Bradford City 0 Walsall 2: Westcarr heightens anxiety for Bantams

Two second-half goals from Craig Westcarr sealed their fate in a match where they didn’t manage a single shot or header on target.

After a largely uneventful first half, Westcarr broke the deadlock after 68 minutes, poking Andrew Taylor’s left-wing cross into the net, just beating keeper Jon Mclaughlin to the ball.

Westcarr then put the result beyond doubt in the 78th minute with his 14th goal of the season, his shot from the edge of the penalty area looping into the net after some neat build-up play on the right by substitutes James Baxendale and James McQuilkin.

Walsall enjoyed more of the possession in the first half and there was a dangerous moment for Bradford in the ninth minute when left back Adam Drury, on loan from Leeds United, did well to block a goalbound shot from Adam Chambers.

Bradford, with Andy Gray up front in place of leading scorer James Hanson, failed to create a chance from open play, but came close to scoring when a diving header from defender Andrew Davies flashed past the post from Darby’s free-kick.

Bradford City: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Davies, Drury, Bennett (Thompson 55), Bates, Jones (Dolan 81), Reach, Gray (Hanson 60), Mclean. Unused substitutes: Bentley, Yeates, McHugh, Atkinson.

Walsall: O’Donnell, Taylor, Butler, A Chambers, Mantom, Lalkovic (Baxendale 45), Westcarr, Downing, J Chambers, Sawyers, Brandy (McQuilkin 76). Unused substitutes: Roberts, Purkiss, Featherstone, Hewitt, Ngoo.

Referee: K Stroud (Hamspshire).