Andy Cook scores again as 10-man Bradford City beat Mansfield Town in League Two

Mark Hughes’ Bantams were in good nick as they held out following Matthew Platt’s sending-off in the second half. Bradford made a decent start at the One Call Stadium, threatening after only four minutes.

Harry Chapman played a smart through-ball to the advancing Brad Halliday, but he lashed a disappointing angled effort off target. Chapman almost turned provider again midway through the first half when he found Tyreik Wright in the Stags’ box, but Bradford midfielder was thwarted just before pulling the trigger.

Stags’ ‘keeper Christy Pym was then forced into action twice inside a minute. Scott Banks was denied first, before Wright failed to make the most of his opportunity from only six yards out.

Richie Smallwood made no mistake after half-an-hour, however. The Bantams skipper drilled home clinically from 15 yards after Halliday’s cross into the box wasn’t cleared.

Stags boss Nigel Clough made a couple of attacking substitutions at the interval, but they had little effect. The Bantams doubled their lead in the 53rd minute when Andy Cook met Platt’s long ball, side-stepped two defenders, before slotting superbly past Pym.

Platt was sent off 10 minutes later after picking up a second yellow card, and the Stags halved the deficit soon after that as Will Swan bundled home from close range. However, the Bantams battled their way home through 10 minutes of added time to seal a big three points.

Mansfield: Pym, Harbottle (Quinn, 59), Perch (Hawkins 88), Hewitt, Gordon (Bowery 46), O Clarke, Boateng, Maris, Hartigan (Akins 46), Lapslie, Swan. Subs not used: Flinders, Wallace, O’Toole.

Bantams: Lewis, Halliday, Platt, Crichlow, Foulds, Gilliead, Smallwood, Wright (Eisa, 55), Chapman (Songo’o 66), Banks (Pereira 88), Cook (Oliver 88). Subs not used: Angol, Doyle, East.

Referee: S Mather.