By Stuart Kidson
December 12 2003

THE ALBION ARE MAKING A HABIT OF SCORING LATE AT VALLEY PARADE. Scott Dobie emulates Igor Balis in this clash and steals the points for the Baggies. Apologies yet again for the late posting of the report. Bradford City (0) v West Bromwich Albion (1)
Valley Parade, Tuesday 9th December 2003

West Brom seem to be making a habit of scoring late at this fixture. In the promotion season an Igor Balis penalty in the dying minutes prevented Wolves from being promoted automatically to set up that wonderful last game of the season against Crystal Palace. This season Scott Dobie scored in the 89th minute to open a four point gap between 1st and 2nd place in the race for the Division One title. The win extends Albion's sequence to 10 unbeaten in all competitions.

Darren Moore got his first start of the season in defence and Lee Hughes returned to the fold on the bench. It was Hughes's first appearance in an Albion shirt since he was released on bail following the unfortunate accident he was involved in a few weeks ago.

Former Baggies star Bryan Robson, now in charge at Bradford, faced his old team again on a cold and foggy night in West Yorkshire, hoping to prevent Bradford going into free fall at the foot of the table.

The home side almost took a shock lead within the first minute as Gareth Farrelly sent a long free kick into the box which, uncharacteristically, Russell Hoult missed. Jason Gavin was at the back post for the home side, but he could only manage to direct his header onto the crossbar.

Despite the early scare the Baggies were soon on the attack as Hoult sent a long kick up field. Jason Koumas missed the ball but fortunately for the Albion the recalled Paul Robinson was on hand to pick up the loose ball. He raced towards goal but his shot could only find the side netting due to the tight angle.

Koumas was again in the thick of the action when he let fly from the edge of the box but his shot took a deflection off Gavin and fell into the path of Robbie Hulse. Unfortunately the former Crewe striker could only produce a weak shot on the turn and this did little to trouble Alan Combe in the Bradford goal.

Koumas again tried to break the deadlock when he attempted to curl a 30 yard free kick into the net, but the Welsh maestro put to much spin on the ball and it sneaked just wide of the upright. Bradford then attacked and Phil Gilchrist was called upon to make a desperate last ditch tackle just inside the Baggies area on former Dingle, Michael Branch.

The Bantams had a penalty appeal turned down when it appeared that James O'Connor had handled inside the area but referee Mr. M. Pyke saw nothing to suggest it was deliberate and the home side were denied. Bradford were pushing hard for a goal and Dean Windass was unlucky not to connect with the ball after Farrelly had put ball over the back of the Baggies defence. The former Oxford star was just millimetres away from getting his toe to the ball but Hoult had read the situation well and gathered before any contact was made.

The visitors were finding it increasingly difficult to find their way around the Bradford defence and the home side had restricted the Baggies to long range efforts which the keeper had no trouble in dealing with.

O'Connor, whose mistake on Saturday led to West Ham's goal, was at it again when he lost possession in the centre circle towards the end of the half. Farrelly pounced and the former Villa man raced towards goal before feeding Gray out on the edge of the box. Gray's shot was low but Hoult did well to get down to gather the ball and deny the home side again.

The Baggies almost broke the deadlock minutes before the break when Hulse and Dobie made some nice passes work to the visitors advantage. Robinson was the beneficiary of the link up between the strikers as he cut inside the defender and let fly with a right footed shot which seemingly had beaten Combe, but also went just wide of the upright.

The Albion were first to attack in the second half as Robinson again tried his luck from range, but his shot was always rising from the second it left his foot some 30 yards out. Not to be out done The Bantams replied with a deflected Farrelly shot seconds later but the ball looped upwards into the waiting arms of Hoult.

Koumas and Dobie were next to give hope to the Baggies faithful who made the long trip to West Yorkshire when the Welsh international fed the ball to Dobie. The former Carlisle striker attempted to lift the ball over the keeper who had rushed off his line, but Combe managed to get enough contact as he hit theground. The danger was not over though as Paul Heckingbottom was called upon to clear the ball once and for all.

Bradford attacked next and Gray turned quickly to fire a shot towards goal from 20 yards which had Hoult racing across his line but the well struck effort went wide of the post to the relief of Hoult.

Gilchrist was called upon to make another last ditch tackle minutes later as the Bantams went on the attack yet again as the Baggies were stretched across the back. Tom Kearney almost found an unmarked Windass prowling near the back post but the ball was put behind for a corner. The flag kick almost paid dividends for the home side as the ball fell for Farrelly on the edge of the box and he let fly with a wonderful first time strike which looked to be heading for the back of the net. Luckily for the Baggies Koumas was on call to make a timely goal line clearance and deny the hard working Farrelly his moment of glory.

The Albion had been playing their usual 3-5-2 formation but Artim Sakiri's arrival on the field for Gilchrist saw them revert to a 4-4-2 formation in order to cope with the Bantams. Darren 'Big Dave' Moore went down with a touch of cramp on 75 minutes but to his credit he managed to run off the pain and almost broke his former employers hearts when he headed over from close range. The cramp had signalled the end of his involvement in the game and the much loved defender received a standing ovation from all sides of the ground as he made his way off the field.

Dobie was a hairs breadth away from opening the scoring moments later when he headed Sakiri's near post cross but Combe needed two attempts to deny him as stand in Captain Andy Johnson was rushing in for the loose ball. Again Dobie was involved seconds later as he combined with Koumas in a neat one - two move which saw the Welsh midfileders shot lack enough pace to trouble the Bradford keeper.

Albion were going all out in their efforts to find the back of the net and in the 89th minute their persistence paid dividends when Sakiri crossed and Dobie out jumped everyone to plant a firm downwards header firmly in the back of the Bantams net to grab all three points and consign Bryan Robson's side to their second successive defeat under his management.

Man of the Match went to Paul Robinson

TEAMS
Bradford City

Combe, Francis, Atherton, Gavin, Heckingbottom, Summerbee, Kearney, Farrelly, Branch, Gray, Windass,

Subs
Paston, Bower, Evans, Emanuel, Muirhead

West Bromwich Albion
Hoult, Gaardsoe, Moore, Gilchrist, Haas, Koumas, O'Connor, Johnson, Robinson, Hulse, Dobie

Subs
Murphy, Clement, Sakiri, Hughes, Volmer