Bradford City 1 Walsall 1: Bantams happy with point

While there was a tinge of disappointment around Valley Parade that the Bantams had surrendered the lead given to them by Billy Clarke, assistant manager Steve Parkin said he felt it was a good point.

“The lads came out of the traps great in the second half and Billy scored a good goal,” he said.

“We did lots of good things in the second half and created reasonable half-chances.

“We were disappointed to concede the goal that we did, but we are not overly disappointed with the point that we got.

“You should not devalue any points you get.”

Neither goalkeeper was troubled in a largely dour first half, Mark Yeates going closest to scoring with a free-kick that flashed across the face of goal.

City broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when in-form Clarke picked up the ball 30 yards out, moved forward five yards and unleashed a low left-foot rocket that gave Richard O’Donnell no chance.

Walsall, unbeaten away from home in the league since October, hit back with 15 minutes remaining when Jordy Hiwula ghosted beyond the City defence to head home Jordan Cook’s cross.

Bradford might have grabbed the win late on, but Francois Zoko was foxed by the pitch when the ball bounced away from him six yards out, and Alan Sheehan was denied by the goalkeeper.

Bradford City: Pickford; Darby, McArdle, MacKenzie, Meredith; Halliday, Knott, Yeates (Sheehan 87), Liddle; Clarke (Zoko 75), Stead. Unused substitutes: Williams, Dolan, Jennedy, Routis, McBurnie.

Walsall: O’Donnell; Purkiss, Downing, O’Connor, Taylor (Henry 70); Ford, Cain, A Chambers, Cook (Baxendale 90); Hiwula, Sawyers (Grimes 70). Unused substitutes: MacGillvray, Flanagan, J Chambers, Murphy.

Referee: T Robinson (West Sussex).

Man of the match: Billy Clarke.