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Bradford City
League One
Nov 17, 2013 at 3.30pm UK
 
Coventry City

3-3

Wells (17', 29', 95' pen.)
FT(HT: 2-3)
Webster (2'), Clarke (7'), Wilson (42')

Live Commentary: Bradford City 3-3 Coventry City - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's coverage of the League One meeting between Bradford City and Coventry City.
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Two sides in the top half of League One met in Sunday's one and only Football League match at Valley Parade.

Bradford City hosted Coventry City and the pair played out an enthralling 3-3 draw that saw five goals in the first half before a stoppage-time penalty from Bradford's hat-trick scorer Nahki Wells snatched the Bantams a point.

Read how a bonkers match unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Afternoon folks. The one and only game in the Football League today sees two clubs who have enjoyed better days facing off in the third tier of English football.

TEAM NEWS! Coventry have just tweeted out a handy copy of the teamsheet for today's match:


As mentioned in the below tweet, John Fleck comes in for Adam Barton in the only change to the Sky Blues' lineup.

Hosts Bradford are able to start Rory McArdle even though he was in Turkey on Friday night on international duty with Northern Ireland. The defender was an unused substitute so should be fine today.

The two sides go into this match in contrasting form. Bradford began their first season back in League One after promotion on top form but have gone five league games without a win to fall out of the top six. Cov, meanwhile, have won four in a row and not lost since September.

Coventry manager Steven Pressley actually won the October Manager of the Month for the Sky Blues' displays:

Coventry City manager Steven Pressley celebrates his Manager of the Month award for October on November 7, 2013© Getty Images

These two sides haven't met for almost 10 years! When they last did in the second tier on December 27, 2003 Bradford won 1-0.

PREDICTION TIME! OK, 10 minutes until kickoff at Valley Parade, or the Coral Windows Stadium as it should be called. I'm expecting an exciting 90 minutes and am going to say that it will finish 2-2 today.

REFEREE WATCH: The man in charge today is Kevin Friend, who usually officiates in the Premier League.

Here come the two sides onto the pitch. It's a dark afternoon in West Yorkshire.

KICKOFF! And we're off. Will Coventry continue their scintillating form or will it be Bradford who pick up a much-needed win?

GOAL! BRADFORD 0-1 COVENTRY (WEBSTER)

The Sky Blues are already in front as Bantams keeper McLaughlin bumps into McArdle when trying to collect a free kick. The ball pops out of his grasp and falls to Webster, who volleys through a crowd of bodies on the line for his first Coventry goal. What a start!

GOAL! BRADFORD 0-2 COVENTRY (LEON CLARKE)

What a run the Sky Blues are on at the moment. They've scored twice in the opening seven minutes as Wilson outmuscles McArdle before his one-on-one shot is saved by McLaughlin. The ball falls to in-form Leon Clarke who tucks into the empty net with ease.

CHANCE! Oh so close to three for the visitors as again Wilson gets the better of McArdle before his low shot is saved by McLaughlin. The ball spins up in the air and then the top spin sees it strike the frame of the goal before going out. Frantic start!

CHANCE! Barely a second is going past without a goalmouth opportunity at the moment as Bradford have their first chance. The ball was played over the top for Reid but he was on the stretch and couldn't control his volley.

OK, let's get our breath back. Coventry came into this match as the form side and they are showing no signs of letting up.

Thompson almost goes clear on goal for Bradford but Adams gets back to tackle him as he's about to pull the trigger.

SAVE! Hanson was a real force in the air for Bradford on that incredible League Cup run last season and he's just shown why with a bullet header at the back post that Murphy somehow kept out.

GOAL! BRADFORD 1-2 COVENTRY (WELLS)

There's no sign of the goals stopping at Valley Parade as Bradford half the deficit in hilarious circumstances. A punt over the top saw Hanson and the onrushing Murphy challenge for an aerial ball as it was outside the box. Unsurprisingly, the former won it. The ball was then somehow missed by the Coventry defender trying to clear, allowing Wells to collect and scramble it home.

Coventry come close to restoring their two-goal lead as Baker curls for the corner from 20 yards but is denied by McLaughlin.

CHANCES! This game is so open! Coventry again come oh so close to getting a third as the resulting corner is smashed at goal by Fleck on the volley. Bradford half-clear before Jordan Clarke's low shot grazes the post on its way wide.

JUST WIDE! You might have expected Bradford to start dominating after getting over that early slump. However, it's Coventry who continue to press and they perhaps should be two ahead again as Christie's deep cross is diverted just wide with Leon Clarke lurking.

GOAL! BRADFORD 2-2 COVENTRY (WELLS)

The Bantams have levelled it! Typically the hosts score just after I'd been saying how dominant Coventry were looking. A long punt up the field was won in the air by Hanson and Wells steered it home on the volley. Replays show that the striker was just offside but it was ever so close so you have to give the linesman some slack.

That is without doubt the most action-packed half an hour of football I've watched for a very, very long time.

Admittedly, the main reason for that is the simply atrocious defending on show from both sides. All four goals can be blamed on comical defending. The last perhaps not so much but Wells should not have been allowed to get behind the Cov backline so easily.

Bradford want a penalty as Wells tangles with Webster but the appeal is waved away by Friend.

Wells is brought down on the edge of the box and steps up to the take the free kick himself, looking for his hat-trick. It's hit well but balloons up off the top of the wall.

GOAL! BRADFORD 2-3 COVENTRY (WILSON)

Unbelievable! Bradford were looking much more like scoring but it's Cov who go back in front as Wilson streaks down the right-hand side before lashing in at the near post after a step-over game him a yard of space. McLaughlin had barely put his arms up when the ball smacked into the back of the net.

CHANCE! Bradford almost equalise instantly as Jones's free kick is met by McArdle but he can't get his header on target. Dreadful marking from the Coventry defence.

Three minutes of time added on at the end of this crazy first period.

McArdle again is the one to rise highest from a set piece but this time the ball is too high and he can only head a long way over.

HALF TIME: BRADFORD 2-3 COVENTRY

Kevin Friend brings to an end a simply ridiculous first half of football in West Yorkshire. We've had five goals and countless chances.

To sum up, Coventry scored twice in the first seven minutes through Webster and Leon Clarke before Bradford drew level thanks to a brace from Nahki Wells. The Sky Blues have gone back in front though thanks to a blistering finish from Wilson.

YELLOWS! Because of all the goalmouth madness, I didn't even have time to tell you that two players picked up bookings in that first half. Jones for Bradford and Thomas for Cov.

Incredibly, there's already been a whooping 24 shots in this game. Both sides have had 12 attempts on goal, with Coventry edging the shots-on-target count with seven to four.

Remember, Coventry began the season with a 10-point deduction and if they see this result through they will be within three points of the top six. If they hadn't been deducted points they would be third.

KICKOFF! Righty ho, the second half is underway. Surely it can't be as frenetic as the first?!

Or maybe it can! There's a shot inside the first minute as Coventry right-back Christie cuts inside and curls for the far corner but doesn't trouble McLaughlin.

SAVE! The Sky Blues are the ones who have flown out of the traps like they did in the first period. Moussa lets fly from range and his near-post fizzer needs to be turned round the post by McLaughlin.

From the resulting corner a loose ball falls to Leon Clarke whose low shot is deflected a yard or so wide. The visitors have such an attacking mindset!

Needless from Thomas as he bundles over Reid in the corner. The Coventry centre-back needs to be careful as he's already been booked.

OFF THE BAR! Wells is inches away from his hat-trick as his 25-yard free kick curls over the wall but not under the crossbar as it flicks the woodwork on its way over. The free kick was awarded because Webster used his arm to prevent what might have been a clear goalscoring opportunity. You'd expect it to be a booking at the very least but Friend lets him off.

CHANCE! Coventry streak up the other end and should extend their lead as strike partners Clarke and Wilson combine nicely before the latter blazes over. He should have at least worked McLaughlin there.

McLaughlin has had an unconvincing afternoon to say the least and he's almost let an inswinging corner slip out of his grasp.

Since that Wilson chance in the 57th minute this has been the driest period of the game so far. To be fair, we've seen a ridiculous amount of goalmouth action in the first hour of this game already.

BRADFORD SUB: The first change of the game is made by Parkinson midway through the second half as Mark Yeates replaces Thompson.

YELLOW! Nasty over-the-top challenge from Blair Adams but he is only booked by Friend. Could have easily been a red.

Great play from Wilson as he nutmegs his man on the left before floating over a cross that is just ahead of Leon Clarke at the back post.

CHANCE! Big, big chance for Bradford straight away at the other end as Yeates shows off his skills before clipping to the back post for Hanson. The striker doesn't time his jump well though and can only head over.

The second half was never going to be as enthralling as the first but I'm amazed we haven't had a goal since the interval!

SAVE! Coventry almost put an end to the match as Wilson leaps up well to meet a cross from the right. His header is powerful but straight at McLaughlin. Either side and that was the winner.

BRADFORD SUB: The Bantams go for it as Parkinson throws on forward Alan Connell for defender Bates. Exciting winger Reid was down a moment ago but he's going to carry on.

Real oversight from Friend as he fails to blow for a foul when Thomas was caught by a high boot. Blood is drawn but nothing given.

SUBS! Both sides make a change as Raffaele de Vita does actually replace Reid while Aaron Phillips takes the place of Moussa for the visitors.

YELLOW! This is such a silly booking. Wilson concedes a free kick and is then walking off in the other direction but isn't 10 yards away so McArdle fires it at him and he's booked for not being the correct distance back. So harsh.

Just as four minutes are added on, Bradford win a corner. Can the Bantams nick a point?

McArdle is up but his header takes a deflection off a Coventry man before looping over.

Into the final minute we go. Bradford are the side who look more like scoring but Coventry are defending in numbers.

PENALTY TO BRADFORD!!!

GOAL! BRADFORD 3-3 COVENTRY (WELLS, PEN.)

The second half has been nowhere near as exciting as the first but Bradford draw level in dramatic circumstances as Wells completes his hat-trick by drilling the penalty into the corner. Friend pointed to the spot after Jordan Clarke went for a header but his arm was above his head and the ball struck it.

FULL TIME: BRADFORD 3-3 COVENTRY

Friend blows the whistle soon after the restart and a nutty game of football comes to an end.

We had five goals in a bonkers first half full of unbelievably bad defending before another silly mistake in the final moments saw Bradford snatch a point and end Coventry's run of four straight victories.

Click here to see how the table stands after today's game. Bradford are a place and two points outside the playoffs while Coventry are three further back in 12th.

Next up for the Bantams is a trip to MK Dons on Saturday while Coventry host Tranmere next weekend.

Anyway, thanks for joining Sports Mole for what turned to out to be a crazy 90 minutes of football. I'll leave you with our match report. Good evening.

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Coventry manager Steven Pressley on the touchline against Crawley on August 3, 2013
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