Bradford City (U18s) 2-5 Lincoln City (U18s)

Bradford City (U18s) 2-5 Lincoln City (U18s)

EFL Youth Alliance

Saturday 17th September 2022

There was loads to digest in this game as Lincoln City produced some ruthless finishing to both send out a ‘statement of intent’ to the rest of the North-East Youth Alliance and end reigning champions Bradford City’s 100% start to the new campaign.

In a game packed with goalmouth incident (just like most of the Imps’ other games this term), they found themselves 2-0 up at half-time thanks to goals by Julian Donnery and Tayo Tucker, before Dylan Youmbi leveled things up with a quickfire double in the second half.

At 2-2 with about 25 minutes to go, momentum was certainly with Bradford but remarkably Lincoln regrouped and responded brilliantly as they went on to score three more goals in order to claim the points. Donnery was allowed time and space to drill home a third; Harry Dale added a fourth with a sublime free-kick and then substitute Russell Berko made it 5-2 when he broke away on the counter-attack and rounded the ‘keeper to slot home.

The scoreline will have left Bradford feeling glum given their mini-capitulation in the latter stages, but nothing should detract from Lincoln’s display because they performed really well and  were absolutely clinical. Each of their attacking players were good in their own right and it was a morning of proper positives from their perspective which will put them in a confident mood when it comes to future games.

Match Report

Having been involved in scorelines of 4-4, 5-6, 3-3 and 4-3 (amongst others) from their half-a-dozen or so matches since the season started, it doesn’t take Einstein to work out what Lincoln’s strengths and weaknesses are. They made a couple of changes to their line-up from the team which came out on top, 4-3, against Oldham Athletic in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup in midweek to ensure they were as strong as possible for this game.

Bradford don’t need any introduction because they’re the reigning North-East Youth Alliance champions - and were the best team I’ve EVER seen at U18s level last term. They went into this fixture having triumphed in both their opening league fixtures, including a 4-0 thumping of Huddersfield on Wednesday.

Two first-year pro’s started in Dylan Youmbi, who’ll soon get his first taste of men’s football during a loan at Brighouse, and Cole Roberts, who bagged twice in the win at Huddersfield. Youmbi featured in attack; Roberts in a wide-left position, whilst defender Noah Wadsworth was another familiar name in the Bantams’ line-up as he featured a lot in 2021/22. Sam Bentley, who has already agreed a one-year pro contract to begin next summer, was named as captain.

The Imps got things underway, although it was Bradford who enjoyed the first chance within a minute as Raj Palit saw a low 20-yard drive from just outside the area tipped around the post at the expense of a corner which was hooked away in acrobatic style by Kyrell Wheatley.

Lincoln’s first opportunity came soon afterwards. Oisin Gallagher played a ball into the feet of the lively Julian Donnery and his curling effort forced a routine stop from Elyn Harrison. Two minutes later, Morgan Worsfold Gregg (think it was him) then nearly produced something utterly spectacular when he spotted Bradford ‘keeper off his line and unleashed an audacious 40-yard strike which bounced only a few inches wide.

Lincoln’s attackers already looked problematic by this early stage - not just because of their height but also through their involvement in bits of decent build-up play when they had the ball. Donnery, especially, was good with his feet and the best amongst them, and he soon claimed the opener.

Wheatley’s deep cross into the area from the right caused issues and with Bantams right-back Casey Breaks sucked out of position towards the centre, Donnery found himself unmarked when the ball dropped at his feet. With an instinctive swing of his boot, he unleashed a drive with utter venom which went straight through the body of the ‘keeper and rippled the back of the net. 0-1 - and the proverbial cat was amongst the pigeons!

Bradford looked frustrated with themselves because they knew that goal was preventable. Nevertheless, things went from bad to worse for them on 27 minutes as they conceded another goal - this time down to an individual error.

Centre-back Fin Gledhill was the guilty party. He got caught in possession about 10 yards from the halfway line and with acres of space behind him, a Lincoln player was able to thread an intricate pass for Tucker to run onto. He had too much pace for Gledhill and although the Bradford defender managed to just about maintain a goal-side position, Tucker was still able to finish by virtue of a low and accurate near-post drive. 0-2.

Incredibly, Lincoln almost made it 3-0 on the half-hour mark as Donnery used his strength to embark on a decent run towards goal which culminated with his effort being blocked before Harrison was eventually able to smother the danger.

It was starting to get a bit ropey for Bradford but their intensity increased as the game approached half-time and they nearly pulled a goal back from an unlikely source on 39 minutes. Isaac Robinson’s left-foot set-piece towards the back-post was flicked goalwards by Roberts who forced a save from Lincoln ‘keeper Isaac Allan, who then denied Wadsworth on the rebound, before the Bantams defender hooked the ball across the face of goal but nobody was there to make a connection.

The visitors went close again as Donnery (who else?) fired a shot straight at Harrison. The Bantams ‘keeper released it quickly and, within the blink of an eye, Youmbi had the ball at the other end and flashed a shot over the upright under pressure from Lincoln defender Theo Mussell who did enough to hold him off.

It remained 2-0 to Lincoln at the interval.

After some stern words were no doubt said in Bradford’s dressing room during their half-time team talk, the Bantams initially looked an entirely different proposition in the second half. They got their act together, got the ball down, began to dominate possession and had Lincoln penned in for a sustained 15-20 minute spell.

It took just four minutes for them to reduce arrears. A deep cross from the right was brilliantly knocked back across the six-yard box by Breaks towards Youmbi who used his body well to move away from the defender and finish in a composed style. Immediately, the big man grabbed the ball out of the net and sprinted back towards the halfway line. The feeling that a comeback was on was almost palpable. 1-2.

Lincoln were well under the cosh by now and just a couple of minutes later, Palit let fly with a speculative drive from 25 yards which went narrowly wide.

Then, came an even bigger chance for Bradford, as Allan pulled off a huge save which he had no right to make. In a move which was a great example of everything that Cole Roberts is all about, his tidy footwork allowed him to cut inside from the left against a back-peddling defender and he shared a clever one-two as he continued his advance into the box. Lincoln’s screams for offside fell on deaf ears as the ball was played back to Roberts (and he wasn’t offside anyway) and his powerful drive seemed destined for the bottom corner, only for Allan to make a remarkable diving save and somehow tip the ball 10 feet upwards and over the upright.

How it wasn’t 2-2 after that chance was a mystery, but Lincoln’s defence didn’t hold out for much longer because eight minutes later, Bradford got their deserved equaliser.

It was preventable from an Imps perspective as too many players seemed to switch off when Bradford’s No.12 (name unknown) took a quick throw in line with the edge of the visitors’ 18-yard box. Youmbi received possession, spun away and exchanged a clever one-two with Palit, before he got the ball back and smashed the ball home with aplomb. Again, the big man grabbed the ball and sprinted back to the centre circle. It was clear that the Bantams meant business and wanted to get all three points. 2-2.

That’s partly what makes the last 25 minutes or so all the more mystifying because, no sooner had Bradford equalised, they conceded again - and after that they seemed to fall apart.

Again, Donnery was the player who caused all the problems and got Lincoln’s third goal. A ball down the left reached him and he was afforded the opportunity to cut inside, stretch his legs and ultimately bury the ball past Harrison. 2-3.

Bradford were then dealt a significant blow as Youmbi, who had done well, went down in the centre circle and needed treatment for a couple of minutes on what looked like a tight hamstring (though I could be wrong) before he eventually had to be substituted.

As a consequence, the Bantams lacked a focal point for the rest of the game but, in the midfield, the Imps began to get on the ball more during the last quarter-of-an-hour and always carried a dangerous and significant threat when they broke forward.

Tucker warmed Harrison’s gloves with a vicious shot from distance which the Bantams ‘keeper did well to pluck out the air and claim at the second attempt, and five minutes later, the Imps were afforded a good chance to score from a free-kick when Bentley brought down an attacker (didn’t see who) as he was drifting dangerously goalwards. 

That allowed Harry Dale to step up and his set-piece technique was sublime as he curled the ball up and over the wall and into the top corner. It bore similarities to Kieran Tripper’s strike for England against Croatia in the World Cup, will probably feature in next month’s LFE ‘Goal Of The Month’ competition and, by now, the game was theoretically over. 2-4.

The scoring wasn’t yet completed, however, because with just a few minutes left on the clock, Lincoln netted again to thoroughly emphasise what a good day this was for them. 

The fifth goal could have been disallowed as Roberts went up for a header and collided with a Lincoln defender, who went down with a head injury inside his own six-yard box. Surprisingly, the game continued as the Imps broke away - despite a few appeals for the referee to stop and allow treatment, and Russell Berko quickly found himself clean through on goal. He rounded an advancing Harrison who’d come to the edge of the ‘D’, slotted home and that was that. 

It finished 2-5 - and it was a very good day for the Imps!

Overall Thoughts

As said at the start of this post, there’s so much to digest from what unfolded.

Although it’s largely a different side compared to last year, Bradford are the reigning champions (and therefore the team who everyone else wants to beat) and comparisons will always get drawn with their team from last season.

They did well to haul themselves back into things and get it to 2-2. At that point they looked so dominant and menacing for that 15-20 minute spell immediately after half-time - but that was it. The rest of the game was pretty even, or with Lincoln on top and causing problems.

Bradford did play some nice football in parts. Raj Palit (No.4) covered a lot of distance, got around the pitch and was quite effective - something I picked up on from quite early on. He played the neat one-two for Dylan Youmbi’s second goal (and might have been involved in the chance for Cole Roberts as well), also had the early shot, and it’s easy to tell he’s a decent player who’ll only get better and more influential as the season progresses. Isaac Robinson (No.7) looked lively and dangerous with his footwork; left-footed but cutting inside from the right. He got out of tight pockets of space a few times, posed an issue with his wider technique, and made a number of contributions to leave an alright impression. The No.12 also offered a few sparks when he was brought on and was useful from his throw-ins.

The second goal Bradford conceded was an individual error (which happens and it isn’t necessarily anything to worry about). The first goal was more preventable rather than an error (something to work on in training), but I think the bigger problems were caused by Lincoln being allowed to get the ball in midfield and work it out towards their wide players. They looked most dangerous from the flanks. If Freddy Jeffreys had been available to play, then I suspect he’d have made a massive difference because his quality on the ball (in attacking or defensive scenarios) is undoubted. Keeping the ball, at times, is where Bradford came unstuck - especially in the latter stages.

If Cole Roberts’ effort had gone in when the Lincoln ‘keeper pulled off that save, I suspect Bradford might have gone on to win because that chance came at a time in the game when Lincoln were hanging on - plus it was only a few minutes after the first goal had been scored. It was a great example of what Cole Roberts is all about and whether he plays on the left or through the centre, I know he’s good enough to pose problems, get chances and rack up a decent goals return.

Dylan Youmbi did well throughout his 75 minutes or so on the pitch - especially when it came to using his power to create chances for himself. When he had to be substituted, the Bantams lacked that same kind of physical presence or ‘know-how’ inside the box. The enthusiasm and endeavor was there from others in Claret & Amber shirts but Youmbi’s threat could have proved vital - especially from the set-pieces and crosses from wide areas (of which there were a few late on).

As for Lincoln, then they can only be delighted with how they performed - and personally it’s probably the best performance I’ve seen by their U18s team over the past few years. They played good football, expressed themselves and implemented their ideas to positive effect. It was meaningful, menacing and their front players were all decent. Aside from that 20-minute spell just after half-time when they were really put on the back-foot and conceded a very preventable second goal (by virtue of switching off from the throw-in), it was otherwise a real ‘signal of intent’ type performance. 

If they play like this every week, I’d back them to both challenge for the Youth Alliance title this season and pose problems for every other team in the division. The defence needs work (and a glance at the Goals Against column proves that) but attack-wise they’re right amongst the best in the league. Nobody can deny that.

Individually, Tayo Tucker (No.9) took his goal extremely well, offered a sharp turn of pace and when the ball was played into him, it stuck and he kept it well. He alone caused problems for Bradford’s defenders and played well. Kyrell Wheatley (No.7) put in one of the best performances that I’ve seen from him; delivering some good crosses, getting into good areas and getting at his opponent, whilst up front Oisin Gallagher (No.10) did alright up against Bradford’s best defender. Russell Berko (No.14) will have been quite happy to have bagged a goal in the final few minutes and his composure in doing so couldn't be faulted whatsoever.

However, without any doubt the best player in this game was Julian Donnery (No.11). He had a bit of everything to make him such a handful - and leave such a good impression!

At 6ft3 (or thereabouts) then he might get confused with just being a ‘target man’ type player at first glance because he’s got the height advantage and a big upper body frame to go with it. Beneath the exterior, however, is a player who was good at receiving the ball to feet and gliding past opponents with it. His technique drew players towards him - as they knew he was too dangerous not to stop, he had the ability to beat them and he took both goals in a good fashion - ruthlessly combining power and precise execution. I picked up on his contributions time and again during the game and, going through my notes to put this blog post together, it even took me by surprise with just how much his name cropped up. 

I’ve had a quick Google Search and he scored twice in the win over Oldham; plus a penalty in the 3-3 draw with Barnsley a fortnight ago. If he replicates this performance over a consistent period, he’s certainly going to create a good reputation for himself. It was the best display I’ve seen from an individual at Youth Alliance level up to now this season and I’ve got plenty of respect for it - so much so that I’m already looking forward to the next time I’ll watch Lincoln to see how he alone performs!

Elsewhere, the free-kick from Harry Dale was sublime (and I’ll wish you the best of luck for when it comes to the ‘Goal Of The Month’ vote) whilst, at the other end of the pitch, Isaac Allan’s instinctive save from Cole Roberts early in the second half was worth its weight in gold. That’s what ‘keepers are paid to do, what a save it was, and he deserves applause for it.

Bradford City: Elyh Harrison, Casey Breaks, Noah Wadsworth, Raj Palit, Sam Bentley (C), Fin Gledhill, Isaac Robinson, Nathan Tinsdale, Raekealan Jeffers, Dylan Youmbi, Cole Roberts. Subs: Munro Gellan, Harry Ibbitson, Ali Dalghous, Jay Tinsdale, Donald Kamwa.

Lincoln City: Isaac Allan, Nathan Kabeya, Kobi Boffah, Harry Dale, MJ Kamara, Theo Mussell, Kyrell Wheatley, Morgan Worsfold Gregg, Tayo Tucker, Oisin Gallagher, Julian Donnery. Subs: Louis Nesbitt, Russell Berko, Kai Perkins, Bailey Adamson.

Other results this weekend:

Burton 0-2 Doncaster; Rovers now the only unbeaten team in the division this season. 

Rotherham 1-5 Scunthorpe; three players sent-off as nine-man Scunny move off the bottom.

Huddersfield 4-0 Hartlepool; things really can only get better for the Poolies.

Harrogate 1-2 Grimsby; a captain’s contribution by Alex Markham to put the Mariners top.