Bradford is a club that is used to playing on a big stage, with Valley Parade being one of the biggest and best-attended stadiums in League Two. However, they came unstuck when they made a visit to South Wales in March 2021 when we hosted the former Premier League side at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Unfortunately for fans, we were still two months away from people being allowed back in stadiums as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the Rodney Parade faithful would have no doubt roared Newport on to victory, the team were still able to conjure up a majestic performance, grabbing a last-minute equaliser and further cementing their spot in the League Two play-offs.
Not only were there no fans in the stadium but we were forced to play at the Cardiff City Stadium as a result of some issues with the Rodney Parade pitch. Everything seemed to be working against Michael Flynn’s team, but, as they did throughout the 2020/21 campaign, they found a way to overcome these obstacles.
The ever-dangerous Andy Cook fired the Bantams into the lead one minute into the second-half, but heads didn’t drop. Former Bradford man Matt Dolan stepped up to curl home a beautiful freekick in the 77th minute.
Just as the game looked to be heading for a draw, we were awarded a penalty kick in the 96th minute. Matt Dolan once again stepped up and cooly slotted the ball home to hand us all three points.
While there were no fans in the stadium, there were plenty of us gathered around our screens with our fingers crossed on iFollow when Dolan stepped up. The win kept us in the hunt for the League Two play-offs, while it effectively ended the Bantam's hopes of making the top seven.
You can watch us host Bradford City this weekend, secure your tickets here.