Bradford City 3-2 Preston North End: Osmajic and Storey on score sheet in Yorkshire

Preston North End had another worthwhile run-out on Wednesday evening as they lost 3-2 to Bradford City.

The League One outfit, managed by PNE icon Graham Alexander, took the lead on 10 minutes through Will Swan. Milutin Osmajic equalised early in the second half with a powerful hit from close quarters, before Jordan Storey turned the game around from a corner.

Tyreik Wright made it all-square for Bradford, before the Bantams re-took and secured the advantage through substitute Nick Powell.

After a quiet opening period, a looping cross fell to Callum Lang but he couldn’t get the angle right. Seconds later, the hosts surged forward with Antoni Sarcevic playing a great ball down the right to find Jake Beesley, who cut the ball across to Swan. The striker slotted it past Nicholls with ease; it was a fluid move, but should have been dealt with better.

Liam Lindsay lined up an effort from a Jordan Thompson corner on 19 minutes but couldn’t get the ball past the sea of Bradford bodies. Sarcevic tested Nicholls moments later but the new addition was equal to his chipped shot.

North End’s blushes were spared when Lindsay, with the help of his fellow centre backs, retrieved possession from Matt Pennington after an error at the back. Lang drove a shot towards goal on 26 minutes but Sam Walker in the Bantams’ net watched it zip past his near post.

With three minutes until the break, Swan charged into the box and turned past Hughes as he found Sarcevic. The hosts’ number 10 looked certain to score but his effort flew wide. Osmajic fired off target from a tight angle in North End’s last effort of the half.

However, the Montenegrin drew PNE level seven minutes into the second 45. Ali McCann sent a great long ball down the right which Lang picked up. He side-footed it into the path of Osmajic who blasted an effort into the roof of the net.

PNE gained the advantage five minutes later as Thompson sent in a corner which found Storey, who scored with a point-blank header. The lead didn’t last long though as Wright’s half-volley at the back stick found its way in via a deflection.

Substitute Nick Powell gave Bradford the upper hand again on 81 minutes after a cross from former Burnley, Morecambe and Accrington midfielder Adam Phillips. That was minutes after a great ball from Pol Valentin set up by Osmajic, but he missed after rounding the ‘keeper.

Preston North End XI: Nicholls, Storey, Lindsay (Gibson 72’), Hughes (Offiah 72’), Valentin, Thompson (Whiteman 72’), McCann, Moran, Vukcevic (Nolan 81’), Lang (Devine 62’), Osmajic. Unused substitutes: Iversen, Stowell, Gryba, Nelson, Tarry, Wilson