McCall hopes Bradford can build momentum after Stevenage win

Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2020 by PA

Stuart McCall insisted Bradford’s 3-1 comeback victory over bottom club Stevenage was vital for building momentum after he secured his first win since returning to the club.

After a relatively even start to the first half on a difficult pitch, the momentum swung Stevenage’s way in the 26th minute when Charlie Carter opened the scoring with a fine strike.

But Bradford turned the game on its head as Shay McCartan scored twice in five second-half minutes to hand the hosts the lead, finding the bottom corner from distance in the 49th minute before connecting with Connor Wood’s cross from close range in the 54th minute.

Lee Novak completed the scoring in added time with a fine goal on the break after Harry Pritchard had played him in down the left side.

The victory was City’s first since New Year’s Day and leaves them eighth in the table, level on 51 points with Cheltenham, who occupy the final play-off spot.

McCall said: “We know there is a lot of hard work to be done, to improve on, but that will do the world of good for the players.

“To come back from 1-0 against a team fighting for their lives at the bottom who are going to make it difficult for you is a credit to the players.

“We’ll not get carried away. We knew it was a game from the outset – regardless of the conditions and the surface or whatever – that we needed to win tonight.

“If we’d have lost this game I think we’d have lost any buoyancy or any momentum that we were looking to get.

“With the two home games, obviously we wanted to get six points but four points was the minimum. Thankfully we managed to get that.

“All in all, job done. It was a good comeback, so credit to the players for that.

“It was nice to send the supporters home happy and hopefully we can do more of that in the coming weeks.”

The defeat leaves Stevenage seven points adrift at the foot of the table after Morecambe beat Macclesfield.

Boss Graham Westley knows Boro have their work cut out but thinks they are up for the fight.

He said: “We’ve now got games ahead of us that we have to go and win. That’s the sort of challenge that Stevenage have always been about.

“I remember in 2003 when I came in, we won six on the bounce out of nowhere to top the form table and get out of trouble.

“It’s horrible being in the situation, it’s no good talking about it, we’ve got to go and do it and I think the whole squad is in that mindset where we are ready to do what it takes to get out of it.”