Clarke Oduor: Kenyan Inspires Bradford City’s Comeback to Secure a 2–2 Draw Against Morecambe

• Clarke Oduor was the hero for Bradford City in their draw with Morecambe
• The Kenyan left-back came in as a substitute in the second half and scored
• The 24-year-old set up the team’s momentum to eventually draw 2-2

Kenyan international left-back Clarke Oduor played a pivotal role in Bradford City's impressive second-half comeback on Tuesday, December 26, 2022.

Oduor’s goal was vital in helping the team recover from a two-goal deficit, securing a 2-2 draw against Morecambe in their first home Boxing Day game in six years.

The visitors swiftly took the lead within the first three minutes after James Connolly capitalized on a defensive lapse from Adam Mayor's free-kick.

Morecambe extended their lead when JJ McKiernan tapped in following skilful play from Jordan Slew on the left wing.

Despite Adam Smith's sharp saves denying Tyler Smith and Emmanuel Osadebe, Morecambe nearly made it 3-0 before halftime, with Yann Songo'o hitting the post with a header.

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Bradford City head coach Graham Alexander made halftime changes, introducing Oduor to replace Osadebe.

The second half saw an energetic start from the hosts, with Oduor coming close to scoring early on. He eventually found the back of the net after Bradley Halliday's cross deflected off Tyler Smith and fell on his path.

In the 83rd minute, Bradford's persistence paid off as Brad Halliday scored his first goal of the season, drawing the game level at 2-2.

“On another day, we could have grabbed a winning goal, but I must be pleased with the side's response. I was really happy with that. In the second half, we showed that we had the confidence to go out and score the goals we did, showing that the belief was high within the side. They believe in each other,” said Bradford coach Alexander as reported on Bradford City.

The draw halted Bradford's six-match winning streak, placing them 10th in League Two with 33 points from 23 games. They now look ahead to a Friday, December 29, 2023, meeting with league leaders Stockport County.

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Morecambe coach Ged Brannan expressed his thoughts after the game, saying the first half was the best he’s seen his side play.

“I thought in the first half we dominated the game. So – delighted with the first-half performance. We knew in the second half that they were going to come out at us. I’ve just got to say our lads were brilliant defensively in the second half. You come away with a two-two draw against Bradford. We’ll take that,” he is quoted on Morecambe Football.

Oduor Barnsley axe

In July 2022, Sports Brief reported that Kenyan’s career was about to take a bad twist as Barnsley looked to axe some of their players to keep themselves afloat financially.

Oduor joined Barnsley from Leeds United in 2019 when the club enjoyed a fairly decent time in the English Championship.

The club had already sacked their head coach Markus Schupp and his replacement Poya Asbaghi.