Mark Hughes salutes ‘excellent’ Bradford after victory over Harrogate

Posted Friday, December 30, 2022 by PA

Mark Hughes applauded Bradford’s return to form as they bounced back to winning ways against Harrogate at Valley Parade.

Their first home win since September ended a run of three consecutive defeats to lift the Bantams back into a play-off place.

Tyreik Wright scored the only goal after just 52 seconds, racing on to Brad Halliday’s pass to beat Harrogate goalkeeper Pete Jameson with the help of a slight deflection.

Hughes said: “I thought we were excellent. We had real intensity to our play, we were quick to the ball and not giving the opposition time to operate.

“We changed it up a little bit with a different formation and different personnel in a couple of positions. That helped us.

“We obviously had a great start with the goal from Ty. It was a good move, we wanted runs in from behind and didn’t get that in our last game at Carlisle.

“We wanted more energy and movement at the top end of the pitch and that’s what we got.”

Hughes dropped top scorer Andy Cook for Vadaine Oliver and played on-loan Aston Villa winger Wright as a second striker.

The Bradford manager added: “He’s got outstanding pace and putting that right down the middle is going to cause teams an issue. They have to find a way to deal with it and that’s not easy.”

Harrogate had won all their previous visits to Valley Parade and went into the game on the back of three straight wins.

But they only tested the home side once when Jack Muldoon set up Luke Armstrong for an angled effort that was pushed round the post by Harry Lewis early in the second half.

“We feel a bit flat but it’s important we keep the spirit of the players up,” said Harrogate manager Simon Weaver. “They were very resolute with their efforts.

“We thought Luke’s shot was just going to creep inside the far post. If we’d have come away with a point, we’d have valued that very much.

“We just didn’t create as many chances as we have been in the final third.

“We’ll dust ourselves down. We’ve had a lot of football recently and there’s plenty more to come.”

Bradford had further chances in the second half with Halliday, Cook and Abo Eisa going close. But Wright’s first-minute finish proved enough to clinch their first home win in six attempts.

Weaver added: “Everyone’s fired up raring to go and then within a couple of minutes, they’ve slipped a ball down the side and we haven’t defended it well enough.

“It’s a local derby and there was a lot at stake for them having lost the last three.”