Bradford City 2 Aldershot Town 1: Syers strikes late to nudge City to safety

There was just a minute of normal time left when the former Farsley and Harrogate Town midfielder rose to head Gareth Evans’s inswinging corner into the net from close range amid scenes of joy and relief among the Bradford supporters.

The result leaves Bradford six points above the safety mark after next-to-bottom Barnet were held to a 2-2 draw by Oxford and they need a point from their last two matches at Hereford and at home to Crewe to ensure their survival.

Interim manager Peter Jackson said: “The performance at Accrington was simply unacceptable. We needed a massive response and I couldn’t knock the players today.”

Bradford had the perfect start when Omar Daley put them in front with a superb curling shot from 25-yards.

Then, striker James Hanson almost added a second when his 25-yard shot rebounded off the post while goalkeeper Jamie Young did well to block defender Luke Oliver’s header on the line.

Aldershot equalised when Alex Rodman’s shot was blocked by Lewis Hunt and the ball ran loose for Peter Vincenti to fire home.

There were anxious moments for both teams in a tense second half, but the match seemed destined to end in a draw until Syers popped up with his late winner.

Bradford City: Pidgeley, Hunt, Oliver, Bullock, Threlfall, Syers, Worthington, Flynn (Evans 36), Daley, Hanson, Speight (Chilaka 65). Unused substitutes: McLaughlin (GK), O’Brien, Dobie, Dean, Horne.

Aldershot Town: Young, Herd, Guttridge, Jones, Charles, Straker, Hylton (Sills 88), McGlashan (Connolly 87), Halls, Vincenti, Rodman (Mekki 50). Unused substitutes: Jaimez-Ruiz (GK), Morris, Fortune, Breimyr.

Referee: S Mathieson (Stockport).