STARS ABROAD Clarke Oduor an unused sub again as Bradford City beat Doncaster

Kenyan international Clarke Oduor remained on the bench as Bradford City secured an impressive victory in a League Two match.

Kenyan international Clarke Oduor found himself relegated to the role of an unused substitute once again as his team, Bradford City, secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Doncaster in an English League Two clash on Friday night.

The Harambee Stars midfielder has been conspicuously absent from the pitch in the last two games as Bradford City continued their impressive resurgence, now boasting a remarkable four-game winning streak in League Two.

Despite a shaky start that saw City trailing early on, a remarkable turnaround led by two goals from Andy Cook and one from Tyler Smith ensured Graham Alexander's side clinched the crucial three points.

The match was not without controversy, as City had a strong claim for an early penalty, with Tyler Smith seemingly brought down in the box after connecting with a Richie Smallwood through ball. However, the referee waved away the appeals.

Shortly after, the home side capitalized on a defensive error, as Harry Lewis lost possession on the near-side touchline, allowing Joe Ironside to steal the ball and curl it into the net from a tight angle.

But Alexander's men displayed resilience, leveling the score just before the half-hour mark, thanks to a goal from Cook. A well-placed corner from Jamie Walker found Cook's head, and he powered his effort through a sea of defenders to find the back of the net.

City did not settle for the equalizer and went into the half-time break with a 2-1 lead, courtesy of a spectacular effort from Tyler Smith. In the 43rd minute, Smith showcased his prowess after brilliant hold-up play and a threaded through ball from Cook, bending an exquisite shot from just inside the box into the far top corner.

The second half continued in a similar fashion, with City nearly making it three just after the hour mark. Jamie Walker managed to intercept the ball from Tommy Rowe, but his low shot narrowly missed the post.

Doncaster, however, remained a persistent threat and pushed for an equalizer. Ciarán Kelly stepped up to the plate with a superb last-ditch challenge, denying Ironside a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

With just five minutes of normal time remaining, City sealed the deal and secured all three points with yet another goal from Cook.

A fluid team move saw Brad Halliday provide an excellent assist to Tyler Smith, whose precise reverse pass found Alex Gilliead in space on the right-hand side. Gilliead's pinpoint cut-back located Cook, who was unmarked and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

The jubilant Cook celebrated in front of the over 2,800 devoted Bantams supporters, who received an early Christmas present with their team's well-deserved victory.

Bradford City's manager, Graham Alexander, expressed his delight at his team's performance, especially in the face of adversity after conceding an early goal.

"It was a difficult game – a derby game – and I was intrigued to see how we responded to conceding the first goal early on because we've been on a good run of starting games really well," he remarked.

"I knew, at some point, we'd get a test like that, and it happened tonight."

While Bradford City celebrated their sixth win in all competitions, Clarke Oduor continued to be sidelined, with his last appearance on the pitch dating back to December 5 when he started in the game against Liverpool U-21 in a Football League Trophy clash.

Unfortunately, he has since remained on the bench in their previous league game against Gillingham. 

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