Hugh beauty
BANTAMS BOSS MAKES BRAVE CALL
LAST action hero Vadaine Oliver’s late header rescued a point as Bradford boss Mark Hughes turned the fans’ moans to cheers.
Supersub Oliver buried Matty Foulds’ left-wing cross to bank his first goal for the Bantams and break Wimbledon hearts with the hourglass down to the last grains of sand.
Bradford’s 11-goal top scorer Andy Cook made little headway – and Hughes’ decision to replace him with Oliver was not universally popular.
But it proved a masterstroke and Hughes said: “There were probably a few groans when I made the change, but it worked to an extent.
“It was really important for Vadaine to get off the mark.”
The Dons were good value for their point after falling behind to Scott Banks’ set-piece missile after only four minutes. Ethan Chislett and Josh Davison both hit the post for the visitors before Harry Pell’s deserved equaliser on 58 minutes.
South African livewire Chislett appeared to have won it with a brilliant free-kick 14 minutes from time – but Oliver had other ideas.
Dons boss Johnnie Jackson said: “I’m really proud of the performance. The lads were outstanding.”
BRADFORD: Lewis 6; Hendrie 6, Platt 7, Odusina 5, Foulds 6; Smallwood 7, Gilliead 6; Banks 7 (Angol (60) 6), Pereira 5 (Sutton (60) 6), Chapman 7; Cook 5 (Oliver (77) 7) WIMBLEDON: Tzanev 5; Nightingale 6, Pearce 5 (Towler (7) 8), Brown 7; Pell 7, Ogundere 6, Maghoma 7, Currie 6; Assal 6, Davison 6 (Hudlin (82) 5), Chislett 8 (Marsh (88) 6) STAR MAN: Ethan Chislett. His superb free-kick should have been the winner.
REF: Darren Drysdale 5