NewsSquad  ResultsFixtures Opinion Standings Links
Reek of the Week  GuestbookMultimedia Noarlunga United
 

Match Report
 
 

Back to Our Old Ways

              Bradford                        2 .. 
                                  Saunders '55
                                  Wetherall '71

              Newcastle United             0.......
 
 

                                                    BRADFORD set themselves up for a very happy
                                                    Christmas as they grabbed their first Premiership win for
                                                    almost two months.
 
                                                    It proved to be a game of firsts for the Bantams, who
                                                    had been made to look like turkeys in a one-sided
                                                    first-half, although they managed to avoid the stuffing.
 
                                                    Instead it was left to Dean Saunders and David Wetherall
                                                    to hand out two wonderful presents for the City fans.
 
                                                    This was a vital match for both sides, and a defeat for
                                                    manager Bobby Robson's Newcastle which now drags
                                                    them back into the relegation melting pot.

                                                    Instead of being a potential nine points clear of
                                                    Bradford, they now find themselves just three points
                                                    above Paul Jewell's side and having played a game
                                                    more.

                                                    The two second-half goals - Saunders' first since the
                                                    opening day of the season and Wetherall's first in the
                                                    league since his club record £1.4million summer move
                                                    from Leeds - also ended the Magpies' six game
                                                    unbeaten Premiership run.
 
                                                    In the previous 11 matches, Newcastle had only been
                                                    beaten once, and that was by Italian giants Roma in the
                                                    UEFA Cup courtesy of a penalty in the Olympic Stadium.

                                                    As scalps go, this is by far Bradford's biggest of the
                                                    season and will go a long way to adding credibility to
                                                    their claims that they will avoid an immediate return to
                                                    the First Division.

                                                    They again rode their luck, though, and were fortunate
                                                    not to have been at least one goal down at the break as
                                                    Newcastle's improvement under Robson was apparent.
 
                                                    But it is also clear the former England manager is still
                                                    some way from turning United into a major Premiership
                                                    force again.

                                                    The spirit is certainly willing as the 'who cares' attitude
                                                    which prevailed under former boss Ruud Gullit has now
                                                    long since disappeared.

                                                    Robson has his side pulling for one another, but at the
                                                    moment it is only workmanlike, rather than world-beating
                                                    which is why they failed to despatch City in the opening
                                                    45 minutes.
 
                                                    Newcastle dominated the first half, but they failed to
                                                    punish a backs-to-the-wall Bradford side who found
                                                    themselves sitting too deep for comfort.

                                                    But despite pouring forward with purpose on occasions,
                                                    their overall performance was highlighted by the fact the
                                                    closest they came to breaking the deadlock was from
                                                    dead-ball situations.
 
                                                    Duncan Ferguson did almost capitalise on a poor headed
                                                    clearance from Andy O'Brien, but he lifted a first-time
                                                    half-volley from just outside the area narrowly over the
                                                    bar.

                                                    It was O'Brien who helped set up Newcastle for their next
                                                    chance in the 20th minute with a shove in the back on
                                                    Alan Shearer a few yards outside the area to set up a
                                                    dangerous free-kick.

                                                    After two initial dummy runs over the ball, it was left to
                                                    Peruvian Nolberto Solano to deliver a right-foot curler
                                                    round the wall which forced Matt Clarke to save low to his
                                                    left.

                                                    Clarke was then beaten for the one and only time in the
                                                    22nd minute when Ferguson thumped in a bullet header
                                                    from a Solano corner, but the crossbar ultimately came
                                                    to City's rescue.
 
                                                    Shearer, in one of his rare striking moments, fired in a
                                                    shot on the turn shortly after but Clarke was able to
                                                    watch the ball drift a yard wide of his left-hand post.

                                                    United's Portuguese defender Helder, on-loan for the
                                                    season from Deportivo La Coruna, almost deceived
                                                    Clarke with a near-post flick from another Solano corner
                                                    before forcing the City number one into a superb blocked
                                                    save from a powerful drive just before the break.

                                                    But whatever Jewell put in his players' half-time cup of
                                                    tea worked wonders as the change in Bradford was
                                                    staggering, with Newcastle on the back foot early on
                                                    before taking a 56th-minute lead.

                                                    Andy O'Brien sent Lee Mills scampering down the
                                                    left-wing and after initially controlling the ball down by
                                                    the goal-line, he then delivered a right-foot pull-back to
                                                    pick out Saunders arriving at the near post.

                                                    A superb first-time shot then thundered into the roof of
                                                    the net for the Welshman's second goal in two games
                                                    and his fourth of the season overall.

                                                    The impetus was now with Bradford and just 15 minutes
                                                    later they clinched a memorable victory just as Kieron
                                                    Dyer was taking to the pitch for Solano as Robson looked
                                                    for a lifeline.

                                                    But Sharpe delivered a superb free-kick to the far post
                                                    and there was Wetherall to power in a classic centre
                                                    forward's header for his third of the season after twice
                                                    scoring in the Worthington Cup.
 
                                                    It knocked the heart out of Newcastle as they barely
                                                    mustered another worthwhile effort, other than Ferguson
                                                    missing a sitter in injury-time to the delight of the City
                                                    fans and the misery of the United faithful.

                                                    It left the Bradford supporters to merrily cheer their
                                                    side's first victory since a 3-1 success over Leicester on
                                                    October 23 as they have now taken eight points out of
                                                    the last 12 at home.