Birmingham City 2-1 Bradford City: FLW report as Blues off to Wembley but Stansfield injury concern emerges | OneFootball

FLW report live from this EFL Trophy semi-final

Lyndon Dykes was the late hero for Birmingham City as Chris Davies' side edged past Bradford City in the EFL Trophy semi-final at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

A largely uneventful first half was ended by a sublime Jay Stansfield finish, before the League Two promotion-chasers equalised 10 minutes into the second period through Bobby Pointon's neat finish.

However, just seven minutes after coming on as a late substitute, Dykes came to Blues' rescue to book a first Wembley appearance since 2011 for the blue half of the Second City, as well as a third final in this competition, which they previously won in 1991 and 1995.

Bradford were defeated by League One opponents at this stage of the competition last season, losing to Wycombe Wanderers, and they couldn't revert such fortunes this time around either, despite putting in a strong display against the runaway third tier leaders.

Birmingham City 2-1 Bradford City

Not even a 10-minute delay could halt the electric atmosphere in B9, with Birmingham's Willum Willumsson seeing the first chance come his way on five minutes after a neatly worked corner routine, with the Icelandic's low effort well-blocked by Alex Pattison.

Jay Stansfield was reduced to no service in a cagey first 20 minutes. However, Blues' record-signing had his first sight of goal after being picked out superbly by Ben Davies, flashing a warning sign wide of Sam Walker's right-hand post.

Bradford's first effort would come after 25 minutes after Christoph Klarer turned a deep Tyreik Wright effort behind for a corner with Jamie Walker loitering behind the Austrian, with the resulting set-piece eventually dealt with by Birmingham as a second-phase avoided Romoney Chrichlow inside the six-yard box.

Willumsson and Dowell then looked to catch the West Yorkshire side off-guard from a corner of their own just seconds later, with the Rangers loanee dragging his attempt wide of the target.

Bradford continued to grow in confidence as the half progressed, and that was evident in a flowing move which saw Halliday and Sarcevic force the home side into an error, with the latter feeding Walker who saw Halliday make a lung-busting run into the box before his sweet volley was blocked by Davies in the nick of time.

With tension in the home quarters starting to appear, Davies' men were presented with a chance to end the first-half on a high, and Stansfield duly obliged with his fourth goal in four games in this competition.

Dowell saw his free-kick from a tight angle initially beaten away by Walker and back into his path, with his first-time pass finding the 22-year-old, who sent the ball flying past the Bantams keeper after a sublime first touch into the bottom corner, sending the majority of the crowd into raptures.

Stansfield then had a chance to put daylight between the two sides, although he would be forced wide by a slightly overhit through ball by Willumsson, eventually running out of space to poke the ball in-between Walker's legs.

Just seconds later, he and all of a Royal Blue persuasion would be cursing their luck as, after penalty appeals for a strong challenge by Crichlow on Stansfield were dismissed by Scott Oldham, Bradford broke with pace and Bobby Pointon was on hand to tap home a pinpoint cross from Sarcevic past Ryan Allsop from two yards out.

After a lengthy stoppage, Stansfield was eventually stretchered off on the hour mark, with Alfie May coming on in his place, whilst Ethan Laird and Keshi Anderson also entered the fray in place of Gardner-Hickman and Scott Wright.

Following the restart, Birmingham supporters were once again left frustrated as their appeals for a handball by Jack Shepherd were waved away after the ball initially bounced off Tyreik Wright's chest into the path of the Bantams defender.

On 65 minutes, Halliday looked to pick out Pointon once more from close range, before his dangerous low cross was stopped in its tracks by Tomoki Iwata.

It took until the 70th minute for Birmingham to respond to their setback, but a resolute defensive effort from Alexander's men saw Walker get down low to deny a powerful Willumsson strike from just inside the area.

Dowell then looked to play in May for his first chance, before the Blues number nine was stopped in his tracks by the onrushing Baldwin, whilst Laird and Anderson would both mistime a header each as the game ticked into its dying embers.

Lyndon Dykes was then sent on in place of Dowell with 10 minutes to go, before Pointon was played through and saw a strong effort fired straight into Allsop's grasp.

Blues then responded immediately as Willumsson and Laird played a neat exchange down the right flank with Walker at full stretch to deny May from close range after the experienced frontman tried a neat flick at the far post, before Davies would squirm his close-range effort from the subsequent corner.

However, Bradford's defensive resolve would be broken with two minutes remaining as Dykes rose highest above Baldwin to head Iwata's pinpoint delivery past Walker from six yards out, sending the Tilton into ecstacy.

Alexander then turned to his bench as City went in search of a second equaliser with 11 minutes of added time allocated, whilst Grant Hanley was brought on in place of Willumsson to see the game out for Birmingham.

A moment of confusion in the Bradford rearguard nearly gave May a chance to round off proceedings, before Walker intervened just in time to thwart the striker.

The latter stages of the lengthy additional period didn't come without nerves as Dykes was on hand to clear a deep Smallwood cross, before Olham eventually called time on yet another memorable occasion for the Bluenoses, who head to the National Stadium, where they will face Wrexham or Peterborough United on Sunday, April 13th.

FT: Birmingham City 2-1 Bradford City

Player Ratings

Birmingham City

Ryan Allsop - 6.5

Taylor Gardner-Hickman - 6.5 (Laird 59" - 6.5)

Christoph Klarer - 6.5

Ben Davies - 6.5

Alex Cochrane - 6.5

Paik Seung-Ho - 6

Tomoki Iwata - 7

Willum Willumsson - 6.5 (Hanley 92" - 6)

Scott Wright - 6 (Anderson 59" - 6.5)

Kieran Dowell - 7 (Dykes 80" - 7.5)

Jay Stansfield - 7.5 (May 59" - 6.5)

Unused Subs: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Krystian Bielik

Bradford City

Sam Walker - 6.5

Aden Baldwin - 6.5

Jack Shepherd - 6.5

Romoney Crichlow - 6.5

Brad Halliday - 7 (Johnson 92" - 6)

Richie Smallwood - 6.5

Alex Pattison - 6.5

Tyreik Wright - 6.5

Antoni Sarcevic - 7

Bobby Pointon - 7

Jamie Walker - 6.5 (Ibbitson 99" - N/A)

Unused Subs: Joe Hilton, Neill Byrne, Clarke Odour, Paul Huntington, Jay Benn

Birmingham City vs Bradford City Attendance

The attendance at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park this evening was 27,066, including approximately 2,000 Bradford supporters.

Chris Davies reacts as Birmingham City book Wembley appearance

After sealing a place in the final, Davies began his post-match media duties by stating: "I'm delighted, I'm proud of all the players, the staff."

"We really wanted to get to Wembley and have that day out - a club that's suffered for too long, really, and the hope was we could do it."

"I said to the players, look what you've done to the stadium. It's absolutely bouncing. I've never seen it like that since I've been here, and you've got to cherish those moments."

"It's one more step when we get there. But, we managed to get there, so I'm really happy."

When asked about the prospect of leading Birmingham out under the famous Wembley arch, he said: "For me, it means the world."

"To come to a club like this, all you want to try and do is make an impact and make the fans proud of their team and try and be successful here."

"The opportunity to go to Wembley and lead a team out as a football manager is something special and something that I'll cherish."

The Blues boss was then quick to pay tribute to Dykes, who has found himself battling with the strong competition of May and Stansfield in the striking department, but popped up with a crucial moment.

"Full credit to him, because he's been playing well. Through my decision-making at times, he's obviously not played."

"You can sulk and feel sorry for yourselves and not be ready, or you can come on with the bit between your teeth and make a difference, and he's got us to Wembley, basically."

The one major concern for Blues was the fact that record-signing and star performer, Stansfield, was stretchered off on 59 minutes, with Davies able to provide a short update on the striker's well-being.

"It's one of those where I don't need to watch it back to see that it's a penalty," he claimed.

"It was above his knee. It was a bad fall where he's landed on him. I don't know the extent of it, he's gone to hospital for checks. To get stretchered off and be in that amount of pain is a huge concern, but we have to wait for the tests," Davies concluded.