Toxic cloud engulfing Bradford City as Harrogate Town enjoy a blast of sun - final word on League Two derby day

As Graham Alexander did the media rounds after the game, a stiff wind was an accompaniment and he would have noted the perfect storm conditions.

Disenfranchised supporters, a football team whose confidence has tanked, owner who wants out, injuries, form, big club who should be doing better but aren’t, mojo lost, young players looking lost, old players coming to the end.

Sadly, you could go on. Let the England fans debate the national jersey, Bradford have enough on their plate.

In the middle is Alexander, admirably putting on a brave face. A couple more defeats would heap pressure on his shoulders, but he is the least of City’s problems, let’s be honest.

Visiting fans voiced their displeasure towards owner Stefan Rupp and chief executive Ryan Sparks during a dismal second half.

The mood music is distinctly unharmonious and City look as far away from escaping League Two – in the right direction – as they have ever been.

For Harrogate Town, the early spring sun had a blast of warmth on a nippy day.

A club comfortable in their own skin, Harrogate Town are everything that City are not.

Together, happy to be where they are, glass half-full, strapping themselves in and prepared to enjoy the ride if there is one.

And they also have a handy penchant for beating Bradford on derby day as well with it all played out in front of a crowd of 3,905, a record at league level in these parts.

The state of the league table energises Harrogate. It is an albatross for City, by contrast. Another problem.

In on-field conditions that were testing, Harrogate applied themselves rather better than those in visiting jerseys with a bothersome wind being biting; they relished the hard yards and ugly stuff, which you must do on such days.

The best player on the park was in home colours in Levi Sutton. Yes, a former City player.

That added to the visitors’ chagrin. It was that sort of day, but they have had too many during their penance in League Two, in truth.

Unfortunately, more lie in store on this evidence. Several more.

An understandably delighted Simon Weaver, whose 13th placed side are five points adrift of the side currently occupying the final play-off slot in Crawley, having played a game more, said: “It means a lot to us to win these local games and we know it means a lot to the people of Harrogate and I thought you saw a fully committed display and team of heroes for us.

"No-one can go away from this stadium thinking that Harrogate Town did not want it enough. We wanted to show that to the fans and it means a great deal to us.

"We’re trying to keep building and there’s an opportunity of word of mouth and four thousand people here saying ‘Listen, we’ve got something’, moving forward.

"We’ve done great away from home and felt we needed to have a convincing display in front of our own fans and it was good to do it in front of a record attendance."

Sign up to our new Sports Editor’s TeamTalk newsletter available this week

A nothing game on derby day changed on 21 minutes. Warren Burrell, a Wetherby Road stalwart, was afforded too much space on the right and his succulent cross was dispatched by Josh March for his first goal in 25 games for the Sulphurites. Exquisite timing.

Straightaway at the other end, Tyreik Wright saw his rebound blocked by James Belshaw after he parried Kevin McDonald’s daisycutter. Unfortunately, that was pretty much that from a City perspective.

Pedestrian in midfield, with passengers out wide and unconvincing at the back, the visitors looked dodgy. The only City player who could hold his head up was Daniel Oyegoke, but the game would end with him slicing a cross into his own net. Again, it was that sort of day.

Boosted by their opener, Harrogate were very close to adding a second before the interval when Matty Daly took aim early and his shot clipped the post.With the wind in their faces in the second period, City, quite frankly, were awful.

Harrogate always looked the more likely and the killer second arrived when Brad Halliday was penalised for a handball just inside the area.

With 13 goals already to his name this term, George Thomson was not the sort to look a gift horse in the mouth. He slammed the penalty past Sam Walker for number 14.

Salt arrived in claret and amber wounds when Oyegoke fired substitute Jack Muldoon’s cross into his own net. Horrible, most horrible.

Harrogate Town: Belshaw; Burrell, O’Connor, R McDonald, Foulds; Sutton, Dooley (Muldoon 66); Thomson, M Daly, Sivi; March (Odoh 90). Unused substitutes: Oxley, Abu, Falkingham, Cornelius, Odoh, Bloxham.

Bradford City: S Walker; Oyegoke, Platt (Kelly 63), Ridehalgh (Wilson 63); Halliday, Smallwood, McDonald (Wadsworth 86), Richards; J Walker (Pointon 63), Cook, Wright (Chapman 78). Unused substitutes: Doyle, Smith.

Referee: S Purkiss (London).