Bradford City 1 Northampton 3: Bantams fluff their lines on big day as homesickness continues

He will have been heartily sick once again this Saturday afternoon.

It was billed as Bradford City’s biggest game of the season thus far on a day when they could have leapfrogged their visitors into the automatic promotion places.

Instead, they fluffed their lines in front of a crowd of 18,666 in miserable rain with their home form continuing to prove an irritant.

There was no great shoot-out between the division’s goalscoring top guns in Andy Cook and Sam Hoskins, with the latter being suspended.

Northampton didn’t need him in truth, even though Cook netted. But the game was well over by then.

Prior to his late penalty, the Cobblers enjoyed a harvest on the counter after being handed a gift of an opener.

A loose pass from Richie Smallwood put City in trouble at the back and Mitch Pinnock, who fired a cracker almost a year to the day in the same fixture in Bradford, tidily converted just before the half-hour.

Shortly after, the hosts - without Romoney Crichlow at the back with his absence increasingly felt - were in major bother.

They were totally undressed with Shaun McWilliams starting and finishing an excellent counter following fine combination play with Kieron Bowie.

It was the prelude to the hosts totally losing their way before the relief of the interval whistle which afforded Hughes the time to hopefully address the malfunction.

City were fortunate to still be in the game, with Bowie seeing a shot blocked and McWilliams missing a glorious chance when clear after slick play by Pinnock and Bowie again ripped open the hosts on the counter.

Before the opener, it was pretty even with Harry Chapman firing over early on after a weaving run.

Lee Burger grasped a low shot from Abo Eisa and also did well to keep out a swerving free-kick from Scott Banks after seeing it late.

Hughes resisted the urge to change things at the break, with City coming out early before the second half.

It should have been game over soon after the restart with the hosts again exposed on the counter.

Bowie’s cross picked out danger man Pinnock in front of goal, but he blazed over.

The miss was almost punished at the other end with Alex Gilliead’s drive clipping the bar.All the while, Northampton were safe in the knowledge that chances would arrive on the counter.

An appeal for a penalty was turned down after Lewis challenged Appere. Soon after, Fox fired a good chance over but the wait for a third wasn’t long as the visitors put the game to bed just ahead of the hour.

City were again all at sea at the back with Sherring heading home Akin Odimayo’s cross, with his effort coming in off the post.

Bowie and McWilliams went close to adding further goals before the end, Cook netting a late penalty.