Bowyer hails his battling Bantams

BRADFORD manager Gary Bowyer hailed his players after they held higher division Shrewsbury to a first-round draw.

Aramide Oteh gave Bradford, flying high in second place in League Two, a first-half lead at Montgomery

Waters Meadow, before Josh Laurent pulled Shrewsbury, who are 11th in League One, level nine minutes later.

The Bantams came close to a late winner when Ben RichardsEverton headed against a post, but the clubs must meet again in West Yorkshire.

Bowyer said: “I thought we gave a very good account of ourselves, a League Two team coming to a League One team, where in the last couple of games at home here, Shrewsbury have beaten Sunderland and beaten Peterborough.

“We started ever so well, could have scored within the first minute, and then we did score.

“Then obviously Shrewsbury are a good team and they got into the game. Half-time came and we were disappointed with their equaliser, but there are lots of positives for us to take away from here today.”

Bradford went ahead in the 19th minute as Oteh intercepted an attempted header back to his goalkeeper by Aaron Pierre and confidently beat Joe Murphy.

Shrewsbury were back on level terms within nine minutes as Shaun Whalley’s cross from the right was headed down by Scott Golbourne and Laurent swept an equaliser past goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell.

Laurent saw a shot from 20 yards deflected narrowly wide, before Sean Goss tested O’Donnell from a similar distance.

Bradford’s Danny Devine then fired a volley goalwards which was well dealt with by Murphy.

Both sides had chances in the second half to snatch the tie, but were unable to make a breakthrough.

“I think we huffed and we puffed and we just couldn’t quite get that winning goal,” said Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts.

“We gave them a goal, 1-0 down, got back in the game, and I thought for large parts of the first half the game was there for the taking.

“But I think you have to give Bradford some credit. They’re a side who are on a good run.”