MATCH REPORT | Swindon Town 0-1 Bradford City

Swindon travelled to Bradford hoping to bounce back following their first loss of the season to Notts County.

Swindon would be without their top goalscorer Jake Young who could not face his parent club. 

Bradford came into the game off back-to-back losses and would be hoping to turn a poor run of form around. 

First Half

Michael Flynn named a very attacking side leaving no attackers on the bench. The away side wanted to make an early statement, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy worked the ball into the box and squared it to Charlie Austin, the striker's shot was completely miss-hit and went wide. 

The opening exchanges had seen Swindon controlling the game, Bradford had their first chance of the game when Jamie Walker caught out the Swindon defence by stealing the ball and playing it out wide to Bobby Pointon, but the winger's shot was easily chased down. 

Another mix-up at the back once again saw the ball being picked up by Walker but this time he shot and forced Murphy Mahoney into a save. The hosts had gotten a grip on the game and some poor Swindon defending kept inviting chances. 

Bradford had a big chance to take the lead in the 20th minute. A Bradford corner was half cleared out to Pointon who launched the ball back in towards Andy Cook and the striker's header flashed just wide of the post.

Swindon were seeing plenty of possession but couldn’t create the chances they needed. George McEachran and Hepburn-Murphy would interchange the ball before McEachran would shoot from outside the Bradford area, but it didn’t trouble Harry Lewis in the Bradford goal. 

As the game approached half-time Pointon broke through on goal but would be denied by Tyrese Shade who had powered back to clean up the danger. 

Swindon's first half had not been anywhere near impressive enough for Hepburn-Murphy to attempt a chip from 40 yards out and unsurprisingly the effort was not even close.

The first half would come to a close, neither side had staked a claim on the game and neither looked like scoring.

Second Half

Dan Kemp had a very quiet first half but got himself involved early on in the second half, his cross found Austin who again miss-hit his shot and the ball went well wide. Town would once again threaten the Bradford defence, this time with Shade whose effort cleared Lewis but just snuck wide of the post. 

Bradford's first chance of the half came with a scramble in the box, a shot from distance from Alex Gillihead saw Mahoney make a great save but could only push the ball to Walker who hit the ball into Pointon from close range and the ball looped into the net. Making it 1-0 to Bradford.

The hosts nearly doubled their lead immediately following the goal, with Cook hitting the post before Adam Wilson missed the follow-up. The spell of Bradford chances kept coming with Richard Smallwood trying his luck from a distance after spotting Mahoney off of his line but the ball flew miles wide.

Wilson was everywhere in the second half and found some space on the edge of the Swindon box before firing an effort that looked destined for the top corner, but Mahoney was able to palm it wide. 

Swindon had been out of it in the second half but had a brilliant chance to equalise in the 68th minute. Remeao Hutton delivered an exemplary cross that found Hepburn-Murphy completely alone in the box but the forward could only get light contact on the ball and Lewis was able to save. 

That chance had awoken Swindon and another chance followed once again, a corner was cleared only as far as McEachran who crossed the ball back in finding Hepburn-Murphy whose headed effort forced Lewis to tip the ball over the bar.  

Swindon were beginning to look leggy with just 15 minutes remaining and with the only attacking option being 16-year-old Miles Obodo, the chance of an equaliser was slipping away. 

Michael Flynn would turn to the youngster with 13 minutes to go replacing Saido Khan as Swindon threw everything at getting that vital goal. 

Shade charged into the Bradford box and went down to light appeals from Swindon, but the referee was not interested and it would have been very soft anyway.

Swindon had not created enough in the second half to challenge the Bradford goal and the hosts had simply controlled the game following their goal which would be the winner and the game would end with Swindon suffering a second successive defeat. 

Summary:

Swindon didn’t look in control at any point in the game, the loss to Notts County clearly affected the team who just didn’t look at it today. 

The lack of depth especially in attack really told. There was no sustained threat on the Bradford goal, and a 16-year-old on the bench wasn't going to stop Bradford who completely shut out the Swindon attack from the beginning to the end.