Hereford United 1 Bradford City 1: Survival job complete but Bantams chief bemoans late slip-up

BRADFORD City are certain of a place in League Two next season after their draw at Edgar Street.

But Bantams chief Peter Jackson, whose side let slip the lead given them by Jake Speight’s penalty to Stuart Fleetwood’s spectacular late strike, was downcast at not picking up a sixth away success.

“It was a big game for us today, as it was for Hereford, and the most important thing is that we got a point and we have survived,” said Jackson, whose side have moved up to 16th in the table.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I would have taken a point before the game but, as it turned out, we are disappointed not to have won.”

The Bantams took advantage of a nervous Hereford start to dominate the first period.

Gareth Evans was just wide with a series of long-range shots.

But it was target man James Hanson who came closest before the break, racing on to a pass from Omar Daley before seeing his shot grasped by Hereford goalkeeper Adam Bartlett.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bantams goalkeeper Lennie Pidgeley pulled off a couple of good saves to deny Hereford’s Nicky Featherstone and Waide Fairhurst.

But City looked set for the points when Hanson was pulled down in the area by Stefan Stam and Speight cracked his penalty into the corner of the net in the 81st minute.

The Bantams were to be left disappointed, however, three minutes from the end.

Fleetwood, Hereford’s player-of-the-year award-winner, stepped up to notch his 18th goal of the season by thrashing a 20-yard free-kick around the wall and past Pidgeley to guarantee their survival. The result left City seven points clear of the drop zone as they try to resolve where to play next season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hereford United: Bartlett; Green, Stam, Townsend, Heath; Colbeck (Patulea 86), Featherstone (Kovacs 90), Lunt, Leslie; Purdie (Fairhurst 56), Fleetwood. Unused substitutes: Hoult, Rose, Canham, McQuilkin.

Bradford City: Pidgeley, Hunt, Bullock, Oliver, Threlfall; Evans (O’Brien 59), Worthington, Syers, Daley (Williams 83); Speight (Dean 90), Hanson. Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Osborne, Chilaka, Horne.

Referee: D Phillips (West Sussex).

Man of the match: Lee Bullock.