A massively improved performance as Bradford City pick up a decent point at Bolton

Written by Lee Pasquariello

In a game that was truly a game of two halves, Bradford City left Bolton with a hard-fought point against an in-form Bolton Wanderers team who were chasing their ninth win in a row. After a poor and disjointed 45 minutes when City were fortunate to go to half time level, everything changed in the second half. What followed was a brilliant and dominant second half performance where they did everything right but score, leaving supporters wondering what could have been. 

The first half- fortunate to be level 

The first half was a tough watch for the 5000 travelling Bradford City Fans. Right from the start, we appeared heavy footed and rushed in all areas of the pitch, constantly giving the ball away in key areas. We didn’t have any real shots at all, and it felt like we were inviting pressure.  

Bolton to their credit took advantage of our nervousness, and in my view, they should have been ahead by at least three goals. It took a string of brilliant saves from goalkeeper Sam Walker to somehow keep the scores level. Bolton’s midfield three of Cozier-Duberry, Dempsey and Osei-Tutu looked dangerous at times because of their pace, and they will be key players for them to finish in at least the top 6. The only real chance for City in this half came from a corner right on the half time whistle, which showed that we were still in this contest. 

Whilst the attacking play was not good, the defensive line stood strong throughout the first half under massive pressure. Joe Wright is a prime example of this, putting his body on the line with some crucial blocks and tackles when Bolton looked dangerous and threatening. His awareness was key to making sure the score line stayed in-tact during this difficult first half. It was a massively improved performance from him overall, as I felt his performances dipped during our bad run of form in the last month or so. 

The second half- a statement of intent 

Whatever Graham Alexander said to the team at half time seemed to work. The second half’s performance was significantly improved, and the heavy touches were replaced by a renewed confidence in possession. The midfield, which had started to become overrun, was much more dominant, winning tackles and second balls, and linking play much more effectively. 

Half time changes were also made, bringing Metcalfe and Swan off who in my opinion struggled with Bolton’s pressure, for Humphrys and ex Bolton player and promotion winner Sarcevic, meaning that Bradford City could attack Bolton with more pace. The decision to start Metcalfe higher up in midfield in the first place was interesting though as he normally is next to Power, but it was the right decision to make a change because the midfield was being overrun, and it felt like it was a matter of time before we conceded.  

It was unfortunate to see Pennington go off soon after these changes, but it was good to see the return of Baldwin in the side, who is crucial to this team because of his range of passing. With these changes it was City who were asking the questions. The ball was moving quickly up the pitch, and the space was opening for us, meaning that more chances were created. They looked much more confident and were not scared to have a go.  

The best chance of the second half in my opinion came to Humphrys. He looked certain to score after a lovely move, but credit to the Bolton goalkeeper for making an unbelievable save to deny him at such a crucial point in the game. It’s no wonder why their goalkeeper was credited with man of the match, as he kept his side in the match in the second half with a few saves like this.

Tyreik Wright was another player who looked strong for Bradford City in the second half on the left side, showing his pace as a constant threat to Bolton’s defence and making some really good runs. Fair play to him, as for the last few weeks he’s looked like a much better & confident player when he plays further forward and he is looking more like the player that we first saw when he was on loan from Aston Villa back in 2022.

As it was approaching the end of the game, we could very nearly have nicked it. It was Lapslie who was involved, who interestingly came on in the 82^nd minute in an unfamiliar wingback role. The ball fell to him, but he couldn’t quite get much of a connection on the shot as the penalty area was so crowded, but on another day, he probably scored it.  Whilst it didn’t result in a winner, the run forward from a player in a deeper role was a good sight for the fans. 

In the second half I truly believe we did everything but score. There were chances from set pieces that went just wide, and quite a few moments of scrambling in the Bolton penalty area. It was a complete turnaround compared to the first half, and we looked like the confident team we were prior to the poor run of form we have shown. 

The verdict 

Overall, this result feels like a massive improvement. It was a great point against a top team, who I feel will finish in at least the playoffs this season. We emerged from a very tough first half and showed great character to come out and play strongly in the second to finish with a deserved draw.

This performance gives the team something to build on, and if we can manage to play with the same intensity as we did in the second half, next week against Exeter at home, I feel we will blow them away. It’s also crazy how we are still second at this stage of the season in our first year back in this league, it’s much better than anything I ever expected. If we can come through tough challenges like the first half and compete with top teams like Bolton, then surely, we are in for a good season.