Walsall 0 Bradford 1 - Report and pictures

The Bantams had a goal disallowed within the first 10 minutes of the game, after fouling goalkeeper Liam Roberts, before Walsall grew into the game through striker Rory Gaffney.

The man on loan from Salford proved the home side’s best outlet, teeing up Lavery for a rifled shot that was smartly saved.

But after missing a penalty five minutes earlier, it was veteran striker James Vaughan who secured the points in the 83rd minute - leaving Walsall winless in nine games.

Darrell Clarke opted to match the visitors and play a 4-4-2 formation, making two changes as Dan Scarr and Stuart Sinclair replaced Cameron Pring and Cameron Norman from the scoreless draw with Colchester.

Neither of those full-backs made the squad with Alfie Bates and Callum Cockerill-Mollett taking their places on the bench.

Zak Jules was pushed out to the left-back position, with Liddle taking up the same role on the right.

Rory Holden took up the right-midfielder space, with Liam Kinsella on the left.

Rory Gaffney and Caolan Lavery kept their places up top, with Elijah Adebayo still sidelined with injury.

Bradford City arrived at the Banks’s Stadium following a late comeback victory against Northampton last time out. Gary Bowyer’s side fielded the same 11 as the 2-1 victory with former Birmingham City strikers Clayton Donaldson and James Vaughan leading the line.

The travelling supporters were making themselves heard in the lead-up to kick-off as their team applied pressure in the first five minutes.

They thought they had taken an early lead in the seventh minute when a Dylan Connolly corner was swung in from the left and met by Vaughan at the back post - only for referee Anthony Backhouse to rule Roberts was fouled in the melee.

Vaughan went close again minutes later after a cross from the left by Harry Pritchard was flicked on by the striker - who was denied by an excellent save from Roberts, tipping it around the post.

The first 20 minutes saw the Saddlers limited with chances - the best came from a free-kick around 25 yards out, which was smashed into the wall from Guthrie.

However, after overcoming the early onslaught from the Bantams attack, Guthrie and Sinclair began to get a foot in and dictate play - helping to involve the more attack-minded players.

And it almost paid-off after a smooth inter-changing phase of play from Gaffney and Kinsella set up Lavery with a free shot on the edge of the box.

The striker rifled it at ‘keeper O’Donnell who made a strong save to push it away from danger.

The Saddlers kept up their pressure through Kinsella, who was brought down by Kelvin Mellor, earning Walsall a free-kick on the edge of the box that was put inches over the bar by Guthrie.

Walsall had the best of the chances come half-time, with most of the play coming through Gaffney and his strong hold-up play.

No clear-cut chances for either side in the last 10 minutes of the first-half led to the game fizzling out before the break - with the teams finishing the half 0-0.

The first chance of the second-half fell to Vaughan who met Connolly’s cross from the left, before it was smartly smothered by Roberts.

The Bantams kept up their pressure, pushing Walsall deeper in the first minutes of the half, reminiscent of the start of the game.

Walsall were the first to make a change when natural full-back Callum Cockerill-Mollett replaced Jules, who was on a yellow card.

By the hour mark both teams looked lively but lacked the decisive touch in the final third with chances still at a premium.

But the game suddenly burst into life when a Walsall counter-attack resulted in a curled effort from Gaffney, from the left side, being pushed away by O’Donnell, as Walsall mounted the pressure.

After a 10 minute lapse in play, Bradford won a penalty with 15 minutes left on the clock - after Scarr failed to clear the ball, despite having time, and brings down Vaughan after he nicked it off him.

The veteran striker stepped up to take the spot-kick and lashed it high over the bar, to the delight of the home supporters.

But soon after he made up for his earlier mistake, challenging Kinsella in the air at the back-post and heading it past Roberts - with suggestions the final touch came off the Walsall midfielder.

And it proved to be the decisive touch as Gary Bowyer’s side took home all three points after Walsall failed to maintain an attack in the closing minutes.

Teams:

Walsall: Roberts, Clarke, Scarr, Jules (Cockerill-Mollett 56), Liddle, Sinclair, Kinsella, Guthrie, Holden (Hardy 62), Gaffney, Lavery (Gordon 78)

Subs not used: Rose, Sadler, Bates, McDonald

Bradford City: O’Donnell, Mellor, O’Connor, Richards-Everton, Pritchard, Donaldson, Vaughan, Palmer, Connolly (McCarten 65), Wood, Devine (Cooke 62)

Subs not used: Hornby, O’Connor, Anderson, Henley, Oteh

Attendance: 4,649