LEAGUE Two players will have more spare time than most to ponder over their efforts in a curtailed season.
The sensible decision to call an early halt after the football shutdown will inevitably leave some with a feeling of unfinished business.
But others will no doubt be glad to see the back of campaign, however shortened, that failed to live up to the heights.
For City’s players, 2019-2020 will not be one to remember too fondly as an anticipated promotion push was fizzling out on the back of a shocking away run when the plug was pulled.
But amid the general disappointment, some came through with their reputations intact.
None more so than Connor Wood whose form, especially in the first half of the season, established his position as the regular left back.
Here is one player who does fit the mould that Edin Rahic had dreamed of with his grand plan to recruit hungry, unproven youngsters and develop them into a prize asset.
City certainly have one in Wood whose improving defensive play underpinned his natural willingness to overlap and get forward.
He can also lay claim to the honour as best crosser at the club – at one stage in November, his success rate at finding targets in the box put him in lofty company with the likes of Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta.
The low average ratings based on the marks out of 10 in the T&A match reports highlight the under-achieving from the team as a whole – not to mention a few shockers on their travels.
But with no end-of-season awards to sign off a season that never properly ended, it is only right to acknowledge the better performers.
Callum Cooke was the pick of the loan players in midfield, although his form tailed off with the rest as results began to flounder.
And Anthony O’Connor and Richard O’Donnell did their best to restore damaged reputations from the previous year’s relegation from League One. Both established regular slots in the side having been under pressure coming back last summer.
But, for me, it is Wood who has earned the title as “virtual” most consistent player of the year.
RATINGS (minimum 15 marks):
1 Wood 6.45
2 Cooke 6.43
3 A O’Connor 6.36
4 O’Donnell 6.35
5 Vaughan 6.34
Pritchard 6.33
Oteh 6.31
P O’Connor 6.30
Richards-Everton 6.26
Connolly 6.22
Donaldson 6.16
Akpan 6.12
Reeves 6.11
Mellor 6.04
Palmer 5.94
Henley 5.81
ALSO MARKED: McGee 6.75 (4); Ismail 6.73 (11); Gibson 6.50 (4); Scannell 6.33 (3); McCartan 6.22 (9); Devine 6.18 (11); Anderson 6.14 (7); Taylor 6.10 (10); Novak 6.00 (5); Patrick 6.00 (3); Sykes-Kenworthy 6.00 (2); Staunton 6.00 (1); French 5.75 (4); Doyle 5.57 (7); Longridge 5.50 (4); Hornby 5.50 (2); Devitt, Mottley-Henry 5.40 (5); Middleton 5.33 (3); Guthrie 5.00 (1).
James Vaughan finished comfortably as City’s top scorer.
And that was despite leaving Valley Parade for Tranmere at the end of January, highlighting the issues the Bantams had with finding the net.
The fact that “own goals” was fairly high up on the chart just about summed it up – City were the lowest scorers in League Two’s top 10.
GOALS:
11 Vaughan
4 Donaldson, McCartan, Oteh
3 Akpan, P O’Connor, Pritchard, own goals
2 Novak, Richards-Everton
1 Anderson, Connolly, Devine, French, Ismail, Mellor, Reeves, Scannell.
MAN OF THE MATCH:
6 Connolly
5 O’Donnell, Reeves
4 Pritchard, Richards-Everton
3 Wood
2 Ismail, McGee, A O’Connor, Cooke, Taylor
1 Akpan, Donaldson, McCartan, Novak, P O’Connor, Vaughan
APPEARANCES:
38 (1) Wood
37 (2) A O’Connor
36 (1) Richards-Everton
35 O’Donnell
25 (5) Connolly
25 (2) Henley, Vaughan
23 (5) Mellor
20 (7) Cooke
19 (4) P O’Connor
19 (2) Donaldson
18 (1) Reeves
17 (6) Akpan
17 (1) Palmer
16 (7) Pritchard
12 (10) Oteh
10 (9) Devine
10 (6) Ismail
9 (13) McCartan
9 (6) Taylor
7 Doyle
6 (3) Anderson
6 Novak
4 (3) Gibson
4 (2) Devitt, French, Mottley-Henry
4 (1) Longridge
4 McGee
3 (3) Scannell
2 (4) Patrick
2 (1) Middleton
2 Hornby, Sykes-Kenworthy
1 (1) Guthrie
0 (1) Colville, Morris, Sikora, Staunton
YELLOW CARDS:
10 Vaughan
6 P O’Connor (1 FLT)
5 McCartan, Mellor, Reeves
4 Cooke
3 Connolly, Donaldson, Oteh, Richards-Everton
2 Anderson, Devine (1FLT), Henley, Longridge (1LC, 1FLT), Wood
1 Akpan, Ismail (1FLT), A O’Connor, Pritchard, Taylor
RED CARDS:
1 Cooke, Devitt, Ismail, Richards-Everton
LEAGUE CROWDS:
HOME: 14,255 (average)
Highest: 17,668 v Grimsby (February 8)
Lowest: 12,731 v Cheltenham (January 28)
AWAY: 4,757 (average)
Highest: 9,645 v Plymouth (November 23)
Lowest: 2,361 v Crawley (January 11).
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