Last-gasp agony for Cobblers as Bradford clinch dramatic win to dent promotion hopes

A win would have taken Town up and they looked the likelier side to claim all three points after Max Dyche cancelled out Andy Cook’s first-half opener with 25 minutes to play, only for Romoney Crichlow to head home the winner in stoppage-time.

With Stevenage now promoted, it’s a three-way fight between Northampton, Stockport and Bradford going into the final week of the season.

It’s in Cobblers’ hands and a win against Tranmere Rovers would be enough to go up but it's set to be a nervous afternoon, especially with the memory of 12 months ago when they were denied on goals scored on the final day.

Jon Brady switched to a back four and made one change as Shaun McWilliams replaced David Norman, with Sam Hoskins starting at right-back.

There was not a spare seat in the house at a bouncing Sixfields, but the away side started in the ascendency and almost led inside three minutes when a cross dropped to Cook, who shot wide of the near post.

There was an understandable nervousness to Town’s play and it took 22 minutes until they applied any meaningful pressure on Bradford’s goal with McWilliams having a shot blocked before Bradford scrambled away a succession of corners.

The hosts had just managed to get a foothold in the game when they fell behind on the half-hour mark.

Bradford won a corner on the right and Cook was left unmarked to head home Ollie Banks’ delivery for his 30th goal of the season.

Town struggled to muster much of a response despite dominating possession, and they could have been further behind at the break with Banks’ effort beaten away by Lee Burge and Jamie Walker shooting high and wide.

Cobblers started the second-half brightly and they created their best chance of the game 10 minutes in when Will Hondermarck slipped in Kieron Bowie but Harry Lewis was quick off his line and made an excellent save.

The hosts did drag themselves back on level terms shortly after the hour as a deep free-kick to the back post was headed back across goal by Sam Sherring and there was Dyche to nod home.

Town now had their tails up and only another terrific save from Lewis denied substitute Harvey Lintott, whose header was threatening to drop beneath the crossbar.

The last 20 minutes were set up to be open and end-to-end with both sides needing to win, and Cobblers went close again when Hondermarck was just unable to reach Bowie’s cutback in the middle of the box.

It was all Northampton after their equaliser but Lewis was there again when clawing away Sherring’s header before Hoskins hit a volley into the ground and up onto the crossbar.

And there would be a sting in the tail in stoppage-time when the referee awarded a controversial free-kick to Bradford and they took full advantage with Crichlow ghosting in to snatch the winning goal.

Match facts

Cobblers: Burge, Hoskins ©, Sherring, Dyche, Haynes, McWilliams (Hylton 84), Leonard, Hondermarck, Pinnock, Bowie, Appéré (Lintott 63)

Subs not used: King, Norman, Osew, Eppiah, Yengi

Bradford: Lewis, Halliday, Ridehalgh, Smallwood ©, Nevers (Costelloe 58), Stubbs, Banks, Gilliead (Clayton 90), Crichlow, Walker (Derbyshire 79), Cook

Subs not used: Platt, Bola, Osadebe, Doyle

Referee: Marc Edwards

Attendance: 7,786

Bradford fans: 948