Graham Alexander’s advice for Bradford City striker Kavanagh
CALUM Kavanagh must keep being a “pain in the bum” for City’s charge to the promotion line.
Magnificent Bradford City make spring statement early and it would be such a shame to waste this – final word on four-some League Two win versus Colchester
City’s winter version – against esteemed guests in Walsall early in the new year at BD8 – was similarly agreeable, but Saturday trumped it in the eyes of Alexander and it was hard to disagree.
His side were simply magnificent and the overwhelming majority of the Valley Parade crowd of 23,381 – a record for the Bantams at league level – lapped it up. A milestone occasion and it got the regal performance it deserved.
What made it all the more stellar – and why Alexander ranked it above that afternoon which left the Saddlers sore – was the context.
Bradford had lost their previous two games without troubling the scorers ahead of the arrival of the division’s form horses, who were chasing a sixth straight win and unbeaten in 13 games. An away victory would have cut the gap between the pair to five points and those from Essex were entitled to scent blood.
After a slightly edgy start, City showed their aptitude and character in spades, reinforced when Colchester drew level on 36 minutes. A minor aberration.
Above all else, they displayed their togetherness with those with claret and amber in the stands providing the petrol. This Bradford City side is an easy one to like; a team who look like they are not to be moved.
Against a good opponent who came to play – unlike those spoilers from the Wirral seven days earlier – the hosts had all the answers and posted a punch to their League Two rivals that the late George Foreman would have been proud of. It would be reprehensible to waste this.
Almost exactly 12 months to the day since an awful 3-0 loss at Harrogate Town which left them 17th in League Two amid a howling gale and a mutinous mood in the away stand, here was karma for City and their admirable manager. He doesn’t forget either.
Alexander said: “Twelve months ago, I asked them about character and personality.
“I said to the players (after this win) this is what we’ve done since then and we’ve been the best team points wise (in League Two) and wins wise.
“I think it’s important to keep those scars fresh in your mind because it drives you on to not go back to it.
“I said to the players, we shouldn’t be defined by the last two games, but what we’ve done over the last 12 months. We’ve been the best team in League Two.”
A sea of claret and amber greeted the players ahead of kick-off with the home stands packed to the rafters, courtesy of a cut-price ticket offer as some floating Bradfordians renewed their vows with their football team.
Colchester looked handy enough early, but City took over and had their feet on the throat of their rival for the remainder of the game.
They were lusty in the press and relentless in their work ethic and above all else, knew what they were doing. There were teams within teams, George Lapslie and Brad Halliday were brilliant as a tag duo on the right as were Tyreik Wright and Tayo Adaramola on the opposing flank.
The latter caused carnage in particular in an outstanding display and City had a ‘fox in the box’ in Calum Kavanagh. Or ‘wasp’ as his manager likes to call him.
Halliday stayed alive while Rob Hunt dozed to hook a ball back into the danger zone and the quick-thinking Kavanagh was onto it in a flash, nipping in at the near post for 1-0.
City had their tails up and went for more, only for Harry Anderson to bang in a rebound after ex-Bantams loanee Jack Payne’s waltz in the box. Typical City, the cynics opined. This was different.
Lasplie’s sharp header from Adaramola’s left-wing cross restored the hosts’ lead five minutes later as he showed just why City went for him in January.
The second half saw Colchester have a go, but City had more, much more.
A key finger-tip from ex-U’s keeper Sam Walker denied Owura Edwards and the hosts went onto finish it.
In front of the Kop, Kavanagh duly did that following good work from Brandon Khela and Lapslie buried another near-post chance after masterful play from the returning Bobby Pointon. Good days don’t get much better.
Bradford City: S Walker, Byrne (Huntington 83), Baldwin, Crichlow (Kelly 73); Halliday, Khela, Smallwood, Adaramola (Pattison 83); Lapslie, Wright (Pointon 73), Kavanagh (J Walker 83). Substitutes unused: Hilton, Mellon.
Colchester United: Macey; Egbo, Kelleher, Flanagan, Hunt (Simpson 65); Read, Iandolo; Anderson, Payne (Thorn 82), O Edwards (Gordon 65); Taylor (Scully 73). Substitutes unused: Smith, Tucker, Vincent-Young.
