Bradford City 0 Salford City 1 – Henderson returns to inflict late defeat on Bantams

Sports soccer

LAST week Salford City co-owner and media expert Gary Neville launched a passionate tirade against the owners of the country’s “Big Six” clubs – calling them “scammers” amid the excitement of the European Super League.

Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 6:00 a.m.

Andy Cook leaves Ashley Eastman on deck as Oscar approaches Threlkeld. Image Bruce Rollinson

With regards to second division affairs on the pitch, now was the time to find out whether or not his club’s play-off offer was wrong.

Sadly, Bradford City’s own surprise boost to the top six was that of a pretender after temptingly hinting at producing a story that reveals the “closed shop” format – where there is no promotion or relegation in an unfair, boring league – . for what it is.

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As recently as December, City’s status as a Football League club appeared to be in grave danger. By spring, they were firm play-off contenders only to fall off in the past few weeks. At least it shows the liveliness of the pyramid system.

Jason Lowe and Charles Vernam chasing the ball. Pictured Bruce Rollinson

For Salford with high spending, the play-offs are a salvation. Gary Bowyer, who was fired from City in February 2020 with dubious promotion hopes and was recently named Ammies manager for the remainder of the season, could have the last laugh as his team moved to the business position given the events of added time.

Last but not least, it was a player who has partied in Ian Henderson in the past at City’s expense. He played the narrative hand and threw the ball over the advancing Sam Hornby after being clear when the central defense unsuccessfully asked for an offside flag and protested angrily with officials.

It was a 19th goal of the campaign for Henderson, a player City asked about last summer and who had previously scored four goals in his last two visits to Valley Parade. Do that five in three.

Mark Trueman, who ended up regretting a difficult moment, said: “When he looks back it looks offside and the linesman makes an easy decision to keep his flag low.

Bradford City versus Salford City. Image Bruce Rollinson

“We are disappointed with the way we lost it.”

This means that the season is still alive for Salford, which was two points behind the Bantams in early April – the month when things are settled.

Unlike the winners, City’s season has waned after five straight defeats and a third loss at the Valley Parade.

Pleading a side to provide a response after a bad run of form is one thing, getting it is another.

The first-half evidence suggested that the home players had criticized Trueman and Sellars, particularly after City’s loss to Port Vale at the weekend, and were keen to do something about it.

Some nifty games, usually with an old-fashioned midfield intriguer that Bowyer at Callum Cooke knows quite a bit about, provided elements to get excited about while Paudie O’Connor and Anthony O’Connor kept things all right.

City threw anything in the way when Salford switched the system to 4-3-3 and took control in the second half following the introduction of ex-Sheffield United midfielder Paul Coutts. The defeat was cruel.

Before that, the visitors showed that they themselves have an unequivocal figure in Vaclav Hladky, who underscored his status as one of the best goalkeepers in the division with two beautiful saves.

After keeping Charles Vernam’s low-angle shot at his near post, he showed superb reactions to avert Andy Cook’s effort after a nice teamwork, and the pressure continued with a header, Paudie O’Connor’s for a Uncompromising challenge was posted on, widely planted by his former Leeds United teammate, Robbie Gotts.

It was Gotts offered the Ammies’ best chance in the first half but luckily Hornby’s determination to get out of his line and narrow the angle and do a textbook block was flawless after the borrower was found unmarked to the right.

All in all, it was a decent conversation in the rain, and Salford’s greatest semblance of threat came right from Brandon Thomas-Asante and D’Shon Bernard and City, who more deliberately downshifted to a 4-2-3-1.

In the second round City was more on the back foot when Salford increased the stake.

Gotts saw an early deflected shot from Hornby while Thomas-Asante shot wide.

Jordan Turnbull headed Hornby directly shortly after Cooke, shortly after Cooke took the chance that City had patiently waited in agony after Vernam’s good work.

The late turn came from Salford and a familiar face in Henderson from Turnbulls Pass.

Bradford City: Hornby; Cousin-Dawson, P. O’Connor, A. O’Connor, Wood; Sutton, Watts; Evans, Cooke (Novak 72), Vernam (Stevens 84); Cook. Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, Donaldson, Stevens, Foulds, Sikora, Libra.

Salford City: Hladky; Bernard, Eastham, Turnbull, Touray; Lion; Threlkeld; Gotts, Henderson, Hunter (Coutts 55); Thomas-Asante. Unused substitutes: W Evans, Clarke, Boyd, Burgess, Deruvwe, Loughlan.

Referee: R Joyce (Cleveland).

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