Aldershot Town 1 Bradford City 0: Woeful Bradford are undone by Charles's repeat performance

IN the end it was all a case of history repeating itself. Bradford City's previous trip to the EBB Stadium, in March 2010, ended with a rather meek 1-0 defeat, courtesy of a rare goal from Shots captain Anthony Charles.

And so it proved again as the Bantams' poor form and scant goal threat continued.

For all their endeavour, a 15-minute period immediately before Charles's goal – in which Bullock, Hanson and marauding Eckersley all threatened – was all Bradford could muster in an opening half full of pace and enterprise.

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The loss of Bullock to injury stopped City from gathering momentum and, within a minute, Charles's sneat turn and shot saw McLaughlin beaten cheaply at his near-post. Redemption came in a smart save to deny Harding, but, overall, Bradford regressed as the game went on.

A second-half switch to 4-3-3 briefly suggested a resurgence from the visitors, but ultimately it was the same familiar story of endeavour with no end product.

Substitute Martin Evans worked the channels with some hard running, and had a drive deflected wide, but the Shots could have extended the lead with Small's punchy header.

As Dean Holdsworth solidified the home midfield, Bradford looked bereft of ideas and even a scrappy finale failed to provide a route back into the game.

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Holdsworth was delighted with victory on his EBB Stadium debut, but for City boss Peter Taylor it remains an unhappy hunting ground. Three defeats on the trot and little suggestion of brighter times ahead.

Aldershot: Young; Herd, Jones, Charles, Vincent; McGlashan, Guttridge, Harding (Morris 78), Small; Vincenti (Panther 59), Hylton (Sills 73). Unused substitutes: Straker, Fortune, Ngo Baheng, Clement.

Bradford City: McLaughlin, Eckersley, Oliver, Duff, Threlfall (Cullen 79); Adeyemi, Bullock (Osborne 22), Syers, O'Brien; Daley (Evans 61), Hanson. Unused substitutes: Saxton, Hunt, Horne, Kiernan.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northants)