Cardiff City’s unbeaten start to the League One campaign came to a sudden halt this afternoon as they were beaten 3-1 by Bradford City at Cardiff City Stadium in front of a crowd of 22,132.
Brian Barry-Murphy’s side had gone seven matches without defeat heading into the clash, sitting top of the table, but a ruthless Bantams performance left the home crowd stunned.
First-half dominance from Bradford
The visitors started brightly and took the lead on 16 minutes when Tommy Leigh unleashed a thunderous strike from the edge of the box that flew into the top corner past Nathan Trott.
Cardiff had chances to respond, with Yousef Salech and David Turnbull both testing goalkeeper Sam Walker, but it was Bradford who struck again just after the half-hour mark. Antoni Sarcevic was brought down inside the box and made no mistake from the spot, firing his penalty straight down the middle to double the lead.
By half-time, Cardiff trailed 2-0 and looked second best in both boxes.
Neufville adds a third
Any hopes of a second-half comeback were quickly dashed when Josh Neufville added a third for the Bantams on 49 minutes. Released down the left, Will Swan’s cross wasn’t cleared, and Neufville’s effort deflected off Ryan Wintle and into the net.
Cardiff did rally, with Salech seeing a header crash against the crossbar, while substitutes Isaak Davies, Omari Kellyman and Callum Robinson gave the Bluebirds more attacking intent. Robinson eventually pulled one back in the 77th minute, firing into the roof of the net after a scramble in the box, but it was too little, too late.
Bradford saw out the closing stages with composure, frustrating Cardiff as the home side pushed for a way back.
League One table (selected top positions)
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford City | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 20 |
| 2 | Stevenage | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 19 |
| 3 | Lincoln City | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 18 |
| 4 | Cardiff City | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 17 |
| 5 | Huddersfield Town | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 16 |
Key stats and context
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This was the first league meeting between the sides since 2004, when Cardiff won 1-0 at Valley Parade.
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Cardiff remain unbeaten in their last seven before today, but this marks their first defeat under Barry-Murphy.
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Bradford have now won their last three away league visits to Cardiff, adding to victories in 1995 and 2003.
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Bobby Pointon, League One’s current top scorer, failed to extend his tally, but his side still claimed a vital win.
What it means
The result dents Cardiff’s early momentum at the top of the table, while Bradford’s confidence will be soaring after a statement win away from home.
For Barry-Murphy, the challenge now is how quickly his side can bounce back from their first real setback of the season.
Final score: Cardiff City 1-3 Bradford City. Attendance: 22,132.
