Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers beaten by Bantams
Darlington 0 Bradford City 1[LNB] Darlington's disastrous season shows no sign of turning around after they sank to their fourth consecutive defeat at home to Bradford City.[LNB] Steve Williams headed the only goal of the game in the first half of a low quality affair.[LNB] Quakers manager Steve Staunton reacted to Tuesday's 4-0 defeat at Notts County by making five changes but it was to no avail, as he saw his side beaten yet again. It was his tenth game since taking charge and his eighth defeat.[LNB] With Grimsby picking up a point, Darlington are left even further adrift at the bottom of League Two.[LNB] Just as happened at Notts County, Darlington had the first attempt at goal with returning striker Lee Thorpe shooting straight at keeper Simon Eastwood after collecting Jonathan Hogg's slide-rule pass on ten minutes.[LNB] The chance came following a tame start, but within a minute of Thorpe's effort the visitors had two of their own.[LNB] Quakers keeper Nick Liversedge keeper made a smart save to deny Scott Neilson at his near post and then former Hartlepool midfielder Lee Bullock hit the side-netting with a smart volley from inside the penalty area.[LNB] After one game on the bench Liversedge was recalled at the expense of Ashlee Jones, while Thorpe was making his first appearance since the start of October.[LNB] The pair made up two of Staunton's five changes with Josh Gray, Mark Bower and Andrew Milne all starting.[LNB] With Steve Foster on the bench and Ian Miller injured with a hamstring strain, centre-back Bower was made captain against his hometown club while Milne was making his debut at right-back after arriving on loan from Leeds.[LNB] He became the 40th different player to feature for Darlington this season, a fact which highlights the disruption at Quakers this season.[LNB] They have conceded the first goal in every game bar one this season, a run which continued today when Bradford opened the scoring on 23 minutes with Steve Williams netting with this second attempt within 30 seconds.[LNB] The defender, upfield for a corner, saw a close-rage shot diverted for another corner by Darlington's Danny Hall, and from Scott Neilson's flag kick Williams headed home at the far post.[LNB] The tall defender ghosted into an unmarked position to give Stuart McCall's side a lead they should have doubled ten minutes later.[LNB] James Hanson headed wide from directly in front of goal after meeting right-back Simon Ramsden's cross.[LNB] Ramden had easily beaten Quakers left-winger Josh Gray who put up little resistance in stopping the right-back's run, a moment which encapsulated Darlington's slack first half performance.[LNB] They did little to threaten Bradford who themselves laboured through a tame opening period, but they created more chances and that trend continued after the break.[LNB] Hanson headed wide on the hour before Whalley shot on the turn from the edge of the area following a Bradford counter-attack that began with a sluggish Gray being easily dispossesed by Neilson.[LNB] Liversedge grabbed Whalley's shot at the second attempt, keeping the score down 1-0 but Quakers supporters were clearly disillusioned with their team failing to test Eastwood.[LNB] The Bradford keeper had only one shot to save Thorpe's early effort after which the hosts struggled to cause any major problems.[LNB] Thorpe failed to make a connection with an overhead kick before Eastwood was finalled called into action with 18 minutes to play.[LNB] Striker James Collins, on as a sub for Mor Diop, cut inside from the right and fired a low shot that Eastwood dealt with at his near post as Darlington threatened a late charge.[LNB] Hogg forced another save from Eastwood and then Thorpe had long-range effort deflected wide for a corner.[LNB] With five minutes to go came Darlington's best chance of the day and again it fell to Thorpe.[LNB] Unmarked in Bradford's penalty area, sub Curtis Main found the veteran striker with a left-wing cross that Thorpe, despite having time and space on his side, headed wide.[LNB] It proved to be the last chance of a less than entertaining match that ended with a minority of Quakers fans booing at the final whistle.[LNB] Goal: Williams (23, 0-1)[LNB] Bookings: Hall (36, dissent), Harsley (41, dissent), Hogg (50, foul), Thorpe (75, foul); Neilson (82, time wasting)[LNB] Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston)[LNB] Attendance: 2,744[LNB] Darlington (4-4-2): Liversedge; Milne, Hall, Bower, Giddings; J Smith, Harsley, Hogg, Gray; Thorpe, Diop (Collins 60). Subs (not used): Jones (gk), Foster, G Smith, Groves, Convery, Main[LNB] Bradford City (4-4-2): Eastwood; Ramsden, Williams, Clarke, L O'Brien; Neilson, Bullock, Flynn, Whalley; Hanson, M Boulding (Evans 64). Subs (not used): McLaughlin, Brandon, Bateson, R Boulding, J O'Brien, Horne[LNB]
