When the second round of the FA cup draw was announced many saw the game between Bradford and Dartford as a potential upset. If the first round of the FA cup was anything to go by, more shocks should be on the cards. Dartford who beat Bromley in the first round were looking to take the confidence from that win into this and that Blythe Spartans against all odds defeated Hartlepool last night.
If Dartford were to achieve the win, the London club knew that they would have to produce a good performance against League one middle table opponents Bradford. The Bantams will be looking to go on another good cup run after surprising many to reach the league cup in 2013.
The League one side included Jonathan Stead and Billy Clarke in their line up, both men were key players in the first round victory of the FA cup.
The Yorkshire side who overcame a scare to beat Yorkshire rivals Halifax in the first round, were never really tested in this one. Bradford had home advantage, and they really made it count. If Dartford were to have any chance of winning this game, they first had to avoid conceding early – but unfortunately that’s exactly what the Conference strugglers did.
Jonathan Stead a scorer in the last round – this time turned provider, the Huddersfield loanee raced down the left wing and fed Billy Clarke who scrambled the ball over the line after 10 minutes to give the home side the best possible start. Dartford who must have been looking to not concede as early as the 10th minute went further behind 21 minutes later when Jonathan Stead who had set up the first goal steered the ball home from eight yards.
There would be no further damage to the score line for Dartford in the first half who were in serious danger of getting ‘blown away’. The Londoner’s would have been looking to at least show some fight and at least compete in this game. At 2-0 and in the context of the game this game seemed over as a contest. It would get worse for the conference side as Filipe Morais and Mark Yeates scored with in a minute of each other to leave the score at 4-0.
Morais scored a beauty from 25 yards while Yates curled in from the edge of the box to get Bradford’s fourth. A miserable day for the Londoners was complete – but there was time for Lee Noble to score a brilliant goal by nonchalantly flicking the ball in the net – but that proved to be a mere consolation.
The Bantams march on to the third round of the FA and will be dreaming of another good cup run like the 2013 league cup run. The draw for the third round is on Monday.
The Bearded Captain 