Colchester 2 Bradford 0: City sink close to relegation zone after away loss

BRADFORD City’s stuttering start to the season continued as they sank to defeat away at Colchester United.
Phil Parkinson, manager of Bradford.Phil Parkinson, manager of Bradford.
Phil Parkinson, manager of Bradford.

Manager Phil Parkinson made four changes to the side that suffered a similar loss to Peterborough at the weekend, handing recalls to Christopher Routis, Tony McMahon, Steven Davies and Billy Knott.

The Bantams had the better of the early stages, but it was the home side who made the breakthrough.

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Callum Harriott had the legs to get past Stephen Darby before drilling a low left-footed effort underneath Brad Jones.

U’s striker Marvin Sordell, who played in the Premier League for Burnley last season, was proving a real handful for the Bradford backline.

Owen Garvan, another former top-flight player, won the ball well in midfield before striding forward and picking out Sordell with a reverse pass, who tucked it tidily into the bottom corner.

Sordell came close to adding his second with a speculative attempt.

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After trapping a long ball expertly on halfway, he struck an instinctive drive from distance which was not too far over.

A clash between Davies and Matthew Briggs just after the break saw the Colchester left-back appear to kick out at the City wide man after being fouled.

Both players only received cautions from experienced official Keith Stroud.

McMahon went closest to getting the visitors on the scoresheet, but his well-struck effort from distance hit the underside of the bar.

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Bradford fall to 19th, just two points above the relegation zone, with a trip to high-flying Rochdale coming up on Saturday.

Colchester United: Jones, Olufemi, Kent, Eastman, Briggs, Edwards, Garvan, Massey, Moncur (Porter 81), Harriott, Sordell. Unused substitutes: Elokobi, Gilbey, Bonne, Sembie-Ferris, Harney, Parish.

Bradford City: Jones, Darby, Routis, Burke, Meredith, Evans, McMahon, Knott (James 83), Davies (Marshall 72), Hanson, Cole. Unused substitutes: Williams, N Clarke, Liddle, Leigh, Mottley Henry.

Referee: K Stroud (Hampshire).

Third-placed Gillingham continued their fine start to the season as they came from behind to thrash Fleetwood 5-1 at Priestfield Stadium in League One.

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Bobby Grant put the visitors ahead but Gills responded with Rory Donnelly’s double and further strikes from Jordan Houghton and John Egan before half-time.

Cody McDonald added a fifth after Fleetwood’s Eggert Jonsson was sent off late on for a second cautionable offence.