Video summary
Bradford City and Cambridge United faced off in an entertaining EFL League Two match at Valley Parade, with both teams entering the game having suffered defeats in their previous fixtures. The contest began with Bradford City taking the lead through Ebou Touray, who capitalized on a deflection to score early on. However, the home side struggled to maintain their advantage as Cambridge United pushed forward relentlessly, creating numerous chances and forcing goalkeeper Jake Eastwood into a series of spectacular saves, including one where he dived like Superman to deny a header from Vincent. Despite Bradford's efforts to hold onto their slim lead, they found themselves under constant pressure in the final third, with Cambridge repeatedly threatening to equalize through well-worked attacks and individual brilliance.
The deadlock was finally broken when Sully Kaikai scored for Cambridge United, marking his first goal of the new campaign after being a crucial scorer last season. His strike leveled the score at 1-1, showcasing his ability to find space under pressure and finish from distance despite defensive challenges from Reece Welsh and others. The equalizer sparked renewed energy from the visitors, who continued to dominate possession and create opportunities, while Bradford's defense showed signs of hesitation that allowed Cambridge to exploit gaps in their back line. The match remained tense as both sides fought for control, with Bradford briefly regaining the lead before Cambridge responded with a clinical finish late in the game.
In a dramatic conclusion, substitute Ben Knight came off the bench and scored the winning goal for Cambridge United just minutes before full time, securing their first away victory since February. The goal stemmed from a defensive slip by Bradford City, which allowed Knight to capitalize on an open space and score clinically, much like his previous strike at Bromley. This result marked a significant turnaround for Neil Harris' side, who held onto their lead after throwing it away earlier in the weekend. Graham Alexander acknowledged that although his team dominated possession and generated many shots, they lacked the clinical edge needed to convert those chances into goals until Knight's late intervention sealed the victory.
Ultimately, Cambridge United emerged victorious with a final score of 1-2, overcoming Bradford City's efforts to hold on to their lead. The match highlighted the importance of resilience and the impact of substitutes, as Ben Knight's goal proved decisive in denying Bradford an important result. While Bradford showed flashes of quality and managed to equalize briefly, they ultimately failed to capitalize on their opportunities and conceded a defeat that could have been avoided with better defensive discipline. This win boosts Cambridge United's confidence ahead of their next fixture, while Bradford City will need to regroup after another disappointing away performance that left them without a victory on the road for some time.
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Both these sides beaten at the weekend.
First Tuesday night round of league
fixtures this season. Can either
Bradford or Cambridge get back on their
weekend off day?
It's
literally on the center.
Right the wrongs of Saturday.
Someone has to score.
Players who have the belief.
They'll
perform better this time around.
>> [cheering]
>> Hesitation in the Bradford back line and
that will only benefit Cambridge United.
Here's Bennett, the right back. Oh, it
takes a wicked deflection
and goes behind for a corner. Rather
fortunate in the end, but Bradford in
the first few minutes are really on the
back foot here.
And goalie Williams
causing chaos and
Goodness me.
>> [cheering]
>> Conor Cracknell completely committed to
the dive
actually hit the frame of the goal.
That was close there.
Cambridge United for the third time this
evening will have an
opportunity to send a deep free kick
into the Bradford City penalty area.
Once again, everybody back for Bradford
City.
It's a tricky situation, isn't it, where
you're leaving somebody on the halfway
line.
Potential counter attack.
Sully Kaikai with the deep free kick.
It's a good one in.
Nobody gets a touch on it.
Hopefully they're getting well into
aggressive areas to potentially get a
touch on that.
And the closest to it must be slightly
pulled back by Macaulay and
Loftus-Cheek.
Just
slowed him from getting into his
position.
Couple of goals
throughout the EFL this evening.
That's a wonderful flick forward FOR
EBOU TOURAY. OH, IT TOOK A nick there
and it go behind for a corner.
>> [applause]
>> Ebou Touray took the scoring lead goal
for Bradford. He came mightily close
there.
He just lined up for it. You can see the
gap he was aiming for and
>> [cheering]
>> touch off Bennett. Couldn't send it
anywhere.
As we approach the half-an-hour mark,
they're looking for the
first goal in this one.
Vincent with a smart nudge in the back
of Heffernan. HOOKS ONE IN. OH, WHAT A
SAVE THAT IS.
Jake Eastwood flies through the sky like
Superman to pull that one out of the
air.
Well, in a game of very few
opportunities, your goalkeeper has got
to be at his best. And that
will take some beating this evening.
He was pretty much on his right hand
post as that cross came in and he did
well to get really well to get back into
the middle.
>> [cheering]
>> Nixon
with the ball at his feet but he's
dispossessed by a brilliant sliding
challenge and now
counters on Phillips.
OOH, THERE'S PLENTY OF WHIP ON THAT.
Jake Eastwood could only watch as it
lofted over his head. I think he got a
hand on it.
Find it with the frame of his goal.
He's not the winner of himself. I think
in making that save. He did. A massive
hand by Eastwood.
So close
to 1-0.
Well, that's a complete miscue. Kai has
an open goal but can't get it right.
McCracken breathes a sigh of relief.
Well, Sully Kaikai saw the opportunity.
It was a difficult one to execute.
It may have been an empty goal but to
take that touch and finish from distance
is a big ask.
Actually really good first touch by
Sully Kaikai.
He should have just put his foot through
it and got it completely wrong.
He won't be making any apologies.
He fell.
He forces his way through. Connolly
to Maris Vasić
to Connolly
It takes a deflection.
Pietro
Pietro alive over on the left-hand side.
Look at the cheering up.
Pointon
That's tasty.
The volley will come in. Oh, it takes a
touch and behind for a corner. They're
asking for a handball.
Adam Phillips certainly thinks it was.
It would have been a harsh one cuz the
hand was definitely down by the side.
I think it may have been a kick more
than a hand. [cheering]
It was Harry Pritchard who scored the
only goal of the game last time these
two met.
Well, that's a GOOD KNOCKDOWN. DANGER
HERE.
SULLY KAIKAI IS YOUR MAN.
A LONG BALL down the middle and
Cambridge United take the lead at Valley
Parade.
Honours even as he's started every
league game this season. Tonight he
starts and he makes the difference.
Look how straight forward it was.
It was completely misjudged that header
by Gillespie.
And you have to say Sully Kaikai under
pressure
from Reece Welsh and the Kraken closing
you down. Just gets a toe on it.
It's a poke in beyond the Bradford City
goalkeeper.
Kaikai whose goals were crucial last
season.
It's his first of this new campaign.
>> [cheering]
>> Somerset it
>> [cheering]
>> again allowing them in the penalty area.
Welsh
kicks it over Bradshaw.
Loifield, IS THIS THE MOMENT? OH, IT
STRIKES THE CROSSBAR.
AND IT SOMEHOW DOESN'T GO IN.
OH, DOES IT? IT DOES.
BRADFORD CITY ARE LEVEL.
>> [cheering]
>> I'm not quite sure how,
but the referee's
Korkai watch buzzes and Bradford City
are level here.
Well, let's just see how this was
squeezed over the line.
A long last the cross into the box finds
a Bradford head.
It was pointed with a back heel and
despite the efforts of Bennett on the
line, he wasn't able to keep it out.
And Cambridge United have pegged back.
Bradford have been pushing and pushing
and a long last they find a way over the
line.
Just about.
It's so hard to tell for sure, but
we believe the referee's watch and it's
one a piece.
>> [cheering]
>> That's not clean at all.
Accrington looking to make the most of
it.
Bradford City slip.
Plays in this attack.
Ben Knight the man who receives. KNIGHT
ON HIS LEFT FOOT.
OH, THAT IS CLINICAL BY KNIGHT.
>> [cheering]
>> They've not tasted SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
IN SO LONG, BUT NOW they're 3 minutes
away FROM TASTING JUST THAT. BEN KNIGHT
OFF THE bench and on the scoresheet to
potentially win it for Cambridge United.
Bradford City 1, Cambridge United 2.
And Neil Harris' side late on
are in
command.
Well, it all stemmed from a Bradford
City slip. Operated really well to get
his head up. The substitute finding a
fellow substitute.
And Ben Knight, another away day,
another Knight goal.
Scored at Bromley 10 days ago, and now
he's done it
up at Valley Parade.
>> [cheering]
>> Well, there you have it.
Their first victory on the road since
February. Neil Harris with an unfamiliar
feeling.
After they threw away a lead at the
weekend, this time
they hold on to it. Ben Knight with the
winner just a couple of minutes
to go until full time. Off the bench and
the savior
for the U's tonight. Graham Alexander
knows that his side had a lot of the
ball, had a lot of shots, but
in all honesty,
especially in the second half, they
lacked bite, they lacked
that
clinical element where you need to be a
top top side.
Final score, Bradford City 1, Cambridge
United 2.
>> Mhm.