fire disaster.

56min: Meredith's hanging cross from the byline is held by Archer on the goal-line.

52min: Byron Webster's knock forward drops down into the path of Morison via Lee Gregory but the striker's low drive from outside the box rolls wide.

50min: Josh Cullen's pull-back from the byline is deflected out to Meredith just inside the penalty box. Meredith fires for goal but the effort is blocked away.

46min: The Bantams restart the match.

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

43min: Charlie Wyke is first to a McMahon free-kick delivery from wide into the box but the glancing header actually rolls across goal and out for a throw-in over the far side.

39min: Williams' delivery into the box from deep free-kick is headed down by Morison into the mix. Hutchinson and Craig both have efforts for goal but they are blocked out and City can clear their lines.

34min: An inventive corner routine from the resulting set-piece sees Clarke pick out the run of McMahon just outside the box. McMahon's initial shot into the area is blocked out before his follow-up effort trickles wide for a goal-kick.

33min: Clarke's shot from an angle just outside the area is deflected behind off the boot of Williams.

31min: McMahon's far post corner delivery is headed goalwards by Rory McArdle but the effort is held by Archer.

24min: McMahon's effort for goal direct from a free-kick just outside the box is headed away inside the box by a well-positioned Hutchinson.

15min: James Meredith is played into space by Clarke over on the left channel of Millwall's penalty area but the City defender's rising drive from an angle is pushed away by Archer.

13min: What a chance for Billy Clarke! With City on the counter-attack, Marshall plays Clarke through on goal with only Jordan Archer to beat. The Irishman looks to clip the ball over the Millwall 'keeper as he goes to ground but the effort on his weaker right-foot is touched around the post via the goalie's finger-tips.

11min: Steve Morison sends a glancing header wide of the far post following another Williams corner delivery.

10min: Shaun Hutchinson's header for goal from Shaun Williams' teasing corner delivery is deflected over via a touch off McMahon.

6min: Mark Marshall's low cross into the middle is blocked by the out-stretched leg of Tony Craig. The ball breaks out to Tony McMahon but the right-back's looping cross-come-shot from an angle just outside the box bounces wide.

0min: Millwall kick off the match.

 

Doyle, McMahon, McArdle, Knight-Percival, Meredith, Vincelot, Law, Cullen, Clarke, Marshall, Wyke

 

Subs: Sattelmaier, Darby, Dieng, Hiwula, Gilliead, Jones, Kilgallon

 

Jones for Clarke (74), Dieng for Law (74)

 

Meredith (76)

 

 

 

Archer, Romeo, Hutchinson, Webster, Craig, Wallace, Abdou, Williams, O'Brien, Gregory, Morison

 

Subs: King, Worrall, Thompson, Onyedinma, Butcher, Ferguson, Cooper

 

Ferguson for O'Brien (70), Onyedinma for Wallace (89), Butcher for Gregory (90)

 

O'Brien (58)