'˜Fantastic' Bradford City impress boss Hopkin

Manager David Hopkin’s side dominated the game from start to finish, taking the lead in the 23rd minute when Jack Payne’s corner found Eoin Doyle.

His header was saved by Brendan Moore, but Nathaniel Knight-Percival was first to the loose ball, firing home from close range.

Payne saw a shot beaten away by Moore, and Doyle was close with another header, and the home side were fortunate to get to half-time just one goal behind.

But the Bantams were quick out of the blocks again after the break and doubled their advantage when Payne weaved his way into the area and squared for Anthony O’Connor to sweep the ball home from six yards.

The game was up for the home side on the hour mark when Doyle raced into the area and was caught from behind by Ryan Delaney, referee Andy Woolmer awarding the spot-kick that Doyle converted.

Substitute George Miller rounded off the scoring with a stunning 25-yard drive in the 89th minute.

Hopkin said: “It was a fantastic performance and we thoroughly deserved the result.

“We said the most important thing was the three points, but to bag four goals against a team like Rochdale takes some doing.

“It is one of the performances we have been working to produce since I came in and everyone deserves a lot of credit.

“It was pretty much near perfect – for 90 minutes.”

Rochdale: Moore, Rafferty, M Williams, Delaney, Done, Adshead (Ntlhe 35), Camps (Perkins 73), Rathbone, J Williams (Andrew 48), Henderson, Inman. Unused substitutes: Lillis, McNulty, McGahey, Gillam.

Bradford: O’Donnell, Caddis, O’Connor, Knight-Percival, Chicksen, Payne (Miller 81), J O’Brien, McGowan, L O’Brien, Doyle (Brunker 87), Ball. Unused substitutes: Wilson, Wood, Devine, Poppler-Isherwood, Goldthorp.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northamptonshire).