Bradford City ended their winless streak in League Two with a commanding 3-1 victory over Newport County at Valley Parade.
Both sides had made minor adjustments to their line-ups. Bradford City, aiming to end a four-game winless streak, welcomed back Neill Byrne to the heart of their defence, with the centre-back replacing Lewis Richards. Manager Graham Alexander had largely kept faith with the side that drew with Morecambe the previous week, while new signing Corry Evans, who joined just a day earlier, was named on the bench.
Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim made one enforced change, with Ciaran Brennan stepping in for Matt Baker, who was away on international duty with Wales U21s. Club captain James Clarke also returned from injury, earning a place on the bench for the visitors.
The game began with Newport in their all-white away strip, slowly trying to find their rhythm. Bradford, meanwhile, made their intentions clear from the start, with Tyreik Wright looking particularly lively down the left. Wright’s crosses caused early problems for Newport, and by the 10th minute, Richard Smallwood had fired Bradford’s first real effort just over the bar from 35 yards out.
Bradford continued to press, and Newport’s defence had to work hard to contain their opponents. On the 18-minute mark, Andy Cook, Bradford’s talismanic striker, had his first opportunity. A looping cross from the right found Cook at the far post, but his header back across goal was comfortably saved by Newport’s Nick Townsend.
The visitors struggled to break free from Bradford’s relentless pressure, and tempers flared in the 23rd minute when Townsend was shown a yellow card for time-wasting. Newport’s best early chance fell to the towering Kyle Hudlin, who managed to stab an effort goalwards after some neat build-up play. However, Bradford’s defence was equal to it, deflecting the shot behind for a corner.
Bradford continued to look the more dangerous side, with Wright again involved in setting up Clarke Oduor in the 29th minute, but Newport’s backline stood firm. Moments later, Aaron Wildig came agonisingly close to putting the visitors ahead, but his shot from a tight angle missed the target after Bradford goalkeeper Sam Walker failed to collect a cross.
The breakthrough finally came in the 39th minute, and it was no surprise that Andy Cook was the man to deliver. Jamie Walker’s clever pass found Jay Benn down the right, and his pinpoint cross was met by Cook, who rose high to direct a looping header into the far corner. It was Cook’s sixth goal in four games against Newport, further cementing his reputation as a tormentor of the Welsh side.
The goal gave Bradford a deserved lead going into half-time, and they looked solid at the back, having kept Hudlin relatively quiet despite his imposing 6’9” frame.
Newport, however, started the second half with more urgency. Hudlin came close to equalising with a curling effort that narrowly missed the far post, while Bobby Kamwa had a header saved by Walker. The pressure from Newport paid off in the 65th minute when Hudlin levelled the scores. A cross from Kieron Evans found the giant striker unmarked, and he made no mistake, powering a header home from six yards out.
With the game finely poised at 1-1, Bradford manager Graham Alexander made a double substitution, introducing Tyler Smith and Bobby Pointon. The changes paid dividends almost immediately. In the 75th minute, Pointon cut the ball back to Jamie Walker, who fired home via a slight deflection to restore Bradford’s lead.
Newport, now chasing the game, continued to push for an equaliser, but Bradford held firm. In the 85th minute, the home side sealed the win with a third goal. Once again, Pointon was involved, getting on the end of a low cross from Benn and guiding the ball into the far corner to make it 3-1.
Bradford managed the closing stages well, with Newport unable to muster any further significant chances. Even a late substitution by Newport, bringing on Michael Spellman for Kamwa, couldn’t turn the tide, and Bradford saw out the game with relative ease.
The win sees Bradford climb to ninth in the League Two table, while Newport drop down to 10th. Mark Bower, former Bradford defender and BBC Radio Leeds commentator, praised Bradford’s performance, particularly singling out Jamie Walker for his influential display.
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