A Question of Well-being and Vitality

By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 13/08/2024

I READ an interesting comment the other day from a professor of sports science at Loughborough University. He stated: "the research (into fans watching sport) provides further support that watching sport is positively associated with wellbeing and vitality".

How many times has he been to Blundell Park in the last few seasons, I wonder? I bet he wasn't at Fleetwood. The Carabao Cup isn't something which makes my cup overflow, so maybe this isn't the best test of this theory, although it is admittedly better than that other silly one where we play three other teams for no other apparent purpose or reason. Tonight's opponents are Bradford City. I always look forward to Town games, but I struggled in anticipation of it to extract the well-being and vitality out of this one. Still, you never know and Mr Artell in his pre-match interview did suggest that Blundell Park would be rocking this evening.

Town's line-up for this game was: Eastwood - Warren, Rodgers, McJannet, Khouri - Green - Barrington, McEachren, Davies, Vernam - Wilson. Bradford had a number of familiar names - Halliday, Smallwood, Uduor and Sam and Jamie Walker - but no former Mariner Andy Cook who was on the bench. Blundell Park was bathed in sunshine, providing the sparse crowd of just over 3000 with a dose of Vitamin D.

Bradford attacked early and won a corner at the Osmond end. Shepherd powered home Oduor's cross but was guilty of a shove. Town countered with an attack. Davies received but shot straight at Walker's legs. Bradford looked the more dangerous and fluid in attack, as Halliday first provided a cross for Oduor to have a shot and then Halliday struck a fierce shot which Eastwood did well to save following a poor clearance. Blundell Park was quiet. If the stadium was rocking, this was soft rock. The game stumbled on without much happening. Excitement almost broke out on 21 minutes when Town put together a diagonal passing move but Green was offside. Green was then penalised for a foul on 24 minutes as Town sought to unlock a dogged Bradford defence. On 30 minutes Bradford won a corner after Khouri repelled Walker. The cross came in. To everyone's amazement the referee, who must have read the memo about injecting vitality, awarded a penalty to Bradford. The referee's gesture suggested a shirt pull by Warren. So up stepped Smallwood, who proceeded to hit his shot over the top and against the roof of the stand. Smallwood skulked off dejectedly. Town took heart from this and won a free kick. Then on 35 minutes a move up the right led to a low cross from Green to Wilson, who skilfully turned the defender and rammed the ball home into the bottom left corner from about 12 yards out. Town 1, Bradford 0. Town seemed to have been sparked into action. Walker fouled Khouri near to the Bradford corner. The free-kick was wasted. On 42 minutes a Vernam dribble won a corner. Three minutes were added to the first half. Cook came on for the injured Oliver, which prompted a late Bradford flurry but after a slow first 30 minutes Town could be satisfied with the amount of possession, the improving performance and the lead.

After an early spell of Bradford pressure at the start of the second half, Town broke out. Green went on a lung-busting run and forced Walker to push his shot past the post. Bradford played the ball about well without breaking down Town's defence. On 55 minutes Bradford won a corner. Cook headed the cross goal bound and the ball was cleared off the line. Eastwood then saved from Walker as Bradford pressed. Kavanagh went close with a flick from a Richards cross. Baldwin earned a corner with a deflected shot. Town were being forced to defend and needed to maintain possession, but seemed incapable of doing it. Eastwood made a good save from a shot by Walker following a Cook lay-off. Finally on 63 minutes Town had an attack but Vernam's shot slid past the left-hand post. With 66 minutes gone, Bradford made a triple substitution. On 70 minutes Bradford won another corner but the Town defence held firm again. Gardner came on to replace Wilson for Town. Warren did an outstanding job to stop a Bradford attack. Town countered and Byrne looked to pull Gardner back. The referee saw it differently and gave the free-kick to Bradford, resulting in Davies being booked for dissent. After good work by McJannet to clear another attack, Bradford threatened again on 75 minutes. Oduor crossed from the left. Eastwood struggled to reach it and pushed the ball out to Cook who had the simple task of slotting the ball home. 1 -1. Ainley came on for Barrington and immediately had an impact, winning a free-kick following a foul and striking an excellent free-kick into a dangerous area. Bradford keeper Walker did well to dive into the melee of players and push the ball away. Ainley was then found on the edge of the box, earning Baldwin a yellow card. Ainley's introduction gave Town momentum as the game headed towards penalties. On 89 minutes Cass replaced Warren who had made an impressive debut for Town. Four minutes were added. On 92 minutes Khouri bowled over Sarsevic on the right. Smallwood's cross met Byrne's head but Eastwood gathered the ball easily. Town then won a free-kick but were unable to make anything of it. So it was 1 - 1 and time for penalties. Once again Town had conceded a lead against Bradford.

After the toss, the penalties were taken at the Osmond end in front of the Bradford supporters. It started with Smallwood smashing the first kick home. Green's free-kick to Walker's left was saved. Eastwood then dived left and saved Halliday's attempt. Davies hit his penalty into the corner. 1-1. Uduor coolly slotted home, sending Eastwood the wrong way. Now it was Vernam's turn: 2-2. Two penalties left for each side. Sarsevic scored: 3 - 2 to Bradford. Cass's shot hit the post ... and went in. 3 - 3. Cook hit the post but it went in: 4 - 3. Gardner had to score and did: 4 - 4. Young hit home: 5 - 4. Ainley stuttered and scored in the right corner. 5 - 5. Baldwin hit the perfect penalty: 6 - 5. Eastwood now stepped up - great penalty to make it 6 - 6. Shepherd sent Eastwood the wrong way: 7 - 6. McJannet stepped up and fired to Walker's left: 7 - 7. Pointon scored with ease: 8 -7. Khouri did the same: 8 - 8. Byrne hit his penalty to the right corner but Eastwood saved it. The pressure was on McEachren to score and win the game. Firing to Walker's left the ball sailed into the top of the net. So after all that Town won 9 -8 on penalties. Credit to both sides for the quality of penalties.

Looking at the game there's still plenty of room for improvement from Town but this was much better than Saturday. There were a number of good individual performances. Wilson took his goal well, while McJannet and Warren were particularly impressive in defence. There were signs that the midfield was starting to gel, and Ainley's introduction brought a much-needed energy at a time when we were reliant on Town's defence to withstand Bradford pressure. Both sides showed character in the way they took the penalties, and the earlier disappointment was forgotten. The jury is still out on the Loughborough professor's theory about well-being and vitality but this turned out to be an entertaining evening of football and hopefully one which from Town's point of view will lead to greater confidence and better league performances.

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