Match Report 2001-2002

Saturday 1 December, 2001, Division One

Millwall At Valley Parade

Something like El Alamo

Millwall completed a double over City with an injury time snatched 2-1 win that was more a case of a game City lost than one the away side won.

Millwall were not good, City were probably worse. Certainly the visitors could rely on the excuse of being away and playing on the break as to why they provided very little in the way of football in what purported to be a football game.

City had no excuse. Indeed can offer nothing much to justify such an awful, lifeless and listless display. The first half fell as flat as many thought possible, City barely mustering an assault on the Millwall goal that was guarded by the division's standard "big fellas at the back". Matthew Etherington got a little down his flank, Eoin Jess nothing on the right.

Jim Jefferies would later accuse City of standing around waiting for things to happen, certainly Andy Myers stood around waiting for a marker to pick up octogenarian Steve Claridge when the striker headed home from six yards. Andy Myers: When his is good he keeps Thierry Henry in his pocket, when he is bad he is a liability, a left back looking for a left central defender to pick up whoever goes inside him, leaving gaps that canny foxes like Claridge can get down.

Second half and as Millwall sat back City took over the ball and the game, camping out in the visitor's half an enjoying almost total domination of possession to very little effect. This was El Alamo if the Mexican's had forgotten to bring any guns. Andy Tod was nullified against a back line that matched him in height and Robbie Blake struggled to get into the game.

Juanjo, when he came on for Tod, also had troubles breaking down the back line after Jim Jefferies had opted for low balls around the back not high ones that were getting gobbled up by the Lion's centrebacks. A quick check on the Coventry goal scorers on WAP revealed that Lee Mills had scored his second in two for the Sky Blue. He would cost £350,000 or alternatively he was available on loan but nevertheless City went for the defender up front approach of Andy Tod and Mills went on to score for a rival.

Someone found a rifle and took a pot shot at the cabin, Robbie Blake to be exact, who got on a long ball that had in the past 90 minutes failed darted forward and finished with a drive off the post.

A volley of shot rang from the cabin, Dyche lobbed over a stranded Aidan Davison after a corner and Millwall took the points.

All of which could be put down to a bad day at the office, or canyon, for City but these bad days are happening more often and one gets the feeling that a tide of averageness has swept over Valley Parade. The club will win enough to stay up, but not enough to challenge for the play off in any serious way.

There is talk brewing. Some saying that Geoffrey Richmond needs to back his club with funds, that if there is a problem in the boardroom that prevents Richmond from funding the Bantams more then it needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later.

Me, I think that the problem with City at the moment is that when we are at full strength we are good, but when we put out a team of replacements: Tod for Ward, Myers for Wetherall, Davison for Walsh, Blake for Carbone etc, then we look like any other team in the division, and as such can be beaten by them.

Man of the Match

Wayne Jacobs

Excellent display.

City Team:

Davison
Halle Molenaar Myers Jacobs
Jess McCall Locke Etherington
Tod Blake

Subs: Juanjo for Tod, Makel for Locke.