Football: Jewell's men shine

ROUND UP

BRADFORD'S MARCH up the First Division gathered pace as faltering Bury were brushed aside 3-0 at Valley Parade.

Bury began brightly but Robbie Blake fired Bradford ahead in the 15th minute and second-half strikes from Stuart McCall and Peter Beagrie wrapped up victory.

Paul Jewell's men, who have now climbed to seventh place, have now gone six matches unbeaten. But it was not until Bury defender Steve Redmond was sent off in the 49th minute for a second bookable offence that Bradford made the game safe.

Redmond was shown the yellow card in the first half for a foul on Bradford striker Lee Mills and was sent off after fouling defender Darren Moore.

That was the cue for Bradford to move in for the kill and McCall made it 2-0 in the 55th minute following a superb length of the field move begun in his own area by Lee Todd and involving Beagrie and Mills.

Bradford then clinched victory after 67 minutes when Beagrie took the ball off Chris Lucketti just outside the Bury penalty area and took it round goalkeeper Dean Kiely before slotting it into the net.

Nicky Daws tested the Bradford goalkeeper Gary Walsh with a 25-yard shot five minutes from the end. However, it was too little, too late for Bury who, despite having looked the more dangerous side for most of a scrappy first half, slid to their fourth consecutive League defeat.