Reyes Cleary's extraordinary moment lights up derby but Bradford City and Barnsley can both be proud - final word
“HAVE you told them it was a clearance?”, quipped Bradford City captain Max Power when he walked past Reyes Cleary as Barnsley’s magic man was being interviewed about his Beckhamesque brilliance.
Cleary’s beaming smile said it all.
If you don’t buy a ticket, you don’t win a raffle and all that and Cleary’s extraordinary 60-yard strike from inside his own half - the first of two equalisers on the day for Barnsley - provided a derby moment that no-one will forget.
In December 2018, Valley Parade witnessed a similarly outrageous strike from one-time Reds loanee Ivan Toney, who gloriously netted with a quick-thinking free-kick from just inside the Bradford half for Peterborough in a cup tie.
This was even better and from further out, the edge of the centre circle. Small wonder it went viral.
‘World-class’, said Graham Alexander. ‘Unique’ was Conor Hourihane’s view and his observation that time seemed to stand still just before Cleary’s majestic strike floated over a desperately scrambling Sam Walker was spot on.
Offering his take, Cleary said: "I think I was a bit shocked. I didn't know it went in until I heard the crowd hum in front of me.
"I'm a good passer when it comes to the diagonal balls across the pitch. Just use the technique for a shot..
"In life, you don't try things, you don't get results, so I just tried it and it paid off.
"Watching the higher levels like the Premier League players, they all play with confidence. And I think that's why they're the best players.
"They love to take risks, not just be safe every time. I think when I made my debut at 17 for West Brom, I just wanted to keep the ball and be really safe, but it's about playing with freedom."
Yes, City did not muster an eighth successive home win and Barnsley’s winless streak extended to six matches. But this was not a day for negatives.
Speaking beforehand about the hosts’ form over the previous 12 months, Alexander said that if anyone had not enjoyed the fare, they were a ‘grumpy b*gger’. No-one could possibly be grumpy here.
The City chief saw his side stay true to their relentless traits. Despite being pegged back twice, they left it all out there and threw the kitchen sink at Barnsley in their quest for a late winner. On the day, they had 25 attempts on goal.
While Barnsley’s susceptibility against crosses was exposed in the first half in particular, they rode out the storm, just. It gave satisfaction to Hourihane, who noted some heroic blocks as City laid siege at the death.
That the visitors’ backline held out without Marc Roberts, with the Reds chief resisting the urge to throw him on, might just possess psychological importance.
Two of Hourihane’s smart interval substitutions did change things and more especially Patrick Kelly, whose arrival turned the tide in a second half which saw Barnsley go toe to toe with the Bantams.
Kelly and fellow replacement Mael de Gevigney combined for the visitors’ second equaliser.
In the end, it was a second 2-2 away draw for the Reds, but Hourihane’s mood was far happier than it was at Wycombe as his side became the first to take something away from Bradford since April 17.
The omens did not look so good early on.
Antoni Sarcevic’s penchant for the big time resurfaced as he bagged a rebound after Murphy Cooper kept out a close-range effort from Calum Kavanagh - bang at it in his first league outing of 2025-26.
Every time the ball flew into the box, you feared for Barnsley. They had an outlet in Cleary, although few expected anything that spectacular.
Undeterred, Bradford built up a head of steam ahead of the break. A melee saw Jono Bland nod the ball against his own bar with Kavanagh's header cleared off the line.
There was no respite and ex-Reds man Stephen Humphrys got the goal he craved, firing in clinically at the near post from Power’s free-kick.
On the resumption, City held sway initially and former loanee Jack Shepherd made a key goalline clearance to thwart Kavanagh.
Kelly tucked away a sharp leveller and City suddenly had a lot more to think about, reconfirmed when Adam Phillips' drive shuddered the bar, with Kelly’s follow-up blocked. It ended all-square, fittingly.
Bradford City: Walker; Byrne, J Wright, McIntyre (T Wright 86); Neufville, Power, Pattison (Metcalfe 28), Touray; Sarcevic, Kavanagh (Swan 76); Humphrys (Cook 76). Unused substitutes: Hilton, Halliday, Leigh.
Barnsley: Cooper; Watson (De Gevigney HT), Shepherd, Earl, Ogbeta; Bland (Yoganathan 82), Connell, Vickers (Kelly HT), Phillips (McGoldrick 87), Cleary; Keillor-Dunn. Unused substitutes: Flavell, Roberts, Farrugia.
Referee: A Humphries (Northants).