BENNETT EASES KHAYATI BLOW
LIFE after leading scorer Nasser El Khayati started well for Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough as one of his protegees helped defeat disappointing Bradford.
Mason Bennett, whom Clough made Derby’s youngest ever player at the age of 15, drove in the opening goal with Tom Naylor and Mark Duffy adding the others during a golden five-minute spell for the League One leaders late on which meant El Khayati’s transfer to QPR was all but forgotten.
Defender Rory McArdle belatedly showed City’s wayward strikers the way to goal deep into injury time.
Clough said: “It wasn’t pretty at times but we fought and battled and rode our luck in the first half. We gave them absolutely nothing when they attacked us early in the second half and took our chances when they came.
“Maybe we didn’t deserve to go 3-0 up, but the goalkeeper and the back four deserved it.
“Mason started well in the first half before he tired after the break. He got us an important first goal, albeit with a deflection.
“Results went for us which is nice.We have got to try to maintain the gap at the top.”
Bennett’s goal came in the 17th minute and was due reward for a bright Burton start as Lucas Akins blazed a glorious 10th-minute chance over the bar and Bantams goalkeeper Ben Williams palmed away a fine effort from Duffy soon afterwards.
Clough’s men relied mostly on their customary sound defence, which again stood supreme other than an uncharacteristic air kick from skipper John Mousinho in the 26th minute that gave James Hanson a clear run in on Jon McLaughlin. The lanky striker, however, steered his shot wastefully wide. That was one of three good chances Hanson spurned.
A double interval change inspired a brief Bantams assault but Burton defended manfully.
Albion relied on perspiration rather than inspiration before two fine goals within five minutes had their fans chanting confidently of a trip to Derby next season.
All-action midfielder Naylor timed his run into the box to perfection to volley spectacularly home from ten yards via the underside of the bar from Damien McCrory’s cross.
Then the persevering Stuart Beavon’s driven cross was tapped into an empty net by Duffy. That was a harsh reflection of the game, although Bantams had rarely looked like equalising and McArdle’s injury-time effort was well after this horse had bolted.
Bradford manager Phil Parkinson said: “I was disappointed that we started on the back foot, then missed two or three great chances.
“Burton don’t concede that many opportunities, so we needed to be more clinical.
“Ben’s not really had a great save to make whilst we’ve missed a one-on-one and two headers from six yards.
“We started the second half brightly but Burton were better than us.
“Everybody is searching for strikers who score goals.
“Last week our forwards got us a muchneeded win but we came up short this time around.”