EASTER has now gone and City’s season is ready for a sprint to the finish line.
Here’s a few talking points from yesterday’s 1-1 draw with form team Stevenage.
POINT MADE
A good point – or two dropped in the race for the last play-off spot?
Seeing Newport extend the gap to five with their win over Bolton may have coloured the views on City’s stalemate.
But given the run Stevenage are on – and they showed particularly in the first half what a good side they are – I think this was a decent result.
The Bantams were given the run-around for the first quarter but once they had got their heads together with a well-worked equaliser, they always looked the more likely winners in an evenly-matched contest.
DEEPER DON
Clayton Donaldson is clearly revelling in the new responsibility of playing the number 10 role.
Having taken the bruises and whacks as target man earlier in the season, the City veteran has the chance now to show his football brain and clever thinking from a slightly deeper position.
He can still hold the ball up and bring team-mates into play but playing off Andy Cook has given the freedom to get more involved – and his header proved he can still provide a goal threat.
SET-PIECE SCARES
City looked vulnerable at times from crosses coming into the box from Stevenage set-pieces.
It wasn’t helped by the number of cheap free-kicks they gave away around the penalty area, playing into the hands of the hosts who were another opponent not reluctant to go to ground.
Niall Canavan was a solid figure in the middle – and made one goal-saving header over the bar – but there were some hair-raising moments when the Bantams were clearly unsettled trying to deal with balls flying into the six-yard box.
DOUBLING UP
It would have been interesting to see how Stevenage’s excellent defence would have coped with the combined threat of Cook and Danny Rowe together.
Getting them both on the pitch at the same time remains a challenge for City’s joint managers – and whether they are willing to adapt the formation to do that.
There was no way Cook could have been left out after his powerhouse performance against Forest Green. But yesterday seemed like the ideal game for Rowe to put himself about for more than the standard 20 minutes or so at the end.
CRANK IT UP
City certainly went for it with their attacking substitutions and Billy Clarke and Charles Vernam both had opportunities to pop up with that elusive second goal.
After two assists against Forest Green, Vernam is beginning to look a lot more like his old creative self after a flat period.
But the Bantams need to see more from Ollie Crankshaw, who failed to make an impact when he was thrown on.
The winger made one run into heavy traffic but struggled to create anything and his current displays have dipped from the level of when he first signed.
WORTH A READ
Stevenage have transformed their season with a 12-match unbeaten run and are clearly another club who recruited well in the January window.
Chris Lines was an impressive playmaker in midfield and on-loan Brentford youngster Arthur Read also stood out on their right.
He showed a trick or two and backed himself to take on City opponents – with more success than not. Maybe one to keep an eye on during the summer?
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