Half-time words do trick as Bantams up their game to see off Carlisle

IT was not a performance that will have given the watching Port Vale scouts too much to write home about, but ultimately it was a pleasing outcome for City.

A clean sheet, an encouraging first appearance in a Bantams jersey for Romain Vincelot, and valuable game-time for James Meredith and James Hanson.

Second-half goals from Filipe Morais and Hanson sealed the win for Stuart McCall’s men in their final official pre-season friendly ahead of the big kick-off against Vale next Saturday.

But the opening 45 minutes were alarmingly sluggish from a Bradford perspective.

League Two outfit Carlisle looked the better side and popped the ball around with a swagger at times.

City only woke up at half-time when McCall, with some choice words, barked a few orders and basically gave his men a kick up the backside. The message was heeded.

Morais provided the inspiration with a goal and an assist, producing the kind of quality that was sadly lacking during an insipid first half.

The winger opened the scoring in the 52nd minute when he fired home Mark Marshall’s low left-wing cross with a sweetly-struck left-footed shot from 12 yards out.

In the 64th minute, City doubled their advantage when Morais flighted a right-wing cross to the far post and Hanson glanced home a fine header.

Job done, but City’s first-half display will give McCall much to think about this week.

“The result was certainly better than the performance,” reflected the City boss afterwards.

“I'm certainly not going to gloss over the fact that I was really disappointed with the first half.

“We started okay but then had a bit of a ten-minute spell where we gave the ball away cheaply.

“Carlisle sensed our sloppiness and I thought they were excellent in the first half.

“They really put us under pressure and it was difficult to get our passing game going.

“We did improve in the second half but we could only improve. The clean sheet was a bonus and the second half was a big improvement, but we know we can play better.”

McCall fielded something approaching his strongest available side with Colin Doyle in goal, Meredith and Tony McMahon his full backs and Nathan Clarke and Nathaniel Knight-Percival at the heart of the defence.

Marshall and Morais patrolled the flanks and Vincelot and Timothee Dieng formed a promising central midfield partnership before Nicky Law impressed off the bench in the second half.

Hanson was partnered by Jordy Hiwula up front but City largely struggled for any kind of cohesion during the opening period.

In the ninth minute, Hanson powered a header wide from Morais' teasing right-wing cross.

Carlisle threatened from a number of set-pieces from captain Danny Grainger but genuine goalscoring opportunities were scarce.

The Bantams were temporarily down to ten men midway through the first half when Clarke clashed heads with Carlisle striker Charlie Wyke.

It was a painful way for Clarke to mark his 33rd birthday and McCall said: “Clarkey needed five stitches and him being off the field for ten minutes affected the flow of the game a little bit.”

Despite being a man down, City nearly took the lead when Morais latched onto Mark Ellis' weak header back following Hanson's flick-on.

Nicky Adams then headed a Jamie Devitt cross wide before Grainger went close from a free-kick and Dieng shot wide from inside the penalty box.

Morais then fired home with the offside flag already up before Doyle saved Grainger’s fierce free-kick shortly after the restart.

Seven minutes into the second period, Morais fired City ahead with a sweetly-struck left-foot strike from Marshall’s centre and then provided the right-wing cross for Hanson to head home.

With confidence growing, Marshall tried his luck shortly afterwards when he cut inside from the left flank but shot straight at Mark Gillespie.

City made five changes with 20 minutes remaining, bringing on the likes of Law, Billy Clarke and Paul Anderson, with trialist Rory McKeown replacing Meredith at left back.

Daniel Devine and Reece Webb-Foster also entered the fray and McCall added: “As I said at half-time, the only positive in the first half was that we came up with a clean sheet and defended okay.

“Going forward, there were no positives, so we just asked the lads in the forward positions to be positive.

“From one of the first crosses Marshall put in, we got a goal.

“Obviously Fil then puts in for big Hanson so we had two crosses and two goals, which was pleasing.

“I think a few players like Hanson, Meredith and Vincelot will be better for that game because you could tell they needed some football.

“There were one or two really good performances but we have set standards during pre-season – in training and in games – but we fell short of them in the first half.

“But we will look at it, analyse things and have a good week's training in preparation for Port Vale in terms of our shape and how we play.”

City: Doyle, McMahon, Meredith (B Clarke 68), Vincelot (Law 68), N Clarke, Knight-Percival, Marshall (Anderson 68), Dieng, Hanson (Devine 68), Hiwula (Webb-Foster 82), Morais (McKeown 68).

Goals: Morais 52, Hanson 64

Carlisle: Gillespie (Crocombe 71), T Miller (Olsen 56), Ellis, Gillesphey, Grainger (Brough 69), Jones (Joyce 45), Kennedy (Penn 69), Lambe (S Miller 61), Devitt, Adams (McKee 69), Wyke (Panayiotou 82).

Referee: David Webb