Harrogate Town 2 Bradford City 1: Early goals earn Sulphurites yet another derby win

Stephen Dooley celebrates after firing Harrogate Town into an early lead against Bradford City. Pictures: Matt KirkhamStephen Dooley celebrates after firing Harrogate Town into an early lead against Bradford City. Pictures: Matt Kirkham
Stephen Dooley celebrates after firing Harrogate Town into an early lead against Bradford City. Pictures: Matt Kirkham
Harrogate Town did the business on derby day once again, beating Bradford City 2-1 at Wetherby Road courtesy of a couple of early goals.

The Sulphurites, who sank Yorkshire rivals Doncaster Rovers earlier this month in their previous League Two outing on home soil, recorded a seventh victory over the Bantams in 10 competitive matches thanks to strikes from Stephen Dooley and Ellis Taylor.

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That result means that Simon Weaver’s men have now won 11, drawn two and lost two of their competitive meetings with Bradford and Doncaster since they were promoted to the Football League in the summer of 2020.

Perhaps more importantly, it saw them bounce back from last weekend’s comprehensive defeat at Crewe Alexandra and lifted them into the top half of the table.

Toby Sims, left, and Stephen Dooley combined to give Harrogate Town an early lead during Saturday's Yorkshire derby clash with Bradford City.Toby Sims, left, and Stephen Dooley combined to give Harrogate Town an early lead during Saturday's Yorkshire derby clash with Bradford City.
Toby Sims, left, and Stephen Dooley combined to give Harrogate Town an early lead during Saturday's Yorkshire derby clash with Bradford City.

Harrogate settled the quicker of the sides and, as their manager has been so desperate for them to do in recent weeks, began the game very much on the front foot.

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An under-hit back-pass by visiting centre-half Cheick Diabate presented Jack Muldoon with an early chance, though he was denied from a tight angle by Sam Walker.

The resulting corner led to Town defender Liam Gibson forcing another decent stop out of Walker, but the Sulphurites did not have to wait too much longer for the breakthrough.

They were rewarded for their positive start in the 11th minute when Gibson switched the play from left to right, where Taylor’s intelligent cut-back picked out Toby Sims, marauding forwards from defence.

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Sulphurites striker Jack Muldoon looks for a way through the Bradford City defence.Sulphurites striker Jack Muldoon looks for a way through the Bradford City defence.
Sulphurites striker Jack Muldoon looks for a way through the Bradford City defence.

The Harrogate right-back undoubtedly scuffed his low centre towards the six-yard-box, but Dooley didn’t care, slamming the ball inside Walker’s near post.

Town kept coming, Taylor blazing high and wide from distance when he could have slipped the overlapping Dean Cornelius clean through on goal.

At the other end, Andy Cook took aim from outside the box as City eventually engineered a decent attacking opportunity, though his low strike was easily held by James Belshaw.

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The hosts then doubled their lead on 22 minutes courtesy of some sick football down their left.

James Daly embarrassed Brad Halliday, beating him for pace before passing inside to Taylor, whose first touch teed him up nicely to stroke a cool finish across Walker and into the bottom corner.

Very little was going right for Bradford, though they were handed a lifeline just before the half-hour mark when Anthony O’Connor made the most uncharacteristic of mistakes.

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The experienced centre-half attempted to dribble past Cook and was dispossessed inside his own half by City’s number nine, who raced clear before slotting past the advancing James Belshaw.

Town initially responded well to that blow, Dooley seeing a shot blocked at point-blank range by Halliday, but, buoyed by their goal, the Bantams suddenly looked the better team.

Cook headed over from a dangerous cross from the left, however that was about as good as it got for Graham Alexander’s side, with Harrogate managing to wrestle the ascendancy back as the interval approached.

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Bradford’s manager made a trio of substitutions at the interval, though they initially failed to make much of an impact, with the opening stages of the second period littered with fouls.

A scrappy period of play was only really punctuated by Town too often resorting to hopeful long balls forward, in stark contrast to the way they had begun the contest.

Thus, the Bantams were able to enjoy plenty of possession and build some promising attacks without really managing to fully open up their hosts.

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Jay Benn’s inviting cross from the right did eventually provide Calum Kavanagh with the chance to draw City level, though a deflection diverted his close-range effort wide of the upright.

The latter stages saw Bradford continue to ask questions of the home defence, but Weaver’s troops managed to see the game out with their slender advantage in tact.

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