Nine goals in a League Two classic for the ages - but all the talk is about Richie Smallwood: Final word on Bradford City's self-inflicted 5-4 loss at Swindon

Britain’s scariest junction is right next to the County Ground and the road to League One was never going to be easy for those in claret and amber was it, let’s be honest.

There’s something about visits to Swindon at this time of year for aspiring Yorkshire sides.

Back in 2015, the Robins scored five against Sheffield United in another madcap Wiltshire occasion which no-one present will ever forget. Another occasion where a striker in home colours called Smith scored twice, albeit a different one.

That chaotic 5-5 draw broke the record for the most goals in a single play-off match.

Unfortunately, there’s something about crunch late-season games for Richie Smallwood, too.

Speak about City’s captain and a list of enviable statistics crop up. More touches, successful passes and tackles won than any other League Two player in 2024-25. More tackles won than nearly every other player across the top four divisions, let alone the fourth tier.

Then he had to go and spoil it, didn’t he. City were 2-0 up in the game’s opening quarter, playing in front of the Town End where an advertisement for a holiday firm adorned at the front of the stand read ‘More than a cruise’.

It became the choppiest of journeys, thanks to Smallwood.

Speaking of chop, the ‘Dormanstown Destroyer’ did exactly that with a crude, thoroughly unnecessary challenge on home player Paul Glatzel in the middle of the pitch.

It was made more brainless given the scoreline, but would have been stupid at any moment in proceedings.

A couple of Aprils ago in Crewe, Smallwood gave away a needless late penalty to decide the game in the hosts’ favour when City were in the promotion hunt. This moment was much worse and has more serious implications by way of a three-match ban.

In a crazy game which became a basketball one, managers crave order. Smallwood is usually the sort of player who can be counted upon to do exactly that.

Managing the game, knowing when to slow it down and break things up and generally governing his team around the park.

Without him, it was chaos and it was his own fault. The fact it made for a magnificent spectacle was great for a neutral, but less so for City.

Leading 2-0 early, a boring final three-quarters of the game would have been fine.

And spare a thought for Calum Kavanagh, who joined the list of players to score a hat-trick of goals yet end up on the losing side.

His first was a sniper’s volley after he got in front of Will Wright following Brad Halliday’s long throw.

He guided home number two when Harry Smith headed a clearance against team-mate Tom Nicholls and the City striker said ‘thank you kindly’.

Smallwood’s red mist soon changed the narrative and Swindon had one back soon enough.

Alex Pattison lost the ball and Billy Kirkman’s cross deflected in off Niall Byrne. Game on, only for Kavanagh to secure the match ball with a treble inside 20 minutes when Swindon again made a horlicks of another Halliday throw from the right and the City man gobbled it up.

Sadly from a City perspective, the fact this was a day where anything could – and did – happen was reinforced when Kabango Tshimanga slid in to divert Ollie Clarke’s deflected cross-shot in ahead of the break. 3-2 – losing count anyone?

The second half calmed down for a spell, but it was a cunning ruse.

Dangerous impact sub Botan Ameen picked out Smith, who finished clinically with a downward shot as City's defence ball-watched. Their backline was spooked, but handily, so was Swindon’s.

Kavanagh missed a huge chance for 4-3, but no matter, it was soon Halliday time when City’s raider on the right backed up to bury a loose ball after Connor Ripley blocked a shot from Antoni Sarcevic.

The 1,102-strong visiting contingent joyously sang: ‘We’re gonna win the league’, but you knew more was to come. And it duly did.

Smith got in between Ciaran Kelly and Jack Shepherd to head in George Cox’s cross before Shepherd wanted to crawl into the biggest hole possible when he turned Miguel Freckleton’s cross into his own net for 5-4. Football, bloody hell.

“I’ve never seen a game like it; not good for the ticker”, opined Ian Holloway afterwards. Quite.

Swindon Town: Ripley; Clarke (Westley 46), Wright, Freckleton; Cotterill, Kilkenny (Butterworth 46), Nicholls (Cox 75), Kirkman (Ameen 28); Glatzel (Ofoborh 76), Tshimanga; Smith. Unused substitutes: Bycroft, Sobowale.

Bradford City: J Walker; Byrne, Shepherd, Crichlow; Halliday, Pattison (Johnson 46), Smallwood, Adaramola; Khela (Sarcevic 74), Pointon (Kelly 46); Kavanagh. Unused substitutes: Hilton, J Walker, Wright, Mellon.

Referee: T Kirk (Manchester).