April 5 – Stockport County (A)
The long season had begun to take its toll. Fatigue crept into the squad, but with only a handful of games left, there was no room for complacency. Jake knew the importance of keeping his squad fresh, so he rotated heavily.
Okafor remained in goal, but the defense saw changes—Bianchi partnered Fletcher at center-back, while Richards and Hart covered the full-back roles.
In midfield, Lowe and Chapman were tasked with controlling the tempo, giving Ibáñez and Vélez a rare rest.
Up front, Mensah and Walsh occupied the wings, with Costa and Novak leading the attack.
Despite sitting mid-table, Stockport started aggressively, pressing high and forcing Bradford to play quicker than they wanted.
Jake stood on the touchline, arms crossed. He had expected this.
Stockport had nothing to lose.
But Bradford had Novak.
