Amario Cozier-Duberry’s second-half strike was enough to give Bolton a 1-0 first-leg win over Bradford at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. The 20-year-old winger, on loan from Brighton, bent a superb effort into the far corner after collecting an Ibrahim Cissoko cross, handing the Trotters a narrow but valuable advantage ahead of the return at Valley Parade.
The fixture was tight and cagey for long periods. There were no shots on target in the first half and the tension showed, with pundit Billy Sharp describing a lack of players willing to ‘take the game by the scruff of the neck’ at the break. The breakthrough came on the hour mark when Cozier-Duberry cut inside and curled home a composed finish. Moments later he went close to a second when a racing run ended with his effort crashing back off the inside of the post.
That near-miss proved how fine the margins are in this tie: one goal separates the sides and everything remains to play for in the second leg. The return match is live on Sky Sports Football on Thursday night from 7.30pm, kick-off 8pm.
Bolton manager Steven Schumacher praised his loanee’s quality and patience, saying the team had worked to bring the ball into dangerous positions for him and that the finish was ‘brilliant.’ Schumacher added that the result was pleasing given how competitive the game was and stressed the importance of taking a lead into a difficult trip to Valley Parade.
Bradford boss Graham Alexander, meanwhile, remained upbeat despite the defeat. He highlighted that Bradford limited Bolton to just one shot on target — the one that decided the game — and pointed out his side’s experience in coming from behind this season. Alexander said he did not need to remind the squad of their past comebacks and that the players were confident and speaking the right things to each other ahead of the second leg.
In short, Bolton head to Bradford with a slender lead thanks to a moment of individual quality, but the tie is far from settled. Bradford will look to use home advantage to overturn the deficit, while Bolton will aim to protect their slim advantage and finish the job at Valley Parade.