Parkinson backing Bradford City to end goal drought (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Phil Parkinson backing Bradford City to end goal drought against Dagenham

7:20am Friday 5th October 2012 in Sport By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter

Kyel Reid faces a lengthy lay-off

Phil Parkinson is backing City to rediscover their cutting edge against the Daggers – even without the speed threat of Kyel Reid.

The match-winning winger is set to miss the next six weeks after a scan revealed a tear in the tendon above his groin.

Either Zavon Hines or Garry Thompson is expected to take over for the trip to Dagenham as City look to get back on the goal trail.

They have fired back-to-back blanks this week despite peppering both Port Vale and ten-man Rochdale with chances.

Phil Parkinson focused yesterday’s training session on shooting but does not see a problem developing for his previously free-scoring team.

He said: “We’ve had 37 attempts and hit the target 20 times in the last two games. That would normally result in three or four goals.

“Of course we’re looking to improve in areas and we’ve done that in training. But there’s also an element of misfortune in that.

“I’ve watched every moment of the DVDs and there are some bits when we could have done better but there are others when, with a bit of Lady Luck going our way, we would have been sat here with another five points.

“Nathan Doyle has hit four really good shots, two of which have got blocked and the others were struck so well they’ve gone straight at the keeper. They go in on another day.

“We scored three times in the space of ten minutes against Barnet. It could easily have been the same case.

“But you get periods like that in the season and you just try to keep doing the right thing and approaching games in the manner which we’ll do.

“We look an attacking threat. The more you analyse the Port Vale game, it’s beyond belief that we didn’t score.

“But we went to Rochdale and showed a great attitude and we’ve got to do the same tomorrow. Dagenham is a place where the environment is sometimes the biggest test.”

Ricky Ravenhill is expected to continue in central midfield as Gary Jones recovers from the back injury he suffered against Burton.

Parkinson said: “It has settled down but not a great deal. He’s got to be right to play and we’ve got a very good replacement in Ricky.

“I thought his first two appearances have been excellent and I’ve no qualms about it.

“You expect to get injuries throughout the season and you’ve got to deal with them. That’s what the squad is for, and we will do.

“We’ve got good players to come in and they’ve got to grab hold of the opportunity, like Ricky did on Tuesday.”

The Daggers cashed in on City’s efforts by grabbing a point off a jaded Vale to follow up last week’s first win of the season over Wycombe.

Parkinson added: “The lads must be aware that Dagenham away is about putting your bodies on the line first and foremost.

“Dagenham won’t change their way of playing. John Still has done a great job down there and he recruits a lot of good players from non-league.

“They played well to beat Wycombe and were good again in midweek but Port Vale were apparently flat and had no energy in their legs. That sometimes happens after the effort they put in to win at our place.

“But Dagenham are a decent side. You’ve got to remember that they were a League One team the year before last.

“They’ve been up there where we haven’t. So we won’t go there thinking about ‘little old Dagenham’.

“We know they can be a force at this level and must make sure we are ready.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for what John has done down there on limited resources.”