Match Report 2002-2003 by Roland Harris
Tuesday 13 August, 2002, Division One
Crystal Palace away
A clip around the ear
There could be somthing in this idea that four months without pay has created the most togther Bradford City squad ever.
Peter Atherton has never been my favourite player, in fact to be honest most ofthe time I forget he even plays for the club, but he came in to replace the injured David Wetherall (Groan!), played the full ninty minutes and looked as committed as any man on the field.
Well not any man. Paul Evans plays like a man who's life depends on winning the ball in midfield. He dives in more than Stuart McCall and Tom Kearney, he does not want the ball, he needs it.
City do look like a better proposition that last years no heart Jim Jefferies side. Twice City have dug in deep to get results against two of the clubs who are favoured in this division. Twice the sum of City's efforts have been better than the parts.
Ashley Ward is a good example. I loathe the guy obvioulsy but two good games are two good games. Of course he doesn't score enough and neither does his partner Danny Cadamarteri, who spent more time up front and less on the left wing tonight, but both do their bit at the back and both can look at the other side of the scoreline as a big plus. Ward headed the ball off the line at one point which is sort of like scoring a goal, but isn't really.
Crystal Palace took the game to City and City did well. Peter Atherton cleared the ball of fthe line once, Gary Walsh made a great save froma deep header later on. City's contribution was another Paul Evans top corner free kick that was palmed away by a flying Matt Clarke. Yeah, that fella. He might be a not nice man but he is a damn fine goalkeeper.
City started to play onthe counter in the second half but in the second half of the second half started to push on. Andy Tod came on for Cadamarteri and got on the end of a surging Gus Uhlenbeek run and cut back with fifteen minutes to go. Tod stabbed home from a few yards out and for a while it looked like City would get all three points.
Tony Popovic rose from one of many Palace corners to level things up and that was how the game stayed. City happy with th draw again, Palace wondering how they managed to not score more. The answer to that question is the unpaid masses.
How strange that we slag off Ahsley Ward and Peter Atherton for getting £30k between them yet the best performances either have put in are when they are getting nothing.
Man of the Match
Peter Atherton
No David Wetherall? You forgot half way in.