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Date Tuesday 25 September County made two changes for this game from the team that drew 3-3 against Grimsby. The injured Petri Helin was replaced by Richard Sneekes and Colin Woodthorpe was replaced at left-back by Jason Van Blerk. Bradford's main danger early on came from Beinto Carbone, who broke forward in just the fourth minutes, but Lee Jones was equal to the shot an aplmed int round the post. However, County took the lead against the run of play on 12 minutes. A long ball forward from Aaron Wilbraham went towards the corner of the area and as defender and goalkeeper dalied, Glynn Hurst (yes, Glynn Hurst!) lobbed the ball over the advancing 'keeper for his first competitve goal for County. Ten minutes later Bradford boss Jim Jeffries made a double substitution with Locke and Jacobs replaced with Lawrence and Makel. This almost had immediate effect with Carbone breaking forward, but the County defence snuff it out. Indeed, Hurst could have made it 2-0 after a one-two with Neill Hardy, but he forgot where the goal was and placed the ball in to the advertising boards. There was only one man who was ever going to score for Bradford and he did on 41 minutes. Eion Jess got in through a yawning gap in the defence, and laid it across the six-yard-box where Carbone slotted home. Bradford could have been leading before half-time but for a godd save from Jones and a terrible miss from Blake, almost putting the ball in to orbit from 12 yards. County had to make a change at half-time with Scott Taylor replacing Neill Hardy, and incredibly Taylor scored within six minutes. Taylor picked up the ball in his left-sided position, cut infield and side-footed the ball in from the edge of the area, with Walsh seemingly wrong-footed. County then made it three just two minutes later. Richard Sneekes shwoed a touch of real class by picking up the ball in midfield and spotting Glynn Hurst's run. The ball sat up nicely for Hurst, who in a copy of his first goal again lifted the ball over Walsh in to the net. County's defensive frailties cropped up again at a set-piece in the 61st minute. At least two players were left unmarked as the free-kcik came in and one of them, Andy Myers headed the ball home. County then had the ideal chance to put the game beyond doubt ten minutes later. Stuart McCall's handball could be seem 100 yards away in the upper tier of the away stand (i.e. it was blatant) and Glynn Hurst over-ruled Leo Roget to take the penalty. However, he blasted it straight down the middle and it was stopped by the legs of Walsh. Roget then made his feelings clear when as County waited during an injury break he looked by preturbed at Hurst's miss and taking of the duties. However, this was all forgotten in the 83rd minute when Taylor notched his second goal. He chased out to the touchline to dispossess David Wetherall, and then got through on gaol, andclamly drew the 'keeper and placed it past his to seal the points for County. This was undoubtedly County's best performance of the season and their forward line looked very threatening, escpecially in the second half. Bradford City: (3-5-2) Walsh; Myers, Wetherall, Halle; Jacobs (Lawrence), Locke (Makel), McCall, Whalley, Jess; Blake, Carbone. Not used: Davison, Jorgensen, Bower. County: (4-3-3) Jones 8; Gibb 7 (Woodthorpe 7), Roget 6, Flynn 7, Van Blerk 7; Sneekes 7, Smith 7, Fradin 7; Hurst 8, Hardy 7 (Taylor 9), Wilbraham 8. Not used: Wiss, Turner, Clare.
ATTENDANCE: 12,940 Date Saturday 29 September Scott Taylor was rewarded for his two midweek goals with a starting berth, in for Neill Hardy. Pegguy Arphexad made his on-loan debut in goal and Shefki Kuqi made a remarkable comeback to the sid eby taking his place on the bench. The game had a controversial beginning with an Aaron Wilbraham header from Richard Sneekes' free-kcik being disallowed for offside, with subsequent TV replays being "unclear", anyway Alby did well to get a free header in the box. However, not long after this County were behind. Jason Van Blerk's header fell to Richard Sneekes nidway inside the County half, his back-pass bisected Leo Roget and Arphexad, Jack Lester nipped in and then finished from a tight angle. Within ten minutes County fell two behind as the former Grimsby man punished more careless County defending. David Prutton and Chris Bart-Williams set up the chance for Lester just outside the box, and Mike Flynn inexcuseably turned his back on the ball. This meant that Lester had time to measure the shot in to the top corner, out of Arphexad's reach. Both sides still had more chances in what was an open first half, although Alby seemed isolated up front as Scotty Taylor and Glynn Hurst seemed reluctant to push up their wings. Ironically, County's best chance of the half came to Hurst after good work by Wilbraham, but he placed his shot straight at the 'keeper. Wilbraham then took too long over a shot after being set free by Sneekes, allowing a defender to whip it off his toes. Stern John commited an incredible miss five minutes from half-time, heading over from less than three yards when the offside flag was NOT up. Just before half-time Pegguy Arphexad showed his Premiership class with a great stop from Canadian full-back Jim Brennan, who had broken round the back of the defence. Arphexad raced off his line to narrow the angle, and then firmly blocked the shot. County required an early goal in the second ahlf and gpot exactly that after just two minutes. Forest 'keeper Darren Ward probably didn't have to tip round Scotty Taylor's shot, but County fans were thankful that he did when Mike Flynn rose highest to meet the corner, the ball had clearly crossed the line before a defender hacked it away. County had to follow this goal up with more shots on the Forest goal and Shefki Kuqi (half-time substitute) almost did this, but his free kick went over. Forest always looked dangerous on the counter attack and Stern John's control let him down in the six-yard-box when a first time shot would have been better. County were unlucky not to equalised when Wilbraham headed Flynny's long throw on to the top of the Forest bar. Lester had only a bad finish to blame when he missed a great chance for a hat-trick, and Alby should have done better when he got goal side of Christian Edwards chasing a long ball, but failed to make contact with his attepted shot, he did make contact with the ground in a show of his disappointment, which summed up County's day. Nottingham Forest: (4-4-2) Ward; Louis-Jean (Edwards), Hjelde, Scimeca, Brennan; Prutton, Bart-Williams, Jenas, Williams (Gray); Lester, John (Johnson). Not used: Roche, Reid. County: (4-5-1) Arphexad 7; Gibb 7, Roget 6, Flynn 6, Van Blerk 6 (Woodthorpe 6); Hurst 6, Smith 7 (Wiss 6), Fradin 7, Sneekes 6 (Kuqi 6), Taylor 7; Wilbraham 6. Not used: Turner, Hardy.
ATTENDANCE: 17,584
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