Attendance: 6,567 (Away 584)

 

Match Referee: Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire)

 

 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL MATCH STATISTICS AND TEAM LINE-UPS

 

Gareth Taylor was again on the scoresheet for Rovers but this time the home side failed to hold on to their slender lead as the Bantams fought back for a 1-1 draw that if football was fair, would have been the right result on the night.

 

Rovers Boss Ronnie Moore named an unchanged side from the one that began the 1-0 win over Crewe just three days ago, with Chris Greenacre again on the bench as he recovers from flu, meaning Calvin Zola started upfront alongside Gareth Taylor.

 

Bradford striker Jermaine Johnson looked an early threat for the visitors but Joe Hart wasn’t troubled in the opening ten minutes of the game whilst at the other end it was Gareth Taylor posing the threat for Rovers as he brought an eighth minute save out of City Keeper Donovan Ricketts after good work by Zola and McLaren.

 

Just a minute after forcing that save though, Taylor gave Rovers the lead with his second goal in four days.  John Mullin fed Calvin Zola on the right hand side of the Bradford penalty area and his cross was met by Steve Davies whose ball across goal was knocked in by Gareth Taylor to give the home side the lead.

 

After going in front, Rovers seemed to step off a little and Bradford had a couple of decent chances as the home fans once again got unneccesarily nervy about being in front.

 

Sure enough, almost as inevitable as Rovers losing an early lead was Jermaine Johnson being involved in a Bradford goal and so it proved in the 34^th minute.  A mistake by fellow Jamaican Ian Goodison, allowed Johnson to pick out the on rushing Steven Schumacher and the ex-Evertonian made no mistake from around twelve yards out.

 

Following the equaliser, it was Bradford’s turn to soak up pressure as Chris McCready side-footed wide from a corner and Taylor had a chance blocked before John Mullin narrowly failed to connect with Shane Sherriff’s cross from the by-line on the stroke of half-time.

 

Rovers had the far better possession in the second half with Paul McLaren missing from distance and Gareth Taylor firing into the ground and wide after a rebound fell to him just inside the penalty area.

 

Just after the hour, the relatively ineffective Calvin Zola was replaced by Chris Greenacre upfront and shortly after coming on he shot goalwards but without power behind it and Ricketts easily gathered.

 

John Mullin had a tame header well saved by Ricketts after Taylor and Shuker had combined well.

 

With eight minutes remaining, Kevin Ellison replaced Steve Davies on the left wing and in injury time the injured Ian Goodison was replaced by Carl Tremarco after the Jamaican had picked up a booking along with two Bradford players following a scrap in the centre of the pitch.

 

If anyone deserved to win it may just have been Rovers but a draw was a fair result in the end and Rovers return this week of four points from six is a decent one given recent results. 

 

Rovers are live on Sky TV in their next game away at Gillingham this Friday (Kick-Off 7.45pm).

 

 

John Mullin – A good performance in the centre of midfield and in support of the attackers for Mullin who beat off competition for the award from his central midfield partner Paul McLaren as well as Gareth Taylor and Shane Sherriff.

 

 

 

"I think we should have won it, we've had the better chances.  It was a horrible windy night, and if you don't take the opportunities when they come, you don't win the game.  We've been punished by one mistake.” 

“When you make the mistake we made, which was trying to pinch the ball when we should have left it, it is a schoolboy error.  The lad couldn't really miss it in the end.”

"Gareth Taylor should have scored when he headed past the post, John Mullin definitely should have done, the keeper made a good save from Gareth before he scored, and Chris McCready missed one from a set piece in the box.”

"They were always a threat through Jermaine Johnson, but I couldn't see anyone else who was going to score for them.”

"We thought Chris [Greenacre] might get 25 minutes or half an hour for us. Calvin [Zola] looked a bit tired and has been carrying a bit of a hamstring injury.  With Greenacre being ill, we've not really been able to do much about that.  He came on and livened things up.  He did well.  I've got nothing but praise for my lads, but if you don't take the chances, you don't win.”

"Everybody is playing each other and they can't all win.  Tomorrow six of the top nine play each other so they can't all win.  It would have been nice to be sat three points off top.  But we'll keep going and if we keep battling and performing we'll get the luck."

 

MOTM Vs Bradford

Who was MOTM Vs Bradford? Robbie StockdaleIan GoodisonChris McCreadyShane SherriffJohn MullinPaul McLarenChris ShukerSteve DaviesChris GreenacreGareth Taylor view results

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