Home League Record Comes To A South End.

For the 5th time this season City have delivered a first home league loss, and more impressively, a consecutive 3rd home unbeaten (in the league) record broken in the months of November and December.
I really hope there aren’t many Bantams with heart conditions at the moment, last weekend we threw away a 2 goal lead in a game where 4 goals were scored in a space of about 5 minutes only for us to give up the lead in the 2nd half through an ex City striker and then score the winner only a few minutes later.

Was it any better for those of a nervous disposition?
Southend United, as we are fast approaching Christmas day, were the only team unbeaten on home soil in the league from 10 games, City have had a mixed season, struggled and scraped wins, some of which some opposition felt a bit unjust with, we struggle against bottom teams, then we go and beat some of the best teams in the division on their own turf, in fact in the 3rd division, City have got the best away record, but I will point out, pre kick off we were level with Blackburn who at the time had a better goal difference but had played a game more, now we are top of the away table standings, 3 points more than Blackburn and 4 more than Wigan who have played a game less.


So Southend, 5 wins and 5 draws from 10 league games at home taking on a team whose most recent travels includes wins at 2 high flying unbeaten (at home in the league) clubs in both Wigan and Shrewsbury, will the Bantam lighting strike 3 times in a row? Yes!
It only took 9 minutes ex Southend United youth player, Dominic Poleon to knock in his 6th goal of the season from a Nicky Law assist. I never know if it is good to get an early goal or not as sometimes the losing side take on the mentality of an injured animal, but it just meant for another hour and half I had my heart in my mouth as it would just need a rebound, a lapse in concetration, a bad play and that lead is gone. Well it was no surprise when Southend did finally find that equaliser through Stephen McLaughlin on 75 minutes from the left of the 6 yard box from a Nile Ranger assist as the Shrimpers had a bit more of the play throughout the entire game, just edging their opponents in the possession stats. With 20 minutes of the game left, the clock ticking down, from looking at 3 points, how the stats were becoming more in favour of the South coast club, I was just hoping we could walk away with a point.

City never make it easy on themselves, never have done
As the game was drawing to an end it was looking like 2 points lost of the West Yorkshire side, but Ryan Leonard received his 2nd yellow of the game for a bad foul on Nicky Law which resulted in his first dismissal since April Fool’s day and a chance for Charlie Wyke to step up to the penalty spot. The pressure would have been immense, 1 kick the difference between a disappointing draw or a kick in the teeth for the Seasiders and a massive morale boosting victory for the Bantams. 1-2 to the Bantams and Wyke’s 11th of the season. Some news sites are incorrectly reporting the Shrimpers have now lost their unbeaten home record and suffered their first home loss of the season. Some may be aware Southend lost at home in the League cup
at the start of the season against Newport Co. You know who you are. Southend’s unbeaten home record in the league has now ended.

Result
Half Time Southend United 0-1 City
Poleon (9)
Full Time Southend 1-2 City
McLaughlin (75), Wyke (90, pen)


Card watch
Nat Knight-Percival (55) season total – 6 yellows
Dominic Poleon (75) season total – 1 yellow
Tony McMahon (90) season total – 6 yellows


Ref watch
Keith Stroud is a bit card keen this season, 7 yellows handed out at the weekend, 2 of which to the same player. Southend’s Josh Ryan and Nile Ranger were both shown the yellow for the first time this season just before half time, Ryan Leonard booked mid way in the 2nd half only for him to be booked for a 2nd time quarter of an hour later, and add to that the 3 City players. In total, Stroud has handed out 65 yellows and 5 reds in 13 games. That’s a red and 10 yellows in practically every 2 games. Stroud’s first game of the season he handed out 8 yellows and 2 reds, Peterborough home to Bradford City. Let’s hope he doesn’t officiate one of our games when one of our players are a card away from a suspension.


Attendance
6097


Line ups
Southend United 4-4-2
Mark Oxley, Ben Coker, Michael Turner, Jason Demetriou, John White, Michael Timlin (69 Jermaine McGlashan), Stephen McLaughlin, Ryan Leonard, Josh Wright, Anthony Wordsworth (63 Marc-Antoine Fortune), Nile Ranger (86 Amadou Ba)

Bradford City 4-4-2
Rouven Sattelmaier, Matt Kilgallon, Nat Knight-Percival (59 Adam Thompson), Tony McMahon, Tyrell Robinson, Romain Vincelot, Nicky Law, Paul Taylor (46 Jake Reeves), Alex Gillead, Charlie Wyke, Dominic Poleon (77 Shay McCartan)
Unused Subs – Lukas Raeder, Luke Hendrie, Thimothee Dieng, Patrick Omari


2017/18 City Scorers
11 – Charlie Wyke
6 – Dominic Poleon
5 – Alex Jones, Romain Vincelot
3 – Patrick Omari, Paul Taylor, Nathaniel Knight-Percival, Matt Kilgallon
2 – Tyrell Robinson
1 – Shay McCartan, Jacob Hanson, Tony McMahon, Adam Thompson, Alex Gillead
1 – Own goals, Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town)


Upcoming fixtures
AFC Wimbledon (A) Sat 23rd Dec
Peterborough United (H) Tues 26th Dec
Oxford United (H) Sat 30th Dec
Fleetwood Town (A) Mon 1st Jan
Yeovil Town (A) Sat 6th Jan