Games against Bradford, especially away, are generally very tight. Whilst it isn’t too high on most fans’ top away days it will always be the place where things re-started for us (the 2010 Northern Prem playoff final win). However, we’d not beaten them in 90 minutes since we met in our recent non league stint.
This year, I’d be going from Birmingham, mostly alone, but unlike the home games where we tend tyo arrive early, I wasn’t due in until 1340 so I could leave it until well gone 10am before leaving.
Upon putting washing out, I was running late and left the house in a rush, via the cashpoint and the Co-op before making the station only 5 minutes before the train was due to leave at 1037. The lady at King’s Norton station was so slow as well and seemed perplexed by the idea of me splitting my ticket (via Derby and Sheffield) to reduce the cost from £39 to £25.80 (and even then, I was fobbed out of 20p change!
Dashing to the platform, I made the train, but only thanks to the constant niggly delays on the Cross City line (this time 2 minutes).
It was as we pulled into New Street that an Altrincham (and ex Solihull) director on his way to see their home game with Dartford (a 2-1 win) recognised my shirt and wished me luck. Luckily, the Leeds train was on the next platform so I only had to go a few feet before that rolled in.
We left bang on time, at 1103 and hurtled up North, going past some disused but still visible stations north of Sheffield, Attercliffe Road (closed only in 1995 due to the new Meadowhall Interchange station opening), Brightside (with its shelters and footbridge still there) and Rotherham Masborough (closed in 1988) with its main building and all 4 platforms still there.
Rotherham Masborough in 2004. It looked about the same now
We arrived at Leeds bang on 1pm and on the next platform I noticed a waiting train to Bradford which I hadn’t planned to get (I planned the 1320). This however was cancelled due to a train guard being unavailable but there was a 1308 service which I could get. This was a nice result, meaning I would now beat Shergy coming up from London and was in less of a panic to get the 1350 bus to the ground. Scott Walden also trained it, though he left very early as cheap advance tickets were only valid on early in services and late out services (so he’d leave Bradford at 7pm)
The bus journey, all 3 miles of it was tortuous through some desperately grim streets. Empty pub here, Yorkshire Fried Chicken there, boarded up and burnout shop here, huge tower block of flats there. Vile. We also got stopped at every set of lights so it actually took 15 minutes to get there.
Upon arriving just past 2, I went straight for the programme shop (£2, decent enough value) then the food hut. Their pies are really good but feeling hungry, I chanced it with chips too (and a cuppa). £4 was good value for all that grub, though I wasn’t mad keen on the chips and was forced to eat a pie by hand as the plastic cutlery didn’t cut it!
Then, meeting Tom and Sam, we were not allowed to put flags up over seats (which would not be filled!), the back of the stand was no good, and then I put it over a broken ad board which they didn’t like either, so I had to put it up a 4th time! The pie and chips were going cold and £4 didn’t seem so good!
About 120 or so of us were in the only stand, mixed in with home fans in a crowd of 439, so Non League Day hadn’t taken off here (though City also played at home, losing 3-1 to Yeovil). We should’ve had a penalty in the 2nd minute and had another chance on 5 minutes, but then the game settled down, moments for both sides but Bradford took the lead with a simle goal from a set piece. They put everyone on the keeper Matt Gledhill (who looks less convincing than he did in pre season and less so than Sam Vince) and Billy Priestly nodded home from inside the 6 yard box. Gledhill then handled a backpass and we were lucky to get a block on there but at half time I still felt we could open Bradford up.
United charge down a Bradford free kick
2nd half and we began to create moments and on the hour, the lively David Fallah was tripped just inside the box and Dayle Southwell lashed the penalty down the middle. From there, the hosts almost retook the lead as the ref (who gave us little change all day) failed to spot what seemed a foul on Gledhill and the dropped ball somehow wasn’t put in as poor finishing and desperate defending kept us level.
The importance of this was magnified minutes later as, following a scramble in the box, Zak Mills lashed home to put us 2-1 up, despite the officials concurring about a possible infringement.
That stood and 2 minutes later, Southwell broke through and, upon beating his man, fired in at the keeper’s near post and the afternoon was suddenly comfortable. Bradford did apply late pressure and should’ve scored but a great block from Rene Steer and some more poor finishing denied them, but in truth, we did enough and made our good spell count with 3 in 10 minutes.
Dayle Southwell mobbed after his 2nd and our 3rd
Sadly, after the game, buses were few and far between so, fearing we’d miss the 1736 back to Leeds (and be further delayed in my case), we hopped on a different bus which went via a slower route and we only just made the 1749 train! I was going to then share a Maccies with Shergy at Leeds but I saw that as we came in at 1810, my 1811 train wasn’t there. I chanced it without actually saying farewell and then got the news there was a platform alteration, meaning it was delayed and I would make it.
We left 10 minutes late and struggled to make up any time, before getting held up around Tamworth (surprise, surprise!) and that meant I arrived at New Street with a 20 minute wait instead of the usual 5 or 10 to King’s Norton and eventually got in at 9pm, 30 minutes late.
And now the joys of planning a 21 lesson school week- back to realities after recent holidays.
Bradford (3-5-2): John Lamb; Julian Banton, Ryan Qualter, Billy Priestley; Grant Black, Jack Rea, Nathan Hotte, Matty James (Scott Kerr 70), Paul Walker; Chib Chilaka (Brad Barraclough 75), Danny Frost (Richard Marshall 62). Subs (not used): Joe Colbeck, Jamie Price.
Boston (4-3-3): Matt Gledhill; Zak Mills, Scott Garner, Carl Piergianni, Rene Steer; Liam Marrs,Conor Marshall, Danny Meadows (Stefan Galinski 76); David Fallah, Dayle Southwell, Kaine Felix(Michael Hollingsworth 72). Subs (not used): Niall Doran, Jack Barlow, Sam Vince (gk).
Referee: Neil Sharp.
Attendance: 439 (about 120 Boston)
Match shots- John Rhodes. (Sadly more heavy handed stewarding meant our own Yorkshire resident Ken Fox was refused permission to take his shots)
So now we have a chance to go top with a win at home to Oxford (who lost 8-1 at home to Fylde) because Barrow don’t play. Chorley (level on points, goals scored and goals against) play Ferriby so the odds are in our favour of a temporary stint at the top!
Come on you Yellows.
Next up for me will be Stockport away on Saturday.
Thanks for reading
Josh
Under The Floodlights 