Adeyemi helps shatter Bradford City’s Wembley dream (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Adeyemi helps shatter Bradford City’s Wembley dream

8:00am Wednesday 7th December 2011

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Oldham 2 Bradford City 0

If fans won matches, then City would be looking forward to Wembley Eve in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy now.

More than 2,500 had trekked across the Pennines to Boundary Park with the hope of seeing more cup magic.

Sadly, their fervour could not conjure up another upset win as Oldham – 34 places higher in the league ladder – finally put the lowly visitors in their place.

To add insult to injury, City’s demise was started by Tom Adeyemi, who had spent last season learning his trade at Valley Parade.

Shefki Kuqi, the experienced Finn, then produced the finishing move with his 13th goal of the campaign before Craig Fagan fluffed a penalty at the end.

The watching Roberto Mancini, whose son Andreas was an unused Oldham substitute, did not witness a fourth higher-division scalp from the Bantams.

Fagan had come off the bench after Phil Parkinson made six changes from the weekend.

The absence of Michael Flynn and Ricky Ravenhill in the engine room hurt. Luke Dean got his full debut as expected to partner Ritchie Jones, who had been laid low with a sickness bug since Friday, but they did not have the same impact.

Former Latic Jones quickly found himself in the thick of it as his old club began strongly.

First he got a crucial touch to toe Josh Parker’s cross away from Robbie Simpson in the City danger zone.

But then he slipped as Oldham attacked again, allowing Adeyemi to the byline. Fortunately, Kuqi fired his pass well over.

City, though, had the first decent chance, with James Hanson’s header forcing a flying save from Alex Cisak.

Hanson then won the resulting corner but strike partner Nahki Wells steered it away from goal as he tried to flick on.

But Oldham continued to do most of the running. Jon McLaughlin punched clear an effort by Antiguan international Parker and left back Paul Black fired across goal from the edge of the box.

Then Adeyemi burst into the box and crashed into Liam Moore. As Oldham screamed for a penalty, Luca Scapuzzi wildly thrashed the rebound into the bulging away end.

Jones was a tad fortunate to only see yellow from referee Colin Webster after taking out the Italian winger by the touchline. On-loan Terrier Nathan Clarke soon followed him into the book for a foul on Wells.

Jones tested Webster’s patience further with a check on Simpson. The midfielder was left in no doubt he was walking a tightrope.

Tempers were flaring but City remained under the cosh and McLaughlin was thankful Scapuzzi’s close-range blast came straight at him.

Although they had not been seriously troubled in the first half, the visitors could not get on the ball and enjoy some possession.

City were defending well and Andrew Davies showed his experience soon after the restart to tidy up an Oldham counter after Dean’s shot had been charged down at the other end.

But City’s resistance was broken by a familiar face on the hour as Adeyemi weaved his way through two would-be tacklers before firing past former team-mate McLaughlin.

It was a fine finish but equal credit should go to on-loan Man City winger Scapuzzi for his pass across the box which picked him out.

Parkinson went into kitchen-sink mode by using all three subs and Ross Hannah announced his arrival with a good effort to test Cisak.

McLaughlin almost coughed up a second goal when he failed to hold Simpson’s shot but atoned with a reaction block from Kuqi.

City needed inspiration from somewhere and Fagan drilled wide on the run. But any hopes of a comeback were dashed ten minutes from the end as Kuqi found plenty of room to ram home Simpson’s free-kick.

Jean-Yves M’Voto handled Moore’s cross in the box to offer a slim lifeline but Fagan smashed the penalty high over the bar and City’s dream was over.

OLDHAM: Cisak 6, Lee 6, M’Voto 6, Clarke 6, Black 6, Adeyemi 7, Parker 7, Wesolowski 6, Scapuzzi 8, Simpson 7, Kuqi 7. Subs (not used): Morais, Bouzanis, Smith, Tarkowski, Mancini.

CITY: McLaughlin 6, Moore 6, Oliver 7, Davies 7, Seip 6, Mitchell 6, Jones 5, Dean 6 (Fagan 65min), Compton 6 (Reid 65min), Wells 5 (Hannah 65min), Hanson 5. Subs (not used): O’Brien, Duke.

ATTENDANCE: 5,697

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