Wanderers will take a lead into the second leg of their play-off semi-final after Amario Cozier-Duberry signed off in style with another stunning strike, writes Pete Oliver.
The winger marked the final home game of his magnificent loan spell from Brighton with his 10th goal of the season to give the Whites a slender advantage going into next Thursday night’s return.
Only the width of a post denied Cozier-Duberry a second goal moments later with just over an hour gone to give Steven Schumacher’s men greater control of a tense and gripping tie.
But with Wanderers then digging in to repel a late Bradford rally thanks to a first clean sheet in nine games, Wanderers know that avoiding defeat at Valley Parade will be enough to take them to Wembley and one more win from promotion.
Backed by a superb home crowd Wanderers rose to the occasion, despite missing the in-form Johnny Kenny, whose goal at Bradford two weeks ago had booked the Whites a play-off berth and re-match with the Bantams.
That meant a re-call after seven games out through injury for Ethan Erhahon, while Ruben Rodrigues pushed further forward to play behind Mason Burstow with top scorer Sam Dalby fit enough to return on the bench.
The re-shuffled line-up took a few minutes to find their feet in an understandably pensive start and Chris Forino needed to make an excellent block to thwart ex-Whites’ captain Antoni Sarcevic.
With that further lifting the home fans and Josh Sheehan seemingly everwhere and driving the team on, Schumacher’s men started to play. Ibby Cissoko and Burstow both had goalbound efforts blocked as City were pushed back and when Erhahon picked out Burstow at the end of a lovely move, the striker sent the ball just wide of the post as the decisive touch just eluded him.
Wanderers were dictating things as they moved the ball around – Cissoko and Erhahon almost clicking on a couple of occasions – but with Bradford defending their box well there was no clear opening to provide a possible half-time lead.
An injury to referee Martin Coy minutes after the re-start and a lengthy delay while fourth official David Rock readied himself did little aid the flow, with Sarcevic given another sight of goal after Wanderers couldn’t clear the corner that followed the re-start.
The Whites needed to regain their earlier control as the game threatened to get dis-jointed and with an hour gone they created the moment they craved.
An excellent early ball into the danger area from Cissoko eluded Rodrigues but Cozier-Duberry came off the flank – where he had spent much of the night double-marked – to take charge with an assured touch inside the penalty area and a typically cool finish, curling the ball into the far corner to break the deadlock.
The winger’s latest contribution further energised the stadium and his team-mates and moments later Cozier-Duberry was inches away from making it two. With Bradford rocked, defender Curtis Tilt gave the ball to the goal-scorer who this time rolled his attempted finish against the inside of the post before the ball bounced agonisingly across the face of goal as the fans held their breath.
Wanderers sensed the chance to go on and put themselves more firmly in the driving seat and for a spell had Bradford on the rack.
But the Yorkshiremen rode out the storm and gathered themselves for a late push to try and level the tie. They asked questions of Wanderers’ back line but despite one or two recent wobbles this time they stood up to be counted.
Forino and Eoin Toal headed everything clear, while Jordi Osei-Tutu and George Johnston refused to buckle out wide. Everyone played their part and the same will be needed at least one more time as Wanderers kept their promotion hopes very much alive.
Wanderers: Bonham; Osei-Tutu, Toal, Forino, Johnston; Sheehan, Erhahon (Simons 71); Cozier-Duberry, Rodrigues (McAtee 81), Cissoko (Conway 95); Burstow (Dalby 81). Substitutes: Harrington, Gale, Christie.
Booked: Cissoko
Bradford: Walker; Baldwin, Wright, Tilt; Neufville, Metcalfe, Power, Touray; Lapslie (Wright 67), Sarcevic; Jackson (Powell 80). Substitutes: Hilton, Humphrys, Kelly, Swan, Pennington.
Booked: Neufville
Referee: Martin Coy
Attendance: 22,789 (2,043 away)