City earned a credible 0-0 draw in a game that felt like it followed a pattern from previous League One encounters.
In the first third-tier meeting since that tragic day in 1985, neither side quite did enough to win, but both climbed further into the League One play-off places. As in the last four matches, City’s best chance came inside five minutes, but a failure to capitalise saw us fighting later in the game.
The Imps made a couple of changes from the side that lost at Leyton Orient, with James Collins replacing Freddie Draper. Justin Obikwu got his first start for the Imps, with Reeco Hackett missing out with an injury. Ryley Towler dropped to the bench, with Adam Reach fit once again after he missed the trip to East London.
As in recent weeks, City started brightly and should have led in the first few minutes. Collins found himself with a free hit in the area. The move was started by a ball into the channel for Obikwu, who laid it back for Reach. His delivery was perfect, but from eight yards, Collins swept it over the bar.
City controlled the early stages, and not long after, Rob Street also fired over. His chance wasn’t quite on a par with Collins’, but it almost completed the set from Saturday for players firing over. It only left Obikwu.
So, it stood to reason that the Trinidad international would be next. His effort certainly wasn’t as clear-cut, coming in from the left channel, but perhaps his decision to shoot was the wrong one, with Collins in a good position in the middle.
City continued to dominate possession, limiting the home side to a few patchy spells. Obikwu popped up in the middle next, with a languid movement that looked as if he’d lost the ball, only for it to end up at the feet of Tom Bayliss. Cue the former Shrewsbury man also lifting the ball over the bar, continuing a running theme.
Not to be outdone, Reach was next to try to clear the stand. Obikwu popped up on the right-hand side, fighting to keep the ball in. City’s dogged determination continued as the ball squirmed out to Reach, who also fired over from range. I’ll get tired of writing the word ‘over’ very soon.
On 26 minutes, it was the hosts’ turn to get involved. Hesitation between McGrandles and Bradley saw Will Swann get a glimpse of goal, but he was too wide on the right and fired across the goal. Three minutes later they came again as their spell in the sun intensified. This time, youngster Jensen Metcalfe picked up a loose ball after a spell of head tennis, but his curling effort went just wide of Wickens’ post. It was a warning sign for City.
Metcalfe picked up the game’s first booking for simulation just after, a harsh decision by the referee. It may not have been a foul, but replays suggest minimal contact between him and McGrandles.
As we closed in on half-time, there was another flurry of half-chances. Max Power was up first, finding space in the area but shanking his volley. His frustration was evident as he yelled across at a teammate immediately afterwards. Nobody to blame but yourself, Max.
Finally, 42 minutes into the game, we got the game’s first shot on target. Tom Hamer, who had opted against taking a handful of throws and taken a couple short, launched one into the area, and it dropped for Reach on the edge of the area. His strike wasn’t venomous, but it did test Sam Walker.
Bradford made a change at the break, bringing on veteran striker Andy Cook, who scored against the Imps for Grimsby in a Boxing Day massacre back in 2012. It did little to pep the game up in the early exchanges as chances were limited.
City could have gone ahead on 58 minutes, when another impeccable Reach delivery was nodded down by Street. Obikwu’s effort was deflected wide, but it was a taste for the Imps. Not long after, Street was replaced by Ryley Towler in an effort to get Reach a little further forward.
Bradford came next after Darikwa was sold short by Wickens with a pass, leading to a free kick. Metcalfe, a real bright spark for the home side, weaved into the area but could only find the side netting.
The game began to feel tense, and the referee’s whistle punctuated several passages of sloppy play after the hour. Antoni Sarcevic, the scorer for Bolton back in 2021 when they beat us at the Bank, tried to dig out an effort, but it was tame and Wickens was equal to it.
There was a poignant moment on 56 minutes, with a 60-second round of applause to remember the victims of the 1985 tragedy. Impeccably observed by both sets of supporters, it was a moment of shared reflection that will always be something that binds these two clubs together.
Back on the pitch, the pendulum swung back into our favour, and Collins had two chances within moments of each other. One was acrobatic, which led to a recycled cross from Darikwa, and the former Luton man tried another spectacular volley, only for it to fly high into the night sky.
City began to push forward and created two chances in a minute. House, coming in from the left, played a lovely one-two with Obikwu before firing straight at Walker, and before the replay had finished, we were back in the area. This time, Collins had a long-range effort that, once again, the keeper was equal to.
The game wasn’t frantic, but it felt poised on a knife-edge. Played in the spirit you’d hope, given the relationship between the two sides, it was competitive, but never threatened to boil over and cause referee Elliot Bell a problem.
A raft of subs on 71 minutes looked to swing the game. Collins came off for Freddie Draper, while Bradford brought on Brad Halliday, Tyriek Wright and Tommy Leigh, a one-time rumoured Imps target. Wright looked to be an immediate threat on the left, lifting a ball across goal to Joe Wright, who was inches from tapping into an empty net.
With a big home crowd on their back, Bradford looked to get the winner. With Halliday looking good on the right, balls started coming into the box, and Towler, Hamer and Bradley all had to get in crucial blocks and tackles.
Our attacking threat began to dwindle as Obikwu tired. Frankie Okoronkwo came on and was involved as a Reach free kick found its way to him, but he could only head tamely into the keeper’s arms.
In the final minute, the best chance of the game fell to the Bantams. A brilliant ball from Cook found Tyreik Wright, who smashed a strike goalward, which Wickens saved. The header out only went as far as Leigh, who rifled his shot over from a great position. Maybe we should have signed him after all!
The final surge of momentum was with the home side, who could have snatched three points at the death. A centre from Kelly drew the sort of header Cook has thrived on all his career, but Wickens was equal to it, tipping over. A late flurry of corners didn’t present a chance for the Bantams, and the points were shared.
The final whistle saw furious scenes between Max Power and Brad Halliday, with the former screaming at the latter following a late incursion into the box. It didn’t change the scoreline, though, and City move up to fifth, going above AFC Wimbledon on goal difference. The home side move up two places, leapfrogging Cardiff and Stevenage to sit behind new leaders Stockport County.
I will be doing my usual analysis as well – I’m toying with the idea of doing a ‘proper’ report and then analysis in another article. Let me know what you think!