EFL Cup
BradfordBradford City2LeedsLeeds United1

Bradford City 2-1 Leeds United

Luke Murphy
Luke Murphy became the fourth Leeds player to be sent off this season

League One Bradford City came from behind to knock 10-man Leeds United out of the League Cup and increase the pressure on Whites boss David Hockaday.

The Championship side had Luke Murphy sent off for two bookable offences inside the first 30 minutes but took the lead through Matt Smith's header.

Billy Knott blasted in an equaliser, before James Hanson headed in a winner.

And it was another dismal evening for Hockaday, who had nearly lost his job after his side's 4-1 loss at Watford.

After Saturday's game, Leeds owner Massimo Cellino said he was poised to dismiss Hockaday, who was only appointed in June, with the club 21st in the Championship after taking only three points from their first four league games.

Now Hockaday's side have also suffered an embarrassing early exit from the League Cup against their West Yorkshire rivals who are a division below them.

James Hanson
James Hanson celebrates scoring the winning goal for Bradford City against rivals Leeds United

Murphy made a reckless challenge on City's Gary Liddle after only seven minutes and was then booked later in the first half with another poor tackle, this time on Bradford's James Meredith.

However, the visitors took an 82nd-minute lead in a fiery derby when Smith headed in David Norris's floated cross.

But the advantage only lasted two minutes before the Bantams, League Cup runners-up two seasons ago, equalised through Knott's powerful effort.

With the game heading towards extra-time, Hanson steered in Liddle's cross for a dramatic winning goal on 86 minutes.

In the third round, Bradford will now play fellow League One side MK Dons, who thrashed Louis van Gaal's Manchester United 4-0 on Tuesday.

Bradford manager Phil Parkinson:

"Without a doubt this is a big moment, we knew what this meant to the people of Bradford tonight and we said that to the lads before we went out there.

"We knew how we wanted to play but it was very important to come off the pitch knowing we'd given everything, and created a little bit of history. We knew we'd not beaten Leeds at Valley Parade for over 80 years.

"Those fans have gone away tonight knowing we did everything to make that happen for them."

Leeds United manager Dave Hockaday:

"I'm not a quitter, I'm a fighter. I feel as though not just myself, but the team at the moment, things just aren't going our way.

"But now we have to look at Saturday. They'll be in tomorrow, I'll be in tomorrow and it's on to the next game again.

"I don't have to say this but the players are 100% behind the way we want to play. The president, everyone, they all want us to do well. We're getting a lot of bad press at the moment, some of it self inflicted, and we're making it very difficult for ourselves on the field.

"It's a tough game at times but we've got to pick ourselves up. Nobody here is going to feel sorry for us."

Line-ups

Bradford

Formation 4-3-3

  • 12Williams
  • 6Sheehan
  • 2Darby
  • 3Meredith
  • 23McArdle
  • 11KnottSubstituted forDolanat 90+7'minutes
  • 17Kennedy
  • 8Liddle
  • 10ClarkeBooked at 90mins
  • 9Hanson
  • 7McLeanSubstituted forMcBurnieat 70'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Dolan
  • 14Yeates
  • 16Shariff
  • 18Routis
  • 19McBurnie
  • 20Morais
  • 22Urwin

Leeds

Formation 4-1-2-1-2

  • 13Taylor
  • 32CooperBooked at 45mins
  • 6Pearce
  • 3Warnock
  • 15Wootton
  • 18Tonge
  • 7MurphyBooked at 31mins
  • 14Bianchi
  • 20NorrisSubstituted forPoleonat 90'minutes
  • 8Sharp
  • 9Smith

Substitutes

  • 1Silvestri
  • 16Ajose
  • 21Taylor
  • 23L Cook
  • 26Poleon
  • 31Benedicic
  • 34Antenucci
Referee:
Graham Scott
Attendance:
18,750

Match Stats

Home TeamBradfordAway TeamLeeds
Possession
Home55%
Away45%
Shots
Home14
Away9
Shots on Target
Home7
Away2
Corners
Home9
Away1
Fouls
Home9
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Bradford City 2, Leeds United 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Bradford City 2, Leeds United 1.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Matt Smith (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.

  4. Booking

    James Meredith (Bradford City) is shown the yellow card.

  5. Post update

    Foul by James Meredith (Bradford City).

  6. Post update

    Matt Smith (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  7. Post update

    Tommaso Bianchi (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Oliver McBurnie (Bradford City).

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, Bradford City. Matthew Dolan replaces Billy Knott.

  10. Post update

    Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Scott Wootton.

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. Dominic Poleon (Leeds United) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the right.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Billy Knott (Bradford City).

  13. Post update

    Tommaso Bianchi (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Post update

    Oliver McBurnie (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Michael Tonge (Leeds United).

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Leeds United. Dominic Poleon replaces David Norris.

  17. Goal!

    Goal! Bradford City 2, Leeds United 1. James Hanson (Bradford City) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Gary Liddle with a cross.

  18. Goal!

    Goal! Bradford City 1, Leeds United 1. Billy Knott (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner.

  19. Post update

    Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Stuart Taylor.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Billy Clarke (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.