Peterborough take 16 shots at Bradford and leave with nothing

Bradford beat Peterborough 2-0 at Valley Parade in the League Cup, with the visitors creating plenty of shooting chances but never finding the net.

Peterborough had more shooting chances than usual at Valley Parade, and it still ended in defeat. They took 16 shots, above the 14.7 they average on the road this season, yet Bradford won 2-0 in the League Cup. The visitors kept getting into positions to shoot, but the finishing never arrived.

A handy way to judge those efforts is expected goals, a rough score of how dangerous each shot was based on where it was taken from. Peterborough's shots added up to 1.15 expected goals, a reasonable amount of threat for a side that usually scores plenty away from home. They scored none, which is a long way below what their chances suggested.

Bradford were the more efficient side. They had 55% of the ball, well above the 46.3% they average at home this season, and took fewer shots than usual, 12 against a normal 18. Eight of those were on target and nine came from inside the box, where the better chances tend to come from. Their expected goals reached 2.19, so the two goals were backed by real openings rather than luck.

The first goal arrived in the 13th minute, when Macauley Gillesphey finished a move that Callumm Connolly started. The second came in the 67th minute, Adam Phillips scoring after a pass from Jake Beesley. Beesley won nine one-on-one duels, more than any Peterborough player managed, and he was a constant threat down Bradford's left side.

Peterborough's goalkeeper, A. Bass, was the busier of the two keepers, making five saves to Bradford's single one. Six of Peterborough's attempts were blocked by defenders, which goes some way to explaining why only four of their 16 shots were on target. Those blocks kept Bradford's goal clear for most of the evening, even if they did not stop the home side from scoring twice.

The discipline told a similar story. Bradford picked up six yellow cards, Peterborough two, and neither side saw a player sent off. Peterborough made three substitutions in the 57th minute, with two more following, but the match finished with two goals in total, below the 3.1 the league averages per game.

Bradford's two goals were a little above their home average of 1.7 per match, and they conceded nothing, when they usually concede 0.3. For a Peterborough side that normally finds the net on their travels, a night of plenty of shots and no goals is the figure that will stand out.

Player of the matchJ. Beesley1 assist7.7

A. Phillips1 goal7.2

A. Bass5 saves7.0

C. Connolly1 assist7.0