Sheffield United 1-1 Bradford City (City Win 6-5 on Penalties)
Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Section Quarter Final
Tuesday 8th November 2011 - Bramall Lane - Attendance: 5692
So, after my constant bashing of this pointless worthless reserve team paint pot cup it's become a worthwhile money making possible Wembley trip lower league FA Cup!
The game got under way at Bramall Lane & with the Sky lights on bright there wasn't much to report from the opening moments of the game except some chances for Sheffield United, with many blown by Ched Evans (She said no Ched!).
City then began to turn on the style with Ross Hannah heading over following some great work by Jack Compton down the left hand side. Then some more work from Compton alongside Hannah saw a ball fly across for Craig Fagan to head in but Steve Simonsen got his gloves on the ball to turn it over.
Some more Sheffield United pressure following this saw the deadlock broken. Matty Phillips, in his final game for the blunts before returning to Blackpool took the ball outside the area & struck the ball low & hard to the bottom right hand corner in which time Jon McLaughlin turned the ball onto the post, unfortunately for Jon it was the inside not the outside of the post.
Some end to end football followed so I decided to go get a hot dog, a decision I now regret.
After purchasing the food & drowning it in Ketchup there was a roar from behind me, I rushed back to my seat (leaving Ellis behind in the process) to see that City had equalised. I had to wait for the half time highlights on the screen to find out what our goal looks like but now I know! Flynn got the ball & took the ball around a Sheffield defender, Compton ran to the wing taking a defender with him to give Flynn the opportunity to shoot from distance which he took with the ball flying past Simonsen to bring the scores level going into the half time break.
Not much to report from half time so directly into the second half.
Craig Fagan blazed over a golden chance to put the Bantams into the lead early on for the Bantams with Compton, Mitchell, Rambo & all the rest of the lads putting some of the best shifts of the season into trying to take the lead but for every attack we had they produced a counter attack & the defence were as much on the ball as the attack.
This continued through all of the second half with Devitt producing two oh so near chances until James Hanson was thrown on for Compton. From this point on until Full Time hoofball was the order with everything going in the air to Hanson. But after a last ditch goal-line clearance on the full time whistle, penalties was on the cards again for us in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
But before we go to the shootout I must point out the disgusting actions of Sheffield United captain Michael Doyle. He stamped on Jamie Devitt with clear action to cause harm, possibly breaking the young lads leg. I hope the FA take severe action on this muppet! Let's make an example of him immediately!
So the Penalty Shootout:
Chris Porter - Saved by Jon McLaughlin. 0-0.
Michael Flynn - Saved by Steve Simonsen. Remains 0-0.
Neil Collins - Tucks it away 1-0 Sheffield United.
Craig Fagan - Bottom left corner, 1-1.
Matt Phillips - 2-1 Sheffield United.
Oh Ritchie you're so fine! - 2-2.
Matthew Lowton - 3-2 Sheffield United.
Jamie Devitt - Fires home, 3-3.
Michael Doyle - 4-3, precedes to Shush the City fans.
Marcel Seip - Cool under pressure, 4-4.
So to sudden death we go...
Harry Maguire - Save by Jon McLaughlin, 4-4.
Luke O' Brien - Agonisingly hits the post, 4-4.
Kevin McDonald - 5-4 Sheffield United.
Simon Ramsden - 5-5, we keep going!
Erik Tonne - Save by Jon McLaughlin! 5-5.
Chris Mitchell - Fires home for 6-5 City & the victory! Que Sera Sera & all that!
Bradford City Player Ratings:
Jon McLaughlin - 8 - This is why he should start over Duke! Shot stop after shot stop by the lad, then went on to be the hero of the penalty shootout.
Simon Ramsden - 8 - Bradford's Owen Hargreaves returned from a 9 month lay off with a Hargreaves-esque return. Returned written off & dubbed a waste of a wage to have one of the games of his career! Could mean we won't see much Moore! (Clever little influx!)
Marcel Seip - 8 - MOTM - One of many contenders but wins it for me! He played his heart & soul out getting a block if not attempting to on every ball what went in the box, also made lots of surging runs up the field & was helpful in attack.
Luke Oliver - 8 - What can this man do wrong this season? He's solid as a rock at the back & up in attack! Headers, blocks & clearances galore by the big man!
Luke O' Brien - 6 - Poor first half, mediocre second half. Only player I can't praise from the starting XI.
Chris Mitchell - 8 - Provided perfect cover for Rambo throughout the game, ran his heart out & like Compton provided some promising balls into the box.
Michael Flynn - 8 - Led by example once again. Did his job perfectly in the middle of the park & of course him tekaboo son moment to bring City level!
Ritchie Jones - 8 - Beautifully passed the ball around, he just seems to make everything click in midfield.
Jack Compton - 8 - Played some beautiful on the deck football with the rest of the lads, made promising runs down the wing & some fantastic crosses into Fagan & Hannah throughout.
Craig Fagan - 7 - Even though he had some guilt edge chances & ran his socks off. He was lacking his usual flair, that's why he gets a 7 instead of an 8. Also why did he use his head for the header in the first half? Forehead it & it's a goal!
Ross Hannah - 8 - Ran his socks off & got on the end of some promising balls from Compton before being subbed off for Devitt.
SUBS:
Jamie Devitt - 7 - Came on & had chances & created chances, looked promising & hope he gets a start on Saturday!
James Hanson - 5 - Came on, changed the on the ground ethic to hoofball & offered very little to the team I'm afraid.
So, Ten Categories chosen by Chapalar:
Was it worth the money? To watch yet another famous penalty shootout derby victory in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy... Of bloody course!
City MOTM - Marcel Seip - One of many contenders but wins it for me! He played his heart & soul out getting a block if not attempting to on every ball what went in the box, also made lots of surging runs up the field & was helpful in attack.
Sheffield United MOTM - Matty Phillips - Good Goal & was the only Sheffield United player who caught my eye, beggers belief why he isn't in the Blackpool XI!
Quote of the Match - "On the plus side, this hot dog is delicious!" - Me on missing Flynn's goal!
Goal of the Match - Michael Flynn my Lord! Took out a defender, waited for Compton to take another one out with a clever dummy before smashing home a 25 yarder to bring the Bantams level!
Moment of the Match - The Bradford fans reaction when Chris Mitchell scored the winning penalty! As master card would say... Priceless!
Fan of the Match - The overenthusiastic City fan who didn't care he'd got a hole in his arm from falling onto the steps because we'd won on penalties!
Chant of the Match - "She said no Ched! She said no!" - Ched Evans at the receiving end of some not so friendly banter about the rape allegations made against him.
FB Status of the Match - Penalties.... May god have mercy on us all!!!!!!!
Referee Watch - Mark Haywood - Seemed to give everything to Sheffield United, but for once the fans & lads didn't succumb to a dodgy referee & we went on to prevail victorious!
And finally...
FATWATCH - The little wannabe Rambo in the blue adidas jacket in the Sheffield United end.
Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Section Quarter Final
Tuesday 8th November 2011 - Bramall Lane - Attendance: 5692
So, after my constant bashing of this pointless worthless reserve team paint pot cup it's become a worthwhile money making possible Wembley trip lower league FA Cup!
The game got under way at Bramall Lane & with the Sky lights on bright there wasn't much to report from the opening moments of the game except some chances for Sheffield United, with many blown by Ched Evans (She said no Ched!).
City then began to turn on the style with Ross Hannah heading over following some great work by Jack Compton down the left hand side. Then some more work from Compton alongside Hannah saw a ball fly across for Craig Fagan to head in but Steve Simonsen got his gloves on the ball to turn it over.
Some more Sheffield United pressure following this saw the deadlock broken. Matty Phillips, in his final game for the blunts before returning to Blackpool took the ball outside the area & struck the ball low & hard to the bottom right hand corner in which time Jon McLaughlin turned the ball onto the post, unfortunately for Jon it was the inside not the outside of the post.
Some end to end football followed so I decided to go get a hot dog, a decision I now regret.
After purchasing the food & drowning it in Ketchup there was a roar from behind me, I rushed back to my seat (leaving Ellis behind in the process) to see that City had equalised. I had to wait for the half time highlights on the screen to find out what our goal looks like but now I know! Flynn got the ball & took the ball around a Sheffield defender, Compton ran to the wing taking a defender with him to give Flynn the opportunity to shoot from distance which he took with the ball flying past Simonsen to bring the scores level going into the half time break.
Not much to report from half time so directly into the second half.
Craig Fagan blazed over a golden chance to put the Bantams into the lead early on for the Bantams with Compton, Mitchell, Rambo & all the rest of the lads putting some of the best shifts of the season into trying to take the lead but for every attack we had they produced a counter attack & the defence were as much on the ball as the attack.
This continued through all of the second half with Devitt producing two oh so near chances until James Hanson was thrown on for Compton. From this point on until Full Time hoofball was the order with everything going in the air to Hanson. But after a last ditch goal-line clearance on the full time whistle, penalties was on the cards again for us in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
But before we go to the shootout I must point out the disgusting actions of Sheffield United captain Michael Doyle. He stamped on Jamie Devitt with clear action to cause harm, possibly breaking the young lads leg. I hope the FA take severe action on this muppet! Let's make an example of him immediately!
So the Penalty Shootout:
Chris Porter - Saved by Jon McLaughlin. 0-0.
Michael Flynn - Saved by Steve Simonsen. Remains 0-0.
Neil Collins - Tucks it away 1-0 Sheffield United.
Craig Fagan - Bottom left corner, 1-1.
Matt Phillips - 2-1 Sheffield United.
Oh Ritchie you're so fine! - 2-2.
Matthew Lowton - 3-2 Sheffield United.
Jamie Devitt - Fires home, 3-3.
Michael Doyle - 4-3, precedes to Shush the City fans.
Marcel Seip - Cool under pressure, 4-4.
So to sudden death we go...
Harry Maguire - Save by Jon McLaughlin, 4-4.
Luke O' Brien - Agonisingly hits the post, 4-4.
Kevin McDonald - 5-4 Sheffield United.
Simon Ramsden - 5-5, we keep going!
Erik Tonne - Save by Jon McLaughlin! 5-5.
Chris Mitchell - Fires home for 6-5 City & the victory! Que Sera Sera & all that!
Bradford City Player Ratings:
Jon McLaughlin - 8 - This is why he should start over Duke! Shot stop after shot stop by the lad, then went on to be the hero of the penalty shootout.
Simon Ramsden - 8 - Bradford's Owen Hargreaves returned from a 9 month lay off with a Hargreaves-esque return. Returned written off & dubbed a waste of a wage to have one of the games of his career! Could mean we won't see much Moore! (Clever little influx!)
Marcel Seip - 8 - MOTM - One of many contenders but wins it for me! He played his heart & soul out getting a block if not attempting to on every ball what went in the box, also made lots of surging runs up the field & was helpful in attack.
Luke Oliver - 8 - What can this man do wrong this season? He's solid as a rock at the back & up in attack! Headers, blocks & clearances galore by the big man!
Luke O' Brien - 6 - Poor first half, mediocre second half. Only player I can't praise from the starting XI.
Chris Mitchell - 8 - Provided perfect cover for Rambo throughout the game, ran his heart out & like Compton provided some promising balls into the box.
Michael Flynn - 8 - Led by example once again. Did his job perfectly in the middle of the park & of course him tekaboo son moment to bring City level!
Ritchie Jones - 8 - Beautifully passed the ball around, he just seems to make everything click in midfield.
Jack Compton - 8 - Played some beautiful on the deck football with the rest of the lads, made promising runs down the wing & some fantastic crosses into Fagan & Hannah throughout.
Craig Fagan - 7 - Even though he had some guilt edge chances & ran his socks off. He was lacking his usual flair, that's why he gets a 7 instead of an 8. Also why did he use his head for the header in the first half? Forehead it & it's a goal!
Ross Hannah - 8 - Ran his socks off & got on the end of some promising balls from Compton before being subbed off for Devitt.
SUBS:
Jamie Devitt - 7 - Came on & had chances & created chances, looked promising & hope he gets a start on Saturday!
James Hanson - 5 - Came on, changed the on the ground ethic to hoofball & offered very little to the team I'm afraid.
So, Ten Categories chosen by Chapalar:
Was it worth the money? To watch yet another famous penalty shootout derby victory in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy... Of bloody course!
City MOTM - Marcel Seip - One of many contenders but wins it for me! He played his heart & soul out getting a block if not attempting to on every ball what went in the box, also made lots of surging runs up the field & was helpful in attack.
Sheffield United MOTM - Matty Phillips - Good Goal & was the only Sheffield United player who caught my eye, beggers belief why he isn't in the Blackpool XI!
Quote of the Match - "On the plus side, this hot dog is delicious!" - Me on missing Flynn's goal!
Goal of the Match - Michael Flynn my Lord! Took out a defender, waited for Compton to take another one out with a clever dummy before smashing home a 25 yarder to bring the Bantams level!
Moment of the Match - The Bradford fans reaction when Chris Mitchell scored the winning penalty! As master card would say... Priceless!
Fan of the Match - The overenthusiastic City fan who didn't care he'd got a hole in his arm from falling onto the steps because we'd won on penalties!
Chant of the Match - "She said no Ched! She said no!" - Ched Evans at the receiving end of some not so friendly banter about the rape allegations made against him.
FB Status of the Match - Penalties.... May god have mercy on us all!!!!!!!
Referee Watch - Mark Haywood - Seemed to give everything to Sheffield United, but for once the fans & lads didn't succumb to a dodgy referee & we went on to prevail victorious!
And finally...
FATWATCH - The little wannabe Rambo in the blue adidas jacket in the Sheffield United end.