Bolton Wanderers 0 Bradford City 0: Much improved second half provides hope as Bantams end Wanderers' home run
ON a day when both Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City would have moved to the top of League One with victory, neither managed it.
In the end, it was City - much improved on the restart - who had the reason to be the happier as they scuppered Bolton’s hopes of recording a ninth successive home victory for the first time since 1992.
In that context, it has to be seen as an excellent point. And while the Bantams’ run without a league win has extended to six matches - their last success was in late September, this was certainly a result which is not to be sniffed at.
After a poor first half, the arrivals of Stephen Humphrys and Antoni Sarcevic helped change things. It was much more of an even game on the restart, with Bolton dominating in the opening 45 minutes.
City made four changes from their last league outing against Burton and there was a fair amount of conjecture as to who would play as the second ‘10’ for the visitors, given inspection of the teamsheet.
Will Swan, Jenson Metcalfe, Alex Pattison and Tyreik Wright returned to the starting line-up, with Ciaran Kelly, Calum Kavanagh and Tommy Leigh dropping out all together from the team who started versus Burton, while Humphrys reverted to the bench.
It was Metcalfe who started as their other 10.
In front of a bumper crowd of 26,473, Bolton’s biggest in these parts since their Premier League days in March 2012, City were very underwhelming from an offensive sense against an attacking Wanderers’ line-up in the opening half.
Their only one threatening moment arrived seconds before the half-time whistle, when Teddy Sharman-Lowe made a scrambling save to keep out Bobby Pointon’s close-range effort following Max Power’s clever low corner, City’s first.
Other than that, all the chances came at the other end with the attacking flow coming from Bolton, with the division’s player of the month for October in Amario Cozier-Duberry starting to come to the party as the half progressed, while Aaron Morley, Kyle Dempsey and Jordi Osei-Tutu also popped up and caused issues at times.
Thankfully, Sam Walker was in resolute form between the posts.
Bolton started out with the clear intent and confidence that you’d expect from a side in excellent order at the minute, with a nicely-worked move ending with Walker saving with his legs to thwart Osei-Tutu.
City gradually took the sting out of Bolton and play became scrappy, but Bolton got a second wind in the 15 minutes of the half and knocked on the door.
Cozier-Duberry first announced himself with a curler which flew narrowly over before shooting just wide after Morley won the ball back and seized on a mistake from Power.
Walker then made his second important save after City were opened up by Mason Burstow’s pass, with the keeper in the right place to keep out Cozier-Duberry’s shot.
There may have been no breakthrough for Wanderers, but there was at least the realisation that if the narrative continued in the second half, City would surely get worn down.
The Bantams struggled to get going and make an impression on Bolton’s backline, aside from that one aforesaid chance from a set-piece. They needed to up things, for sure.
Alexander had seen enough with ex-Bolton man Sarcevic, handed a chorus of boos from Wanderers punters, entering the fray at the break alongside Humphrys, who had previously dined out in these parts for Wigan.
An enforced change arrived early in the second half for City when Matt Pennington made way with an injury issue before the visitors, attacking their big following of supporters, pieced together their best move from open play with Sharman-Lowe called into work to keep out Humphrys’ swerving strike, which was hit with venom.
At the other end, Burstow fired over when well placed, showing a lack of composure after Dempsey beat Joe Wright in the air to set him up.
As far as City were concerned, they were at least showing a bit more conviction, intent and rhythm going forward, with their followers having more to buy into, for sure. It was a lot more of a contest at least.
In a bid to wrestle back control, Bolton boss Steven Schumacher made a triple change with just under 20 minutes to go and they went close when captain Eoin Toal fired just over from distance and substitute Marcus Forss’ drive from an acute angle was just off target.
Walker then got his angles right to grasp an effort from another replacement in Sam Dalby as the game started to get stretched as both sides sought the winner to take them to the League One summit. It didn’t arrive.
Bolton Wanderers: Sharman-Lowe; Christie, Toal, Johnston, Conway; Sheehan, Morley (Simons 71); Cozier-Duberry, Dempsey (Forss 71), Osei-Tutu (Cissoko 74); Burstow (Dalby 71). Substitutes unused: Miller, Forino, Randall.
Bradford City: Walker; Pennington (Baldwin 48), J Wright, Touray; Neufville (Lapslie 82), Power, Pattison, T Wright; Metcalfe (Sarcevic HT), Pointon; Swan (Humphrys HT). Substitutes unused: Hilton, Byrne, Cook.
Referee: D Drysdale (Lincs).
Attendance: 26,473.
Attendance: 26,473