Bradford's Andy Cook back with a brace after 244 days out | OneFootball

Bradford City striker Andy Cook made a memorable return from injury with two late goals to secure victory over Grimsby Town in the Bantams’ opening Vertu Trophy fixture.

Cook, sidelined since suffering an ACL injury on New Year’s Day at Barrow, stepped back into action after 244 days out.

Introduced as a 65th-minute substitute, the 34-year-old needed only 11 minutes to find the net, heading in Josh Neufville’s cross for his first goal since Boxing Day.

With the game level, Cook struck again deep into added time. Rising to meet Alex Pattison’s delivery, his header struck the post before crossing the line, sealing a 2-1 win and capping a fairytale comeback.

The brace takes Cook’s tally to 87 goals in 193 appearances since first joining the club in 2021. His scoring record also stands out on a wider stage: since the start of the 2022/23 season, he has netted 67 goals in domestic competitions, a figure bettered only by Erling Haaland (98), Mohamed Salah (73) and Alfie May (68).

Bradford’s success over Grimsby also set a new club landmark. The result extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine matches in all competitions - the best opening run in the club’s 122-year history.