Bradford 3-3 Northampton: Report

13 November 2012 23:31
Bradford 3-3 Northampton: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.


Bantams spot-on again

Penalty kings Bradford booked their place in the FA Cup second round Northampton on penalties in a dramatic first round replay that finished 3-3 after extra time at Valley Parade.

All seemed lost for Bradford when Northampton skipper skipper Kelvin Langmead fired visitors into a 3-2 lead in the second period of extra time, but defender Carl McHugh equalised with seconds remaining to set up a penalty shoot-out, which the home side won 4-2 - their third spot-kick victory this term.

Bradford reached the Capital One Cup quarter-final after besting Premier League Wigan from 12 yards won at Hartlepool in the same manner in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

On this occasion Bantams top scorer Nahki Wells was thwarted by Shane Higgs, but failures from Danny East and Langmead left Ricky Ravenhill to complete the triumph from his side's final penalty.

The home side went in front after 35 minutes when James Hanson laid the ball into the path of the unmarked Will Atkinson, who scored with an angled left-footed shot from eight yards, but the visitors equalised two minutes before half-time as Bradford captain Ravenhill was judged to have brought down Ishmel Demontagnac and Demontagnac scored from the spot.

The second half was deadlocked until left-back Joe Widdowson handled substitute Adam Baker's goal bound shot and Wells stepped up to score from 12 yards.

However, when Bradford left back James Meredith failed to cut out a pass from visiting substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa in the third minute of stoppage time, Platt took advantage to score with a low right-footed shot into the far corner to send the tie into extra time.

Having used all three substitutes, Bradford went down to 10 men at the start of the second period of extra time when Meredith limped off injured.

Northampton took advantage when skipper Langmead put them ahead for the first time after collecting a pass from substitute Ivan Toner.

But McHugh scored a dramatic stoppage time equaliser with looping header after the visitors' defence failed to clear a long throw from Stephen Darby.


Source: DSG