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Dublin: 8 °C Friday 24 May, 2013

Minnows Bradford hang on against Villa to march into League Cup final

The fourth-tier side are off to Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate win.

Aston Villa's manager Paul Lambert reacts to a missed chance
Aston Villa's manager Paul Lambert reacts to a missed chance
Image: David Davies/PA Wire/Press Association Images

FOURTH-TIER BRADFORD City continued their League Cup fairytale by completing a sensational 4-3 aggregate semi-final win over Aston Villa tonight that sent them into the final.

After James Hanson had cancelled out Christian Benteke’s opener for Villa, Andreas Weimann scored in the 89th minute to give the hosts a 2-1 win, but it could not keep Bradford from a first major final since they won the 1911 FA Cup.

League Two side Bradford, who had previously accounted for Arsenal and Wigan Athletic in the competition, become the first team from England’s fourth level to reach the League Cup final since Rochdale in 1962.

The biggest game in the Yorkshire club’s modern history will occur at Wembley Stadium on February 24, when they will face either Chelsea or Swansea City, who resume hostilities on Wednesday with Swansea 2-0 up from the first leg.

For Paul Lambert’s Villa, it was the latest embarrassment in a disappointing season that has seen them thrashed 8-0 by Chelsea and slip to within one place of the Premier League relegation zone.

Stephen Ireland and Shay Given featured for Villa while another Donegal native Carl McHugh lined out in defence for the lower-league outfit.

- © AFP, 2012

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Comments (19 Comments)

  • Geoff Shreves is currently telling Paul Lambert that he’ll be sacked in the morning

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  • Congrats Bradford on making the final. Lets hope Swansea finishes Chelsea off tomorrow

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  • willie 22/01/13 #

    They deserved it too
    Well done

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  • I’ll second that !…lets hope swans meet them in final

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  • Anybody see Carl Mchugh running around with a Donegal flag at the end? Legend.

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  • Wouldn’t it be great to see them go on and win the cup .. Well done and I hope it brings in a few bob to the club .

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  • dp_184 22/01/13 #

    go on bradford …… shows that if you dream it can come true … lucky 2013 !

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  • I’m A Villa fan and I’ve never seen such a weak squad nor have I seen the squad playing with such little heart as the past two seasons! I hope Lambert doesn’t get the sack because he’s definitely better than McLeish. The problem isn’t the manager it’s is that the club relies too heavily on youth who are lacking experience and are looking for leadership that’s nowhere to be found on the pitch! They’ve been shocking all season and things got really bad in December yet I’ve not heard of any significant signings in the January transfer window. Lerner needs to spend some cash or sell the club to someone who will!

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  • Lambert must surely face imminent sacking – di Matteo and Adkins didn’t deserve the bullet but he probably does.

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  • Any disgruntled Aston Villa fan should direct their anger at Martin O’Neill. His policies of buying English players and paying them crazy wages has left Villa where they are today. I feel for Lambert. You can see what he’s trying to do, develop youth, but like the modern day manager, I can’t see him lasting long if these abject performances keep up.

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    • I agree to a certain extent but Lambert has them playing abysmally, their defense at set pieces is non existent and judging by the 2nd half tonight he’s pretty clueless as a tactician.

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    • I’ll agree with that, Vlaar is appalling. I don’t know what the attraction is? Gabby Agbonlahor has regressed some much. Benteke looks like he has some talent, but if it keeps up, I can’t see him sticking around. Feel for the Irish lads there, particularly Stevens & Burke. Given has had his time and can’t really do much, it terms of progression.

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    • The only person that can take the blame is randy Lerner

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    • 3 managers later its still o neills fault!!! at what stage is it ever going to be the players fault? villa got great money for players he bought and nurtured into big money signings for other clubs. its that sort of blame every one else attitude that has up in the mess we are in. every villa player who draws a wage and there r lots of them on big money needs to take a long look in the mirror. most of them not fit to play in the bradford team. congratulations to them they deserved it. great to see players play for the club and the fans

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  • What’s all this “we” stuff? A lot of people from Birmingham on here?

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  • Lambert out!

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  • Dublin Lad, reading your two contributions would suggest to me that staying silent might suit you better rather than highlight the fact you are an empty vessel.

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    • great to see someone speak some sense!! whatever miss givings any villa fan may have about o neill we finished 6th 6th and 6th. thats after saving us from the shambles that was o leary!! we have been in free fall since he left. no heart or passion in the team and that’s before we start to talk tactics of all 3 managers who have followed. things might not have been perfect under o neill but at least we were at the right end of the table and had 2 trips to wembley. hadn’t been there since 96. to blame him for 3 managers efforts is ridiculous!! worst team in the premier league. think it was proven tonight. fair play to bradford. on paper shouldn’t have had a hope but football has never been played on paper. heart passion and desire to win goes a long way. every villa player needs to look at how much it meant to them and their fans. that’s what football is about. long season just got longer. i despair to think where this Will end up. but your villa for life just like those bradford fans. you Cant pick and choose when you want to support your team

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