Match Report 2001-2002

Saturday 27 October, 2001, Division One

Watford At Valley Parade

Jim makes it hard for himself

In the battle to save Jim Jefferies job it would be nice if, for once, it seemed like Jim Jefferies would help.

Agianst Crystal Palace a month ago when Jefferies excluded Benito Carbone on what would be his final appearance for City it seemed like the City manager was hell bent on making things harder for himself. When 3-0 and 4-1 up against Watford you had the same feeling.

Eoin Jess had notched his second to put City into a 3-0 lead that should have been secure. It took until that point for Luca Vialli to notice that City's three up front formation makes mince meat out of any 352 formation but is susceptible to 442. Enter Nordin Wooter, enter chaos on the flanks.

That City were 3-0 up in the first place was in the whole down to Jefferies reverting to the formation that saw us exit the Premiership with heads held high. Flat back four, two holding midfielders, two wind men, a support man and a centre forward.

Fve minutes in and the man slotting into the hole left by Benito Carbone, Matthew Etherington, arrived at the far post to get onto a Gunnar Haller cross and head in with his first contact at Valley Parade. Good work on the right thirty minutes later lead to a chance that Eoin Jess, arriving late David Platt style, snuffled up from twelve yards to make it 2-0. Second half and Jess's late arrival in the box trick once again paid dividends as he finished to make the game 3-0 and, we assumed, game over.

This was the display from Jess that justifies Jim Jefferies faith in him. He prompted from the centre of the field and supported the forward line. At 3-0 Etherington and Robbie Blake on the flanks should have pulled back more. When Vialli made the chance to 442, Jefferies should have done the same, closed the game down and cut off the openings in front of the full backs. He did not.

Wooter teased down the wing, twice flattering to deceive, third time working a cross that Heidar Helguson converted. The gaps were obvious, all that was required as a flattening of the forward line to put Etherington to protect Wayne Jacobs and Jess or Blake to protect Halle. This did not happen. Instead, for once, Jefferies got lucky.

After weeks of cursing goalkeepers playing out of their skins and teams having every shot they take go in a looped Etherington cross was headed back by Eoin Jess who bundled the ball towards goal only for a Watford defender to handle it into his own goal. 4-1 was too great a lead for Watford to pull back.

Not that they did not give it a go. Once again the gaps on the flanks were exposed and Tommy Smith scored. Two minutes later David Wetherall pulled back James Panayi in the box, although Panayi seemed to have as firmer grip on the City man as was had on him, and Smith scored the second from the spot.

Then Jim saw it.

On came Lee Makel to play on the right hand side and close the game with a 442. This should have been done at 3-0 or 4-1 and the remainder of the game should have been one long chorus of Jim Jefferies Bradford Army. It was not.

Injury time was torture, too much for one not so brave streaker who left his pants on as he torte up the left wing Peter Beagrie style before baring his buttocks Colin Hoyle style to the Watford fans. If Watford had got the equaliser this would have been a stupid situation to lose a job in. Instead Watford raised the white flag, Patrick Blondeau seeing a by this time knackered Etherington skip past him and scything him down. Second yellow that should have come earlier in the half. City win, and about time, although the question mark over Jim Jefferies remains.

The game should have been a triumph, not a nail biter, and would have been if JJ had make the switch to 442 twenty minutes earlier.

Man of the Match

Andy Tod

Perhaps should have been Eoin Jess but Tod's hold up and knock on display up front belied the lack of Ashley Ward and for that he deserves credit. Tod may be a carthorse, but he pulls a cart well and with enthusiam.

City Team:

Walsh
Halle Wetherall Molenaar Jacob
McCall Whalley
Blake Jess Etherington
Tod

Subs: Makel