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Bradford City 4-1 Newport County: Bantams miss out on play-offs despite comfortable win

Last updated on .From the section League Twocomments41

Bradford City's Calum Kavanagh celebrate
Bradford City won 19 of their League Two matches during the 2023-24 season

Bradford City missed out on the League Two play-offs despite signing off their season with a convincing win over Newport County.

Calum Kavanagh and Andy Cook both headed beyond Nick Townsend shortly before half time to put Graham Alexander's men in control.

Bobby Pointon and Jamie Walker netted either side of a Harry Charlsey effort to seal an emphatic win.

Bradford end the season in ninth, one point off the top seven.

Newport finish 18th after losing their final eight matches.

Newport County boss Graham Coughlan:

"It's probably been 10 games too many for us, it's probably a little bit of relief that the season is over.

"I probably started planning (for next season) when our play-off hopes ended. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, we can't accept what we've had as a football club over the last eight games.

"The injury windows have really hurt us so we've got to learn from that and we've got to put together a bigger, better and stronger squad for next season because there's no point in us doing this job if our ambition next season is not play-offs or promotion."

Line-ups

Bradford

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 1Walker
  • 22Oyegoke
  • 5Platt
  • 18Kelly
  • 2Halliday
  • 7Walker
  • 6Smallwood
  • 36Wright
  • 8KavanaghSubstituted forSmithat 78'minutes
  • 23PointonSubstituted forOduorat 78'minutes
  • 9Cook

Substitutes

  • 11Gilliead
  • 12Oduor
  • 13Doyle
  • 14Smith
  • 20Chapman
  • 31Tomkinson
  • 32Richards

Newport

Formation 5-3-2

  • 1Townsend
  • 14BrightSubstituted forMcLoughlinat 81'minutes
  • 28Baker
  • 41Sanca
  • 23Jameson
  • 7EvansBooked at 50mins
  • 17BennettSubstituted forWaiteat 66'minutes
  • 8Morris
  • 20CharsleySubstituted forWildigat 81'minutes
  • 30Palmer-Houlden
  • 31JephcottSubstituted forBondswellat 66'minutes

Substitutes

  • 11Waite
  • 18Rai
  • 19McLoughlin
  • 24Wildig
  • 26Maxted
  • 33Bondswell
  • 34Norris
Referee:
Thomas Kirk
Attendance:
18,842

Match Stats

Home TeamBradfordAway TeamNewport
Possession
Home54%
Away46%
Shots
Home18
Away13
Shots on Target
Home6
Away2
Corners
Home7
Away2
Fouls
Home8
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Bradford City 4, Newport County 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Bradford City 4, Newport County 1.

  3. Goal!

    Goal! Bradford City 4, Newport County 1. Jamie Walker (Bradford City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Andy Cook.

  4. Post update

    Attempt missed. Tyler Smith (Bradford City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Brad Halliday.

  5. Post update

    Attempt saved. Tyler Smith (Bradford City) header from very close range is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andy Cook.

  6. Post update

    Brad Halliday (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Matthew Bondswell (Newport County).

  8. Post update

    Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Jamie Walker.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Daniel Oyegoke (Bradford City).

  10. Post update

    Will Evans (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. Seb Palmer-Houlden (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Will Evans.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Newport County. Shane McLoughlin replaces Harrison Bright.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Newport County. Aaron Wildig replaces Harry Charsley.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ciarán Kelly (Bradford City) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Tyreik Wright with a cross following a corner.

  15. Post update

    Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Kyle Jameson.

  16. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Clarke Oduor (Bradford City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tyler Smith.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Bradford City. Tyler Smith replaces Calum Kavanagh.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Bradford City. Clarke Oduor replaces Bobby Pointon.

  19. Post update

    Brad Halliday (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Post update

    Foul by James Waite (Newport County).

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41 comments

  • Comment posted by BankofMickey, at 17:22 27 Apr

    Unlucky Bradford from a Wrexham fan. Wanted you to do it today but it wasn't to be. Best of luck next season.

  • Comment posted by daw, at 20:00 27 Apr

    I'm sure other fans noticed, usually on 56 mins we clap to remember the 56, but a fitting tribute was Bobby Pointens goal on 56 mins from a Bradford lad was fitting.

  • Comment posted by daw, at 18:54 27 Apr

    A good solid finish to our season, playing for contracts or not the team have come together well 6 wins on the bounce and a draw.
    Let's build around the players we keep and have a good go next year.
    When you have watched a club for 55yrs you stick by them through good times and bad.

  • Comment posted by Bantams, at 17:27 27 Apr

    Circus at VP continues, Players decided to play last handful of games for their contracts? Need a clear out of most of the garbage conference players.

  • Comment posted by Terry, at 17:27 27 Apr

    After seven successive defeats, this is obviously not a shock outcome. To take no points from the last 24 on offer is a sackable offence in most levels of football and while injuries have taken their toll on Newport, the role of this manager must be scrutinised very closely now.

    • Reply posted by None Of The Above, at 20:19 27 Apr

      None Of The Above replied:
      Yes, I'm surprise that this manager has not been sacked yet, most clubs with this run of losses would have sack him by now. Lets hope next season we see Newport getting promoted

  • Comment posted by Frizinghall Boy, at 01:02 28 Apr

    Am quietly confident the Bantams can finally come good next season, just need to keep the core of the team, Halliday, both Walkers, Cook, Pointon and Kavanagh . Am glad the domestic season is over now and we can just enjoy an England triumph in the Euros!!!!

  • Comment posted by Harrogate Bantam, at 11:09 28 Apr

    Wasn't to be in end. To inconsistent throughout the course of the season.Lets now hope Rupp keeps his word and we can expect significant resources made available to Alexander to get a team capable of a promotion push.

  • Comment posted by Popski, at 17:31 27 Apr

    Just down to a few game we should have won but didn't, Boxing day for one, Crawley at home winning 2:1 and conceding 3 late goals. Plus the horror show that was March with 2 winnable home games which we failed to turn up for.

    • Reply posted by john, at 21:19 27 Apr

      john replied:
      And the hammering off our super mansfield hahaha league 2 again Bradford not big boys city

  • Comment posted by keighley warrior , at 21:39 27 Apr

    Smallwood has only started trying in the last few games, after a new contract, been poor since he signed.

    • Reply posted by FiRTHY, at 10:04 28 Apr

      FiRTHY replied:
      He hasn’t been poor, at all. No poorer or better than those around him, anyway. I make that over 100 games he’s played since arriving and he’s yet to play alongside another capable central midfielder - go figure.

  • Comment posted by 3robert3, at 01:44 28 Apr

    Great support, and only 1 point from the play-offs.

    • Reply posted by john, at 07:46 28 Apr

      john replied:
      No good trying to play football last 7 games of the season there's 46 matches In a season lol

  • Comment posted by amber in my blood, at 19:01 27 Apr

    I'll be interested to see what happens in the close season. We've overachieved big time, but our current crop of players aren't good enough. Going to watch Glamorgan cricket now. Sucker for punishment. lol.
    UTC

  • Comment posted by Dean Griffiths, at 17:22 27 Apr

    Thank f### that's over with, clear out in the summer then hopefully the manager will get the backing he deserves. UTC

  • Comment posted by CJ, at 13:09 28 Apr

    Good end to the season for Bradford, looked certain for a bottom half finish a month or so ago but to finish the season one point off the playoffs along with the FA Trophy run I would say that is a good season, maybe build on that for next year.

  • Comment posted by positive outlook , at 17:19 27 Apr

    Not a nad 1st half just a poor end to the half. Players look shatterred.

    Some positives in seeing Shane Mchloglan back but i think there will be a very different set of players representing Newport next season.

    Some of the players need to be moved on, some arent good enough (waite, Bright, Bondswell) but if newport manager to keep Shane M, Evans and Bogle they have the spine of a good team.

  • Comment posted by User0309955507, at 17:13 27 Apr

    Unlucky boys. We go again next season and hopefully smash league 2.

    • Reply posted by Bantams, at 17:28 27 Apr

      Bantams replied:
      Yeh we've been trying to smash lge 2 for the last 4-5 years. Not good enough.

  • Comment posted by stanley, at 05:40 28 Apr

    good job today better luck next season

  • Comment posted by M42-down, at 21:50 27 Apr

    Coughlan has kept us in the league But after 8 successive defeats we need a better manager for next season.Up Port !

  • Comment posted by NathanNTFC, at 17:14 27 Apr

    Lol

  • Comment posted by danno-83, at 17:16 27 Apr

    Need to strengthen up a bit now, and start as we have ended this season, get out of this league at last! Did there bit today and got the win, wasn't to be

    • Reply posted by steviek, at 17:20 27 Apr

      steviek replied:
      Their bit
      There is over there
      They’re is they are

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Stockport462711896484892
2Wrexham4626101089523788
3Mansfield462414890474386
4MK Dons462391483681578
5Doncaster46218177368571
6Crewe461914136965471
7Crawley46217187367670
8Barrow461815136256669
9Bradford461912156159269
10Wimbledon4617141564511365
11Walsall461811176973-465
12Gillingham461810184657-1164
13Harrogate461712176069-963
14Notts County46187218986361
15Morecambe461710196781-1458
16Tranmere46176236770-357
17Accrington46169216371-857
18Newport46167236276-1455
19Swindon461412207783-654
20Salford461312216682-1651
21Grimsby461116195774-1749
22Colchester461112235980-2145
23Sutton United46915225984-2542
24Forest Green46119264478-3442
View full League Two table

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