Patience leads to Bradford City goals rush (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Alan Connell shrugs off early miss to help Bradford City maintain 100 per cent home record
8:20am Monday 17th September 2012 in Sport
By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter
Andrew Davies celebrates alongside fellow City scorers Alan Connell and James Hanson after making it 3-0 against Barnet
Alan Connell reckoned patience was the key as City kept up their perfect home record with a third straight win on their own patch.
Connell was among the scorers in a three-goal blast at the start of the second half to sweep away rock-bottom Barnet.
The Bantams aim to maintain their 100 per cent form at the Coral Windows Stadium against Morecambe tomorrow night and Connell reckons the belief is growing that they can turn over anyone on home turf.
He said: “Any successful promotion campaign is usually based on really good home form. I was involved in that last season at Swindon and if we can do the same then we’ll be up there.
“You can’t always score in the first ten minutes but we’ve got good characters in the squad and that showed (on Saturday). We didn’t let our heads drop, we stuck at it and the second half was enjoyable to play in and watch.
“Morecambe will be a difficult game but if we do the things we’re good at and are patient again, then we’ve got to be confident. We’re in a reasonable position and we’ve got to kick on.”
Connell’s goal was sandwiched between headers from James Hanson and Andrew Davies and made up for a fluffed one-on-one just five minutes into the game. A backpass blunder from Barnet’s John Oster put him clear but keeper Graham Stack smothered the shot.
Connell said: “I was lurking in behind the defence thinking he might pass back and luckily he did. But the ball got stuck under my feet a bit and I was caught in two minds.
“If I’d scored then, the first half would probably have been like the second and it did play on my mind for a bit.
“But the gaffer reiterated to me at half-time that if you make mistakes don’t worry about it. I missed a chance but so did players all over the country.
“It was important we started the second half well and a great relief that Hans scored. You can’t describe what a goal does for a team and it gave us a lot more confidence.
“I was delighted to score after that and it was one I didn’t have to think about. I try to be in the right place at the right time and fortunately for me that’s what happened.”
Connell, who replaced Will Atkinson to start, has now scored in successive outings and assistant boss Steve Parkin hopes that trend can continue.
He said: “We told Al that his miss didn’t matter and it happens to the top strikers in the world. He’s shown he has got goals in him at this level.
“It sets us up for Morecambe but we’ve got to be aware they look like a team that can play counter-attacking football very well.
“We have to make sure we don’t all get carried away with ourselves and expect it to be another 3-0 victory.”
Comments(16)
RuggerTyke
says...
12:07pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Yet to win against a top 10 club nor away.
glue ear
says...
12:22pm Mon 17 Sep 12
RuggerTyke wrote:been drinking ?
Only beating beateb relegation fodder so far. Yet to win against a top 10 club nor away.
Rambo
says...
12:45pm Mon 17 Sep 12
RuggerTyke wrote:Fleetwood? 2 Away cup victories at teams 1 and 2 divisions higher?
Only beating beateb relegation fodder so far.
Yet to win against a top 10 club nor away.
For christsakes, we haven't even had 10 games yet. So few league games have been it's quite likely teams near the top might have only played 'relegation fodder' as well.
tyker2
says...
12:48pm Mon 17 Sep 12
theoutsider
says...
1:17pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Let see what happens v Morecombe. Connell has to start again for sure.
RuggerTyke
says...
1:27pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Especially JPT which Luon and Chesterfield have hardly benefited.
ricky76
says...
2:21pm Mon 17 Sep 12
RuggerTyke wrote:The 2 losses at Rotherham and Gillingham (who as per usual are likely going to have one of the best home records in this league) is no disgrace yes we folded at Rotherham but there wont be many teams who get much there or at Priestfield. Accy have started this season very well so to have 10 points after 6 games is a very good start. At present we have played the top of league 3rd 5th and the 6th team so how can you or anyone complain.
Aye, Fleetwood . . Cup runs count for nothing unless you get the money draw.
Especially JPT which Luon and Chesterfield have hardly benefited.
Village Bantam
says...
2:27pm Mon 17 Sep 12
theoutsider wrote:The game was already won when we were 3-0 up, after that it was about preserving the boys for Tuesday.
I suppose you have to be happy with 3 points but...the reason for the lack of atmosphere was that half the crowd had nodded off !. Lets be clear Barnet were poor ( as with Accy Stanley the week prior ). 3-0 up we should have pressed forward for the 4th and 5th but instead Parky subs Connell - how many more times do I need to say it but I will again easily by a countrymile the best forward at VP !...on comes Wells to absolute zilch effect and Hansons back to zero support. Net result Barnet probably looked at their best in the final 20 mins or so. I really am concerned how Parky reads games we were at home and 3-0 up lets go for it !
Let see what happens v Morecombe. Connell has to start again for sure.
I can't see any value in going all out to snatch a 4th when the points were in the bag with half an hour to spare.
I'm with PP on this one, as I'd rather have the lads fresher for Morecambe than see us score another goal in a game we'd already won.
This game is great news, not only having won 3 out of 3 at home but mostly because we were poor, yet still came away with a good result.
This is the type of game we'd have drawn or worse, lost in recent years and like Simon Parker said, it's the mark of a good team when they're having an off day, yet still come away with the three points.
We have some interesting fixtures coming up, such as Oxford away on Saturday and Port Vale at home after that but even Morecambe, will be a test as they've won 2 and drawn 1 on their travels and by all accounts are a good counter attacking team, so we'll need to be on the ball as we've conceded a fair few on the break this season at Gillingham and Rotherham, so hopefully City will be back to their best from Tuesday - they won't always dominate and create chances but another sign of a successful team is luck and timing which certainly was the case given their poor performance came at just the right time, against lackluster opposition who offered little going forward, any other week and we might have dropped a couple of points so a good performance on Tuesday and another 3 points will set us up nicely and confirm what we already knew, that this is gonna be a good season for City.
Freddy
says...
2:36pm Mon 17 Sep 12
1:17pm Mon 17 Sep 12
* . 3-0 up we should have pressed forward for the 4th and 5th but instead Parky subs Connell - how many more times do I need to say it but I will again easily by a countrymile the best forward at VP !...on comes Wells to absolute zilch effect and Hansons back to zero support.
*
Whereas I understand your " Killer Instinct " to score more goals. At 3-0 the match is effectively Won in this Division.
However, the Manager decided to rest Connell and give Wells some match practice. Plus further sensible substitutions occured later in the game. There can be several reasons for substitutions. Change of game plan,injuries, resting players not yet match fit--etc.
So lets apply a little more lateral thinking to the Managers decisions--especiall
y when 3-0 up!!.
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Whoisevans?
says...
3:27pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Rambo
says...
4:00pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Like i said, weve had only 6 games out of 46 FFS. Anyone could be top or bottom within the next 4 weeks.
Mick, Cleckheaton
says...
4:48pm Mon 17 Sep 12
1 bingley bantam
says...
6:41pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Am sure we had one eye on Morecambe on Tues who im sure will prove a very tough opponent been a bit of a bogey team for years.Hope we go with same starting 11 Reid cant be that bad again surely.Only possible change i would consider is Darby for McCardle nowt against McCardle hes quality but he aint a natural full back
Prisoner Cell Block A
says...
8:25pm Mon 17 Sep 12
3-0 up, game coming on Tuesday, why go hell for leather to score more?
The relegation fodder, who apart from Barnet is that? Not Fleetwood, Notts C or Watford. Neither do I think AFCW will be down thre at the end.
Atmosphere is more than likely dead as the 'rousing' music put most people to sleep or they forgot to take their earplugs out.
I'm struggling to remember the last time we won 3 on the bounce at home in the league, amazed to hear it's 55 years since we won 4 on the trot.
dannbradfc
says...
11:49pm Mon 17 Sep 12
We must be better from the off tomorrow. Yes patience is a great quality to have but only if its intended ;-). The extra positive other than the result is that some of our players surely can't be as quiet again. However the opposition is better also. Despite limted intent and ability wimbledon still scored an easy header and Barnet also had opportunities without really troubling jon mc. Morecambe will prove to have more confidence in this area. Lets be strong but lets also let our creative players do exactly that.......
Freddy says...
11:27am Mon 17 Sep 12
I thoroughly enjoyed City's performance on Saturday. Further pleasure has come from the last 3 Home Matches too.
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Morecambe will be another tough match ( All matches in League 2 are tough games).
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I hope the City Supporters make more noise of SUPPORT tomorrow night. The lack of Support noise was disappointing during the first half against Barnet.
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I shall be travelling up again tomorrow, and will probably loose my voice AGAIN!.
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3 More points would be most welcome.
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