Swindon 5-4 Bradford saw quite the nine goal thriller, comebacks, a red card, own goals, and also. a manager booked.
A nine goal thriller at the County Ground made headlines on Saturday as Swindon complete stunning comeback to beat Bradford 5-4.
Bradford saw their League Two automatic promotion hopes dented following a dramatic defeat at Swindon, who are now up the 12th in the table.
Calum Kavanagh’s hat-trick put the Bantams 3-1 ahead by the 35th minute. However, Swindon took advantage of Richie Smallwood’s early red card by levelling the scoreline, before Jack Shepherd’s stoppage-time own goal.
Holloway said, per CravenHerald: “The supporters made me proud. No one moaned when we were two down with a terrible start like that.
“That’s a difference that allowed me to do things, allowed the lads to not go too deep and then believe we could score.
“The lads have earned that but the fans still had to do it and that was massive to them.
“We let two goals in against 10 men, which is normally a no-go for us managers, but we’ve ended up winning and kept our good run going.”
Bantams boss Graham Alexander, who had been given a yellow card for protesting Smallwood’s dismissal, vented after the final whistle.
He said: “I’m just really gutted for the players and the supporters that we didn’t win that game, when we should have won that game.
“Two-nil up, you know what we’re like when we’re in that position, our record is phenomenal. But it’s gone against us.
“The spirit and the commitment of the players – even when it went to 3-3 with 10 men – other teams I think would have buckled at that point but we go up the other end and we score another goal.
“The endeavour and the team ethic of these players is frightening at times but unfortunately we could not see it through to the end.
“I am always proud of these players.”
Half-time: Swindon Town 2-3 Bradford City
Full-time: Swindon Town 5-4 Bradford City
6′ Calum Kavanagh scores
10′ Calum Kavanagh scores
14′ Richard Smallwood sent off
22′ Neill Byrne scores (og)
28′ Dani Gonzalez-Birchall replaced Billy Kirkman
30′ Brandon Khela cautioned
35′ Calum Kavanagh scores
45+4′ Kabongo Tshimanga scores
46′ C Kelly replaced Alexander Pattison
46′ Callum Johnson replaced Bobby Pointon
46′ Daniel Butterworth replaced Ollie Clarke
46′ Joe Westley replaced Gavin Kilkenny
62′ H. Smith scores
64′ Brad Halliday cautioned
74′ Antoni Sarcevic replaced Brandon Khela
75′ George Cox replaced T. Nichols
76′ Nnamdi Ofoborh replaced Paul Glatzel
78′ Brad Halliday scores
80′ Jack Shepherd cautioned
82′ Daniel Butterworth cautioned
82′ Omotayo Adaramola cautioned
90′ H. Smith scores
90+3′ H. Smith cautioned
90+5′ Jack Shepherd scores (og)
90+7′ Michael Mellon replaced Omotayo Adaramola
90+7′ Tyreik Wright replaced Romoney Crichlow-Noble
Twitter users reacted Swindon 5-4 Bradford: a nine goal thriller, with comebacks, a red card, own goals, and a manager booked…
@cadmunkey: Dock Smallwood a years wages!
@MarkBCAFC: Hard one to take but I don’t think you can blame the lads on the field. Gave everything. Still everything to play for.
@PargeyBCAFC; Graham and richie smallwood you’ve got some serious explaining to do
@bowers_bcafc12: Embarrassing honestly. 3-1 up. Smallwood cost the game end of.
@OllieSmitherman: Seriously unlucky for you lot. That ref changed the game. Good luck on your title charge hope you lot get it over vale.
@SHD_Backup: If you don’t laugh you’ll cry, can’t fault the effort. Smallwood massively let the team & club down today, unforgivable to do that at this stage of the season
@rachw101: I still want Clem & crooks gone but you cannot deny the Holloway impact. My lord. Today was unreal. Friends & football..what Saturdays are about #STFC
@j_rstck: I’m 99.9% convinced we’re in a simulation to see how much you can put people through before they break #bcafc
@leefer3: What a game. This team never give up…. lucky 13 now at home unbeaten. Can’t tell you how much I enjoyed that #stfc
@Chris_Taylor32: some overreaction here. Yes it was a horrible way to lose. But to say the autos are gone is ridiculous. We’re currently 2nd. in our hands and it’s clear the only reason we lost that was due to a red card in the 14th minute. Apart from Vale no one is putting a run together #bcafc
@andyrichardson_: Incredible game, this is the spirit Holloway has instilled in this team. Bradford need to blame Smallbridge not the ref, reckless tackle clear red card. That said I hope they go up still.
@stfcleigh96: Ian Holloways red and white army! Some shocking defending but these lads never give in! Need to keep a lot of them together for next season with one or two additions in the summer. He’s here he’s there he’s every http://F.ing where Harry smith Harry smith 😍
@bowers_bcafc12: Deserved lads we were shocking. The red was stupid. Great game of football!
@stfcjosh: Quality side, great fans, great game to watch today and really hope you still go up. Wish you the best of luck.
@MattBcafc_: if we don’t go up this season, this’ll be the game we look at and think if we didn’t concede two 90th minute goals we might’ve actually done somat this season. Absolute bottlers
@TRWellock: We played well to say we have 10 men for 75 mins – lack of concentration cost us but we showed character we haven’t seen in years. Fact they’re celebrating like they’ve won league just shows you how hard that was for them
@DirewolfBCFC: Well that’s how not to do it. Get a hat trick and squander EVERYTHING. Alexander’s half time changes just brought Swindon onto us. We played well but just not good enough against 11 men
@JuneEFLTransfer: Smallwood better come out with an apology letter because he needs to walk home don’t send him on bus
pic.twitter.com/nDagL8Ea9i
— Mitchell Radford (@RaddersOnSport) April 12, 2025
