Live blog: Bradford City v Aston Villa (From Worcester News)

10:44pm

Full match report, quotes reaction and colour piece in tomorrow's T&A. Definitely worth a read. 

10:42pm

Phil Parkinson in buoyant mood post-match... and rightly so.

He said: "I think it's important to enjoy the moment but not get carried away.

"We must be respectful to Villa because in two weeks' time we've got to go to Villa Park.

"We're absolutely delighted with the way we played because from the first minute to the last I thought the lads were tremendous tonight.

"Equally we know we're only halfway there and we've got a tremendously difficult job in a fortnight's time.

"The support from the fans was incredible and the way they backed the lads got that extra ten to fifteen per cent out of them."

9:41pm

Well, that's it for now folks. Incredible stuff as Bradford City Football Club take a giant step towards a potential Wembley date on Sunday, February 24.

9:39pm

City 3, Aston Villa 1

Matt Duke’s heroics and goals from Nahki Wells, Rory McArdle and Carl McHugh gave City an amazing victory in tonight’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg.
Bantams goalkeeper Duke was outstanding throughout and made numerous fine saves to keep Paul Lambert’s men at bay at a raucous Valley Parade.
Wells’ clinical finish from close range had put City in front in the 18th minute and McArdle headed a second with 13 minutes remaining.
Villa fashioned several chances throughout but Duke enjoyed a brilliant match to keep them at bay until Andreas Weimann pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute.
That came moments after James Hanson headed against the crossbar but City had the final say when McHugh’s planted a firm header past Shay Given for a potentially process third.
It means City have a huge chance of seeing off Villa in the second leg in a fortnight’s time as they bid to reach the final at Wembley on February 24, where they would face Swansea or Chelsea.
 

9:38pm

FINAL SCORE - City 3 Aston Villa 1 - Amazing. City in with a huge chance of reaching Wembley.

9:32pm

88 mins - GOAL!! McHUGH powerfully heads in a corner from Turgott. Amazing scenes. 3-1 now!!!

9:29pm

9:28pm

84 mins - SUB - Graham Burke for Darren Bent.

9:27pm

82 mins - GOAL to Villa - Andreas Weimann pulls a goal back for Villa. 2-1. Bitter blow for City.

9:25pm

The Kop is chanting 'we can see you sneaking out' to the visiting supporters.

9:23pm

79 mins - Wells free-kick straight at Shay Given. Villa looked shellshocked. And with good reason.

9:22pm

78 mins - Hanson heads against the top of the crossbar from a Turgott cross!!! 3-0 would have been such a big lead.

9:21pm

76 mins - GOAL - CITY 2-0 UP!! McARDLE heads in a cross from Gary Jones. Oh my word!!!

9:19pm

75 mins - City counter-attack in style and Wells fires a right-foot shot which is deflected out for a corner.

9:16pm

Valley Parade is belting out a rendition of 'Que Sera, que sera...' City still 1-0 up with 17 minutes remaining.

9:10pm

67 mins - Bent heads over from point-blank range in a shocking miss.

9:09pm

66 mins - SUB - Zavon Hines OFF, Blair Turgott ON

9:09pm

Scare for City as Duke clearance riccochets off a Villa attacker to safety.

9:07pm

ATTENDANCE: 22,245 (including 4,314 Aston Villa fans)

9:05pm

62 mins - Darren Bent volleys over the crossbar at the far post from just six yards out.

9:05pm

N'Zogbia booked for that challenge on Wells.

9:04pm

Phil Parkinson animated on the touchline as Nahki Wells is cynically hacked down.

9:00pm

57 mins - SUB - Darren Bent on for Gabriel Agbonlahor.

8:59pm

55 mins - Carl McHugh heads over a corner from the right by Gary Jones.

8:56pm

Aston Villa turning the screw on City a bit here.... can they hold out?

8:54pm

8:54pm

8:53pm

50 mins - Gabriel Agbonlahor left-foot shot repelled by Duke at his near post. Duke has been immense tonight.

8:53pm

8:53pm

8:52pm

8:52pm

48 mins - Duke produces another brilliant save to deny Benteke's diving header from Barry Bannan's left-wing cross.

8:49pm

City attacking Kop end second half.

8:49pm

Benteke shot booted clear by Duke within seconds of the restart at the expense of a corner.

8:33pm

Right folks, that's it for now. City lead 1-0 at the break thanks to another smart finish from Nahki Wells.

8:31pm

43 mins - Great save from Matt Duke to deny Agbonlahor's fierce volley.

8:28pm

40 mins - Hines crosses to Hanson who can only head over. Villa are dangerous on the break but look suspectible at the back.

8:27pm

"Are you Arsenal in disguise?" sing the City fans.

8:26pm

City are 1-0 up with six minutes to go until half-time. What a boost it would be to lead at the break.

8:24pm

Delph with the clearance there for Villa to deny James Hanson's header from Gary Jones' corner.

8:24pm

Delph with the clearance there for Villa to deny James Hanson's header from Gary Jones' corner.

8:23pm

36 mins - Hanson header cleared off the line!!

8:21pm

38 mins - Zavon Hines has a fierce right-foot shot well parried by Given. Could easily have been 2-0!

8:18pm

8:18pm

8:16pm

29 mins - Benteke hits a right-foot shot from 20 yards which Dukes parries out for a corner.

8:15pm

27 mins - N'Zogbia embarks on a delightful run but fires straight at Duke with a low left-foot shot.

8:14pm

27 mins - Hines crosses low to James Hanson but the striker's weak scuffed shot causes Given no problems.

8:08pm

Tidy finish to fire the ball home by Wells, whose price tag just went up further with that goal.

8:06pm

Three sides of Valley Parade chant 'Who are ya?' to the Villa fans.

8:05pm

GOAL: Nahki Wells opens the scoring after Villa fail to clear a corner!! 1-0 to CITY!!!

8:05pm

GOAL: Nahki Wells opens the scoring after Villa fail to clear a corner!! 1-0 to CITY!!!

8:05pm

GOAL: Nahki Wells opens the scoring after Villa fail to clear a corner!! 1-0 to CITY!!!

8:04pm

The good news is that Nahki Wells again looks lively up front and Zavon Hines is also up for it on the right flank.

8:03pm

City have hopefully steadied themselves after that difficult opening 15 minutes.

8:02pm

15 mins - High hanging cross from Stephen Darby well held by Shay Given.

8:02pm

15 mins - Nathan Doyle clumsily fouls Gabriel Agbonlahor at the expense of a free-kick on the left flank. City clear the danger.

8:00pm

12 mins - Duke produced a smart stop to deny Benteke's left-foot shot after a neat through-ball from Delph.

7:59pm

Great atmosphere here, it has to be said.

7:58pm

11 mins - Hines cross blocked and N'Zogbia fires straight at Duke from distance.

7:56pm

09 - The lively N'Zogbia has a left-foot shot deflected out for another corner from the right, from which Benteke headed just over.

7:55pm

08 - Christian Benteke heads over a corner from the right flank. End to end at the minute.

7:54pm

07 mins - Wells cut inside from the right hand side of the penalty box but his fires straight at Shay Given.

7:54pm

"You've only come to see the Villa" is the chant from the huge away following.

7:53pm

05 mins - Charles N'Zogbia left-foot shot well parried by Matt Duke.

7:52pm

7:50pm

Nahki Wells shot blocked inside the third minute, which leads to Gary Jones firing the wide from 20 yards out. Encouraging stuff.

7:49pm

7:48pm

Lively start from both sides... Fabian Delph getting roundly booed for his Leeds links.

7:46pm

Right folks, we're off. Villa attacking the Kop first half.

7:42pm

"BRING ON THE BANTAMS!" is the cry from the Kop as the two teams prepare to emerge.

7:38pm

Fair few empty spaces, unlike the Arsenal game. Not quite looking a sell-out like the Arsenal game.

7:33pm

Ten minutes to kick off folks, City players head back to the dressing room for final preparations.

7:29pm

The final figure for the T&A poll on who will win tonight shows 59% believe City can do it.

7:27pm

Midland Road Stand beginning to fill with Aston Villa fans, who are usually a noisy bunch. Tonight should be no different.

7:15pm

7:12pm

7:11pm

Take That's 'Greatest Day' booms out over the Tannoy. Prophetic words?

7:09pm

All City players now out for the warm-up to thunderous applause and chanting from the home fans.

7:02pm

Bantams legend Dean Windass also here in the press box on media duties.

6:59pm

Aston Villa starting line-up (as given on team sheet): Given, Clark, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Delph, Benteke, Bannan, Weimann, Bennett, Baker, Lowton

Subs: Guzan (GK), Ireland, Bent, Stevens, Lichaj, Burke, Carruthers

6:56pm

City goalkeepers Matt Duke and Jon McLaughlin  out for their warm-up to applause from the home faithful.

6:52pm

Robbie Savage on radio commentary duties in the press box tonight.

6:51pm

City bench: Reid, Connell, Ravenhill, R Jones, Turgott, Hannah, McLaughlin.

6:50pm

Police swarm round Queen pub in Bradford city centre at 6.30pm to deal with rowdy Aston Villa fans.
Known football hooligans said to be among group of about 80 surrounded by police outside pub on Bridge Street.
One Bradford City fan claims he was headbutted by an Aston Villa fan when he went in the Queen pub. But, he said he was given a Section 27 order and told to get out of the city centre, not the person who assaulted him.
Police escort some of the Villa fans onto a waiting coach; others outside pub set to be escorted to Valley Parade by officers.
Bradford cab drivers bemoan a hit to business as Bridge Street closed off at junction with Hall Ings and cabs blocked from picking people up from Bradford Interchange. Buses also re-routed.

6:50pm

City starting XI: Duke; Darby, McArdle, McHugh, Good; Hines, Jones, Doyle, Atkinson; Wells, Hanson.

6:49pm

City team news.... Carl McHugh and Zavon Hines come in.

6:49pm

City team news.... Ricky Ravenhill and Ritchie Jones drop out of the starting line-up.

6:44pm

Also good to see Bulls chairman Omar Khan and trusted lieutenant Vipin Joshi also here.

6:42pm

Atmosphere steadily building here in the Valley Parade press box. Every national newspaper and radio station here in force.

6:18pm

5:51pm

5:51pm

5:50pm

5:44pm

You can relive the highlights of how Bradford City got to the semi-final and all the features from our preview supplement at our special section here.

4:46pm

4:45pm

Anticipation was building in the city ahead of tonight’s Capital One Cup showdown between the Bantams and Premier League big guns Aston Villa.
Despite a miserable, rain-soaked afternoon, spirits among supporters were high as they began to head to Valley Parade for City’s biggest game in years.
The Bantams have never previously reached the semi-finals of the competition since its formation in the 1960-61 season.
Villa won the League Cup that year but they have struggled badly under Paul Lambert this term, encouraging hopes that City can claim the most famous win in the club’s history.
Phil Parkinson’s men bundled Arsenal out at the quarter-final stage last month and are set be backed by another crowd well in excess of 20,000 tonight.
After beating Wigan and Arsenal on penalties in the previous two rounds, the Bantams were aiming to become the first side from the bottom tier to defeat three top-flight sides in the same League Cup competition.
The second leg takes place at Villa Park two weeks tonight, with the winners facing Swansea or Chelsea in the final at Wembley on February 24.

2:54pm

2:53pm

2:47pm