BANTAM WAIT

Sub Oliver bails out City & admits: It’s been long time coming

SECOND-FIDDLE Vadaine Oliver rescued a point with his first goal for Bradford and declared: “I knew my time would come.”

Oliver had been confined to the supporting cast at Valley Parade while top-scorer Andy Cook reeled off the best minutes-per-goal ratio in Europe behind only Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

But 11-goal Cook was wellshackled by Wimbledon, and it needed 30-year-old sub Oliver – whose 91 career goals have been scattered across 297 starts at 10 clubs – to deny the Wombles five minutes into added time from Matty Foulds’ perfect cross.

Oliver said: “Andy has been firing in all those goals, and I’ve had to wait for my chance, but that’s the nature of the sport and he’s been brilliant.

“Of course you want to get off the mark, and it’s been difficult to make an impact coming off the bench for five or 10 minutes.

“But as soon as Matty stood up that cross into the six-yard box, my eyes lit up.

“It’s been a while since I enjoyed that feeling, to score a last-minute equaliser right in front of the Kop made it extra special.”

Oliver (celebrating his goal, below right) has enjoyed working with manager Mark Hughes, and the unity of purpose he has created at Valley Parade, adding: “His credibility and his record speaks for itself.

“But the massive factor is the spirit in the dressing room, and how we have bonded as a group. It can be hard at times when you are on the bench, wondering if your opportunity will come. But it’s a long season, we have a great changing room and that will be important in the months ahead.”

Hughes (below) was pleased with how his men preserved City’s unbeaten home record. He said: “At 2-1 down, we needed to show some resolve to get something out of the game and I’m really pleased we did that. “It would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves and accept it wasn’t our day, but we showed a lot of heart and energy.”

The Dons fell behind to Scott Banks’ early rocket, Harry Pell and Ethan Chislett giving them a deserved lead before Oliver’s last-gasp intervention. Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson said: “The commitment to the badge was incredible. We stood up and took the game to Bradford.”