
Graham Alexander lauds Bradford's ‘great start' after cup win at Blackburn
Dion De Neve reduced the arrears before the break but Bradford deservedly held on.
Alexander praised that fast start, saying: 'It's a great start for us. Two goals in four minutes. I thought we really went at them, showed we were here to compete and to win a game of football. I thought we played really well in the first half.
'Blackburn got a head of steam just before half-time, opened us up a couple of times. They get the goal from the long throw which is disappointing from our perspective, but we didn't let it affect our mindset going into the second half.
'Really tough game, had to work exceptionally hard out of possession but I thought we created really good opportunities to get an extra goal.'
It was a miserable night for Valerien Ismael who confirmed captain Lewis Travis wants to leave. He said the poor start killed his team.
'We lost the game in the first five minutes. It's clear, two big mistakes. Not concentrating. After that, we were on the front foot, created a lot of chances. It's disappointing we kill us straightaway in the first five minutes.'

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Wales Online
24 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's Cardiff City news as rival boss 'feels sick' after loss and rising star grabs attention
Tonight's Cardiff City news as rival boss 'feels sick' after loss and rising star grabs attention The latest Bluebirds news from Cardiff City Stadium Johnnie Jackson, Wimbledon Manager (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Wednesday, August 20. Johnnie Jackson 'sick' for players after late Cardiff defeat AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson admitted he felt 'sick' for his players after a stoppage-time strike from Isaak Davies condemned his side to defeat against Cardiff City. The League One clash looked destined to finish goalless until Davies diverted in David Turnbull's effort from the edge of the box deep into added time, sealing a 1-0 win for the visitors. The result leaves the Dons 14th in the table after four games, having won two and lost two. 'It's a tough one to take, I feel sick about that for my players really — the effort they put in to get no points out of it,' Jackson told BBC Radio London. 'It's always disappointing to lose a game. I just said to them in there, 'If you play like that week in, week out, we're going to pick up points and win a lot of games because we're a good side.' 'We showed it again tonight, we've shown it in every game so far this season. We've not always got the result but we've always shown that we'll compete, that we're a good team and we belong here.' Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. Article continues below Tankiewicz grabs attention Rising teenage star Robert Tankiewicz has grabbed the attention of Cardiff City fans after the 16-year-old starred in the Bluebirds' U21s win over Crewe. Tankiewicz is playing five years below the age bracket, but scored twice in the Bluebirds' 3-0 triumph over the Railwaymen, with Troy Perrett bagging the other goal. The Cardiff academy star, who has been with the club since U9s, has captained Wales at age-grade level and looks a top prospect in that attacking midfield role. The youngster has made his mark and, with first-team boss Brian Barry-Murphy unafraid to hand young players their opportunity, will be desperate to continue to impress in the coming months. Making only his second U21s appearance, Tankiewicz said before the game: 'Since I've started my scholarship, I've really enjoyed my time with City both on and off the pitch. I've been working hard, and the opportunities have come off the back of that. I'm much more comfortable in the U21s now, and now is the time to stay consistent and find my spot in the team. 'It was definitely a proud moment for me and my family. I'll have been at the club for eight years when December comes around. I found out I was being offered a scholarship last December, so seven years since I joined, and it's just such a proud moment. I've had a positive start to pre-season and the season itself, and I can't wait to play more. 'I've gained a lot of confidence and that's enabled me to be where I am now. When I started my scholarship and when I was able to get my spot in the U18s, I wanted to show that I was able to push and aim as high as possible. Now the time has come, and I need to remain consistent and humble." He is certainly one to watch. Isaak Davies hails young guns after late winner Isaak Davies says Cardiff's crop of academy stars are thriving under Brian Barry-Murphy after his stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory at AFC Wimbledon. The 22-year-old came off the bench to snatch the points on Tuesday night, continuing the Bluebirds' unbeaten start to the League One campaign. Barry-Murphy once again named a youthful squad, with eight academy graduates included in the matchday 18. Davies' goal means seven of Cardiff's eight strikes this season have come from players who came through the club's youth system. 'You see every week now that the youngsters are performing,' said Davies. 'It's good to see boys you have come through the academy with on the pitch. The boys really deserved the win. To be fair to Wimbledon they made it tough for us, but we didn't stop until the end and we got what we deserved.' The result was Cardiff's first away win of the season and took them to 10 points from their opening four games, lifting spirits following relegation from the Championship. Remarkably, Barry-Murphy has achieved that start with just one summer signing, goalkeeper Nathan Trott. Next up is a testing trip to Luton Town on Saturday, with the Hatters also adjusting to life in League One following relegation last term. 'I think every game in League One is going to be tough,' Davies added. 'We need to play our game, focus on ourselves and obviously watch a bit of the opposition as well. We just need to carry on doing what we are doing.' Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here. --- *Follow all of our social channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Bluebirds news. Sign up to our daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here . Article continues below You can also follow us on social media on our X account and Facebook .


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Simkin 'can be better than Keeley'
Leyton Orient head coach Richie Wellens says goalkeeper Tommy Simkin has the potential to be better than last seen's on-loan stopper Josh kept 16 clean sheets in 45 matches while on from Tottenham last term and has since made a permanent move to Luton has been brought in on loan from Stoke City in his place and has played in all four of the O's League One games of the season so far and kept his second clean sheet in a 1-0 win against Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday."I think Tommy's been outstanding since the first moment he walked through the door," Wellens told BBC Radio London."He's got good stature, his mentality is good. He's hungry to succeed in the game. And with our history of keepers, [Lawrence] Vigouroux, Sol Brynn, Josh Keeley – he has the potential to be as good, if not better than all them, so we're really pleased."It's only the start, but in the last few weeks he couldn't really do anything at the Stockport goals, but the opposition have got to work hard to get the ball past him because he's really good." O's striker Josh Koroma also impressed against the Pilgrims, beating the offside trap to score the winning was his second goal since returning to the club from Huddersfield Town this Leone international Koroma, 26, began his career at Brisbane Road and scored 20 goals in 97 appearances before joining Huddersfield in 2019."It's something that we work on, the way that we press and then to get into areas straightaway," Wellens said."And it was a terrific finish. He didn't panic, he let it bounce, he was set, kept the defender at arm's length, so terrific finish and Josh has started really, really well for us."I think his sharpness and his hunger to run has led to a position where he looks really fit, and he's a goalscorer - he's proven that over the years." Orient have begun the season with two wins, a draw and a defeat from their opening four League One next face 12th-placed Mansfield Town on Saturday."Our start has been positive," Wellens added. "We've played a big-spending team, we've played a play-off team from last year and we've played a relegated team away from home, who were expected right to be up there, and we've got seven points, so it's a lot better than last year."


BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
'The group is a really special one'
Stevenage boss Alex Revell labelled his side "really special" following their fourth consecutive win, which maintained a 100% record at the start of the late goals from Jamie Reid saw Stevenage come from a goal down in the 88th minute to snatch a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory at Port Vale. It means they remain the League One pace-setters, two points clear of Cardiff at the top of the table."The group is a really special one that just works incredibly hard for each other," Revell told BBC Three Counties Radio."When you have that, you just keep going, keep driving, keep believing - [it is] an incredible night for us." Northern Ireland international forward Reid, who has been at the club since the summer of 2021, has netted four goals in the opening four league matches. And after the match, Revell singled out the 31-year-old out for praise."When you've got someone on the pitch that can turn a game in an instant, you've got every chance," Revell said."He's in incredible form. He's someone who has worked incredibly hard over the last two months. He's gone from strength to strength."He's a massive part of the group, he's a leader, and when you work incredibly hard, you get the rewards."I'm delighted for him. He's back in the Northern Ireland squad which is an incredible achievement, no matter what."I'm sure they'll be looking at him thinking he's the real deal. "We love Reidy, he knows that and we'll keep pushing him to keep getting those performances."