Bradford 3: Burton 2: Darby scores in extra-time to seal Bantams fightback

The former Liverpool defender picked a choice time to score his first goal for the claret and amber, whose fans will be dreaming of a juicy cup draw at the likes of Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge or even Darby’s old club when the fourth-round draw is made this evening.

Darby fired in a cracking 30-yard shot beyond the grasp of Burton’s goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson to ensure a deserved win for City, who refused to take no for an answer after finally battering down the Brewers’ wall after trailing 2-0 at the interval.

The tie between the two lowest-ranked sides left in the competition may have caught the imagination of few people outside this particular corner of West Yorkshire and a small enclave of Staffordshire.

But it produced a night of genuine drama at Valley Parade with a turbo-charged final half hour in normal time from City, inspired by a triple substitution from boss Phil Parkinson – who threw on the artillery in the shape of James Hanson, Nahki Wells and Kyel Reid – seeing the hosts take the tie to extra time after pummelling the Brewers, who had led 2-0 at the interval.

It was groundhog day for City, who after a grandstand finish in the previous round at Watford, repeated the trick to restore parity, courtesy of two deadly late finishes from Wells after the visitors led through goals from Billy Kee and Aaron Webster.

Given the torrential deluge across the north, the Valley Parade pitch looked in remarkably good condition beforehand, with the £50,000 forked out in the summer on a new verti-draining system looking money well spent, the surface being devoid of puddles or surface water.

But with the elements in mind, a shoot-on-sight policy looked a judicious one and City wasted no time in testing out the handling of goalkeeper Tomlinson, which looked suspect in the first 10 minutes as the rain continued to fall.

First, Tomlinson coughed up Gary Jones’s low drive, with Garry Thompson’s follow-up blocked before the visiting goalkeeper spilled a 25-yard shot from Alan Connell and was again indebted to his defence who cleared their lines. The portents did not look wholly positive for Burton on a wretched night, but a goal out of nothing warmed them up on 18 minutes.

A lightning raid down the right saw Jack Dyer whip in a cross which was sweetly dispatched by the recalled Kee, whose clinically struck half-volley flew past the motionless Matt Duke.

The goal settled the visitors and after Hines stung the palms of Tomlinson, Burton spurned a presentable chance when Zander Diamond bundled the ball wide with City all at sea following Lee Bell’s deep corner.

The hosts did not heed the warning and just before the half-hour mark, slack marking from another of Bell’s corners saw the unmarked Webster power a header goalwards and despite Jones clearing on the line, the officials ruled it had gone over – with the lack of protests from those in home jerseys telling its own story.

Jones then peppered Tomlinson with another low shot which again spilled out of his grasp before Thompson missed a great chance to hand City a lifeline after being sent clear by Zavon Hines’s pass. His heavy touch forced him unnecessarily wide of goal as Tomlinson came out with the covering Webster clearing.

Just before the break, Tomlinson then produced a marvellous one-handed save to parry Rory McArdle’s downward header from Hines’s cross to compound the hosts’ frustration.

Despite the scoreline, the Bantams produced more than enough in the first half to suggest the tie was not over with Jones signalling their intent by firing over early in the second period.

A sparse but vociferous crowd then vented their spleen after Connell was yellow-carded for simulation after tangling with a visiting defender in the box, with the calls for a penalty proving groundless.

Top-scorer Hanson soon made his presence felt with Wells just failing to get on the end of his headed assist before a desperate clearance by Anthony O’Connor denied a certain goal for Hanson following Reid’s superb cross.

Wells then blasted into the Kop before firing wide after a sublime dribble from the lively Reid, then the Bermudan set up a grandstand finish seven minutes from time, firing home a splendid angled strike high past Tomlinson after good work by James Meredith.

Substitute Matt Paterson missed a chance to seal it on the break for the visitors before, incredibly, City levelled when Wells turned in Hanson’s overhead kick.

Wells blazed a chance over to seal a remarkable hat-trick in the first period of extra-time, and 
Andrew Davies fired just over as City sought to seal a storming comeback with Hanson also heading a chance over in the second half – before Darby saw his name in lights.

Bradford: Duke; Darby, McArdle, Davies, Meredith; Atkinson, Ravenhill (Reid 60), Jones, Hines (Wells 60); Thompson, Connell (Hanson 60). Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Oliver, McHugh, Doyle.

Burton Albion: Tomlinson; O’Connor, Diamond, Stanton (Corbett 46), McCrory; Dyer, Weir, Bell, Webster; Kee (Taylor 65), Yussuf (Paterson 80). Unused substitutes: Atkins, Richards, Palmer.

Referee: N Miller (Co Durham).

Aston Villa caused a Capital One Cup upset with a 4-2 win at Manchester City.

Mario Balotelli gave a strong City side the lead after 27 minutes but Villa drew level thanks to an own goal by old boy Gareth Barry with little more than half an hour remaining.

Aleksandar Kolarov restored the hosts’ lead five minutes later before Villa levelled after 70 minutes through Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Villa won with extra-time goals from Charles N’Zogbia and Agbonlahor.