Sometimes, following a football team makes you question your life choices. Travelling for a game which had nothing riding on it for either team, in a competition that no-one cares about and which is sponsored by a company with a total of one UK branch at present, is undoubtedly one of those occasions. Yet hundreds of York fans nevertheless braved the cold for a midweek trip to Bradford to witness a forgettable Jersey Mike's Trophy campaign reach its end. A ragtag bunch of fringe players and youth prospects put in a respectable display for City, but were punished by some ruthless finishing from Bradford's experienced front line.
The line-up selected by Scott Lindsey was most notable for a debut handed to young centre-back Lewis Beadle, and a return to action for Dipo Akinyemi up front. The first half saw a contrast between York’s attacking play, which looked lively at times, and a clear vulnerability at the back. The latter was showcased when an uncertain clearance by George Sykes-Kenworthy led to a Bradford chance. Stephen Humphrys teed up young midfielder Kieran Morgan with a clever backheel, but Morgan’s outside-of-the-boot effort from the edge of the area struck the angle of post and bar. The Minstermen then hit the woodwork themselves when Beadle’s header from a corner was flicked onto the post by fellow youngster Ethan Stiver.
In the first half hour of the game, Lindsey’s team held their own and arguably created the better chances. On 20 minutes, Jovan Malcolm saw his low attempt saved by Bradford goalkeeper Zac Hadi, and Joe Grey's close-range shot from the rebound was deflected wide by defender Reece Welch. A few minutes later, an even better chance was squandered. Jeff King slid in to win the ball from Corey O’Keeffe, and Frankie Maguire sent an inviting cross to the far post where Akinyemi had peeled away from his marker, but Hadi was quick to react to Akinyemi’s header and parried it away. The Bradford keeper was making his debut for the club, but will have been familiar to some York players after turning out for Clitheroe against them in the FA Trophy last season.
Just after the half hour mark, Bradford punished York’s profligacy in front of goal and took the lead, with their impressive attacking trio of Will Swan, Antoni Sarcevic and Stephen Humphrys all involved. Swan floated a cross towards Humphrys at the far post, and Humphrys’ cutback was met by Sarcevic who slotted coolly past Sykes-Kenworthy. The home side were in the ascendancy for the remainder of the first period and went close to adding a second on a few occasions, most notably when Humphrys’ low effort was well saved by Sykes-Kenworthy.
The early stages of the second half saw both sides spurn decent chances. Humphrys continued to torment City's makeshift back line, but saw another effort thwarted by Sykes-Kenworthy, and Zech Medley got enough on Sarcevic’s header from the rebound to deflect it onto the bar. City had an excellent opportunity to equalise just a minute later when a counter-attack initiated by Maguire sent Malcolm clear, but Malcolm ignored the unmarked Akinyemi to his left and his shot was blocked by Hadi who had come out to narrow the angle.
Just after the hour mark, the home side added a scrappy second. Reece Welsh's cross from the right was met by the head of Humphrys, and a deflection off the unfortunate Beadle wrong-footed Sykes-Kenworthy who could only watch as the ball trickled past him into the net. That goal was the cue for both sides to begin making changes, and the strength of the substitutes perhaps reflected the gulf between the two squads: while York introduced youngsters Ben Farrar and Ollie Belleh, Bradford replaced Humphrys with Nick Powell, who recently spent a decade as a regular starter in the Championship.
Powell was involved when Bradford made it 3-0 in the 70th minute. O’Keeffe looked to have carried the ball out of play on the right flank, but no throw-in was given and he was able to slip the ball through to Powell, who then teed up up Swan for a simple finish past the onrushing Sykes-Kenworthy. Four minutes from time, Powell added a fourth goal himself, capitalising on a loose pass by King then receiving Morgan’s pass and tucking the ball inside the near post.
Lindsey was keen to take the positives from the game, stating in his post-match comments that he felt the 4-0 scoreline flattered Bradford. While it's true that York enjoyed a reasonable amount of possession and were able to create a few chances, particularly in the first half, the back line never looked comfortable dealing with the threats posed by Swan, Humphrys and Sarcevic in particular. The game was a useful opportunity for some of City's young prospects to experience first-team action at a football league ground, but few of the more senior players pressed strong claims for greater involvement in upcoming league fixtures. There are many pleasures which York fans have taken from returning to the EFL, but participation in the Jersey Mike's Trophy is fairly low down on that list, and this season’s experience in the competition will have done little to change that.
Great summing up, but a greater respect for the Jersey Mikes please!