Bradford City 1 Rochdale 2 (HT: 1-0)
Massive 3 points for Jim Bentley's Rochdale and another home defeat for Bradford City. Ian Henderson is still a top poacher even though he is 37.
The game was played on a very heavy pitch particularly on the side and in the corner in front of the away fans. This caused problems for the Rochdale defence in the 1st half. My mate Femi Seriki was lucky not to receive two yellow cards early on for bringing players down as they went past him or as he slipped. The referee was very lenient letting him off with the first one. He committed another possible yellow card foul near the end before cramping up and having to be subbed. He was good going forward. Romany Crichlow at centre half for Bradford also mistimed a few challenges and picked up a yellow card.
Bradford were on top in the 1st half but created little. They scored in the 29th minute from a high ball down the centre which was headed on by Harry Chapman and Levi Sutton. Abo Eisa then poked the ball past Ethan Ebanks Landell and finished well. Two in two games for Eisa who has been very disappointing for Bradford since joining them in summer 2021. He's only made 5(7) league starts. Rochdale had two chances in 1st half injury time. Ian Henderson chased a Cameron John ball over the top and nipped in between centre half Matty Platt and the onrushing Harry Lewis in goal but he prodded his shot wide at the near post. He then headed Seriki's cross over the bar.
Devante Rodney had a good game up front for Rochdale. He was far more effective than Vadaine Oliver up front for Bradford. Rodney hit the near post with a pea roller of a free kick on 54 minutes. The ball bounced across the Bradford goal but nobody was on hand to tap it in. The key moment of the game came in the 60th minute when Ebanks Landell made a great last ditch tackle to stop Abo Eisa which the Bradford fans and pundits thought was a stonewall penalty. Rochdale went up the other end and Brad Halliday made a clumsy challenge from behind on Devante Rodney and the ref pointed to the spot. Devate Rodney's spot kick was saved by Harry Lewis but top poacher Ian Henderson followed up to score. 1-1
In the 70th minute, Aidy White attacked down the left and supplied Danny Lloyd whose cross was knocked towards goal by Rodney just outside the 6 yard box. Lewis saved it but Ian Henderson was there again to knock it in. Bradford brought on Andy Cook on 83 minutes who like me looked like he had enjoyed a good Christmas. They also threw on new signing Thierry Nevers (on loan from West Ham) and Dion Periera (on loan from Luton) and they were playing four up front. Mark Hughes also invaded the Rochdale technical area at one stage to square up to a member of the Rochdale staff. There was a long delay of 5 minutes in added time due to a clash of heads between Andy Cook and James Ball. They both had to be bandaged up. Ball was down for a long time and then jumped up like a spring chicken and sprinted across the pitch. However Bradford never looked like scoring. Andy Cook tried to claim a penalty after grappling with Max Taylor. Rodney could easily have picked up two yellow cards in added time for a foul and stopping play. Richard O'Donnell was booked for timewasting.
My Rochdale MOMs were Ian Henderson and Devante Rodney. The Bradford sponsors gave MOM to Abo Eisa. Harry Lewis made two good saves for them but Henderson was there both times to score.
Bradford fans phoned up BBC Radio Leeds afterwards to moan about Mark Hughes' late substitutions and to moan about the lack of quality and leadership in centre midfield (Richie Smallwood, Alex Gilliead and Harry Chapman). The fans on their forum say they are rubbish at set pieces and cannot defend a 1-0 lead. There is also a 14 page "Sparkie Out" thread. Football fans are the same all over
.