Match Report 2002-2003
Saturday 28 December, 2002, Division One
Wolverhampton Wanderers away
Hungry again
Gray 1-2
Something has returned to the Bradford City squad that was missing during the long months of losing. City are hungry once more.
Three years ago when the Bantams came to Wolves needing a win for the Premiership the team was hungry for a shot at the big time. Now City's ambitions are more modestly set at survival in the division and with wins like this 2-1 victory at Wolves we should do it.
Coming on the back of the 4-2 home win against Stoke City recorded an away win after eight consecutive losses on the road. The win had all the hallmarks of the better things at Valley Parade. It was guts and it was character and significantly it was done with the same players who had been questioned during the losing run.
With Robert Molenaar and Jamie Lawrence out the likes of Michael Standing and Simon Francis, who while individually impressive have been in the bad City displays of late, stepped up and showe that they could perform as a part of a strong team. This was the antithesis of Wimbledon at home.
Wolves had the lion's share of the possession in the first half but failed to turn it into goals. Second half they started out looking to carry on battering City until fifty minutes when Mr Rehabilitation Andy Tod got up far stick to head back Lee Mills style to Claus Jorgensen who finished. The lead lasted a few minutes until Wolves abandoned the battering approach for a second to let George Ndah go on a solo run and welt the ball past Aidan Davison from an indecent distance.
Nevertheless City stayed firm. Law had tinkered with the formation on the field pushing Peter Atherton and Simon Francis around the pitch as he has a want to do these days. The result was the young defender storming down the right flank to pop a Peter Beagrie of a cross to Andy Gray six yards out. Gray tapped in.
A headscratcher of game then. Wolves carried on battering at City's defences but aside from Ndah's screamer and similar chances they never looked like getting through. Contrast that with City's tidy, almost clinically efficient use of the few chances we create and it is hard to feel sorry for Wolves or say that they deserved anything from the game. True they had the majority of the ball but this game is about making goals and Wolves, and for that matter Watford a few weeks back, did not make enough to deserve anything, even though Watford got a win.
Naturally the other teams at the bottom won but three wins in four gives City contact with the rest of the division and suggests that we might be able to get out of the relegation dog fight before it starts in earnest. Preston North End look like sinking fast, Sheffield Wednesday look poor, Stoke were easily beaten. There are enough teams in this league worse than City to mean we should be able to make this comfortable. A win on Wednesday away at Grimsby and we can breath a little easier going into the club's 100th year.
Man of the Match
Claus Jorgensen
So if he is not Nicky Law's type of player when who is?