Latics hit the wall

Photo: Alan Howarth

HIGH RISE . . . striker Conor Wilkinson takes to the air.

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Bradford 2, Athletic 0

SHOULDERS slumped and heads stared into the freshly-ploughed field as Bradford asserted control to ease to a comfortable three points.

Even after two straight victories, Athletic couldn't find the extra spring to rise above the awful conditions after a promising first half in front of superb away support.

Bradford have pulled this trick on better sides than Dean Holden's this season. Jon Stead and James Hanson – as good a pairing as any in team in the division on form – did enough to wear down the visitors' defence.

And two-goal Billy Clarke popped up between the duo to prod home from a loosely-defended and needlessly conceded corner in the 71st minute, before rolling a second under the grasp of Joel Coleman from a Stead pass deep into added time.

There were flashpoints within the technical areas, with the importance of this duel not lost on either set of coaching staff.

Bradford were physically too strong and too sharp on the rutted, Sunday League surface.

Athletic pushed for an equaliser after Clarke's first goal but offered precious little. Conor Wilkinson, lively in the first half, faded into obscurity as he was hustled out of the game and Jonathan Forte was never consistently involved.

Even a set of substitutions which left Wilkinson, Forte, Dominic Poleon and young Devante Jacobs and Jordan Bove on the field together failed to spark a weary Athletic side into life.

After the derby win over Rochdale, this was a game too far.

Bradford, on the other hand, used some of their FA Cup fortune to fund a three-day trip to Portugal before this game. The extra freshness showed.

“We needed a change in scenery,” Bradford boss Phil Parkinson said afterwards. “We have had so many games, churning out performances and losing a bit of detail. I just felt it was the right thing to do,.”

Parkinson is too smart to fall for the same trick twice and while Athletic's diamond midfield caused mayhem in the previous meeting of the sides in late October, here the team shapes were like-for-like from the start.

It resulted in a first half that was nip-and-tuck, with Athletic's opening of promise – feeding the ball carefully and effectively through midfield towards Wilkinson, who prompted and probed – eventually giving way to a turgid aerial battle.

Athletic wasted probably their best chance of the game in the fourth minute. Carl Winchester found a pocket of space and Wilkinson had the room and time to angle a right-footed shot from 15 yards.

Instead, he turned on to his favoured left and sliced a couple of feet wide.

Joel Coleman, who found himself backed up by Paul Tyson on the bench with Jake Kean hurting his foot in the warm-up, looked comfortable enough dealing with a succession of looping crosses and had to back-pedal to push away a dipping 25-yard shot from Clarke.

The contest became bogged down in niggle and interminable bouts of head tennis - not Athletic's style of choice. But by half-time, Athletic were content enough with their lot.

Athletic changed their shape three times in the second half but offered very little in response.

The substitutions had little effect and Clarke wrapped up the game when fed by Stead, rolling a right-footed shot under the grasp of Coleman to lift the Bantams above Athletic in the table.