Full TimeSecond Half ends, Bradford City 1, Leyton Orient 1.Post updateAttempt missed. Liam Ridehalgh (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Tyler French.Post updateAttempt blocked. Aaron Drinan (Leyton Orient) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Louis Dennis.Post updateAttempt saved. Liam Ridehalgh (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Tyler French.Post updateCorner, Bradford City. Conceded by Joe Widdowson.Post updateAttempt blocked. Romoney Crichlow (Bradford City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamie Walker.Post updateGoal! Bradford City 1, Leyton Orient 1. Brad Halliday (Bradford City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Tyler French following a set piece situation.
Bradford secured a League Two play-off place with a 1-1 draw against champions Leyton Orient in front of a club record 22,576 crowd at the University of Bradford Stadium. The Bantams, who knew a draw would secure a top-seven spot, fell behind to Jordan Brown’s well-taken goal but equalised two minutes later through Brad Halliday’s deflected volley. Orient’s Aaron Drinan and Bradford’s Liam Ridehalgh went close to a winner.
Andy Cook, League Two’s top scorer, hit the bar with a looping header in the fifth minute and Romoney Crichlow sent a good opening wide for Bradford. Idris El-Mizouni had a shot saved, Jamie Walker hit the side-netting and Cook was denied by Orient goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux. Orient took the lead four minutes before the break when Tom James’ low ball into the box found Brown, who slotted past Harry Lewis. But Bradford were level moments later as Halliday’s volley from the edge of the penalty area took a hefty deflection to wrongfoot Vigouroux.
Drinan had an effort blocked early in the second half and Ridehalgh’s drilled shot was turned away well by Vigouroux after 67 minutes. The draw took Bradford above Salford and into sixth place in the table and they will now face Carlisle United in the play-off semis, while Stockport County, who missed out on automatic promotion to finish fourth, face Salford City.