Coventry City 1-0 Bradford City
An insprired substitution gave Coventry City a 1-0 win over Bradford City.
Tony Mowbray started with James Maddison in place of Andy Rose on what had been a sunny day in Coventry.
The Sky Blues attacked the North Stand for the first half and had a corner in the opening couple of minutes.
Bradford City, roared on by a noisy 1,386 strong support, had a sixth minute corner but Reice Charles-Cook came out and palmed the ball away before it was cleared.
Billy Clarke fired wide in front of the Bradford City supporters who were singing a song which had the same tune as Anarchy In The UK.
Sam Ricketts playing as a left midfielder won another corner and then took a throw which had to be rescued by a neat bit of footwork from Joe Cole after Maddison had lost possession trying to take too many touches.
With twenty minutes gone, Josh Cullen, who is on loan from West Ham, fired wide. That gave City a goal kick which went up to Maddison but his pass to Armstrong was over hit.
In the 25th minute, City had a free kick in a central position for a foul on Maddison who could only hit the wall with his kick.
With a foul on Joe Cole not given, Bradford sent a ball across the box.
That was cleared and Sam Ricketts curled over at the other end.
A 32nd minute tug on Adam Armstrong in the penalty area was ignored by the referee and City who had Joe Cole at the heart of every thing got on with the game.
With just over twenty seconds of the half left, Ruben Lameiras was sent crashing but again no penalty.
City were the first side to have a corner in the second half but that was headed away by the lanky Bantams defenders,
In a game where the fourth official had to keep control of Phil Parkinson, who kept wandering out of his technical area, City with
Romain Vincelot at right back, allowed Josh Cullen to fire high over the bar in the 53rd minute. Vincelot got skinned by Reid and Fleck had to clear for a corner that Aaron Phillips headed away.
Lameiras volleyed over in the 56th minute as Andy Rose got ready to come on along with Gael Bigirimana.
Rose had just come on as part of a double change when he raced through and smashed the ball high into the net with his first touches, silencing the away fans and delighting the City support.
Bradford should have levelled in the 63rd minute but Billy Clarke drove wide from fourteen yards from a Proctor cut back.
Rose fired at former City loanee Ben Williams in the 65th minute. Bradford went up the other end and Charles-Cook had to make a great one handed save to push a header away for a corner.
Marcus Tudgay was sent on for the last twenty minutes in place of James Maddison and the visitors made a double change.
Mr Lewis started to flash cards at all and sundry as Phillips made a couple of good blocks.
With eight minutes left, Steven Davies was sent off for kicking out at Jack Stephens, leaving Bradford City with ten men.
They had Evans fire at Clarke and Reid win an 85th minute corner.
Five minutes were added on and Bradford had a free kick and corner but City kept things tight and took another win.
City: Charles-Cook, Ricketts (C), Stephens, Martin, Phillips, Vincelot, Fleck, Cole (Rose 58) Lameiras (Bigrimana 58), Maddison (Tudgay 69), Armstrong. Subs: Addai, Lorentzson, Murphy, Fortune.
Bradford City: Williams, Darby (C), Meredith, Evans, N. Clarke (Hanson 85), B.Clarke, (Davies 69) Cullen, Burke, Reid, Proctor, McMahon (Morais 69), Subs: Cracknell, Hanson, Morris, McArdle, Thorpe.
HT CCFC 0-0 BCAFC
FT CCFC 1-0 BCAFC
Att 10,241
Ref R.Lewis
Goals Andy Rose 59