An Alan Mahon strike just before half-time was enough to give the Blues their second away win of the season. Despite a panicky last 15 minutes, Town ought to have won far more comfortably, a host of chances going begging including a second half Pablo Couñago penalty.

Central defender Georges Santos recovered from his groin problem and lined-up in an unchanged Blues side.

Bradford's Andy Gray had the first opportunity of the half as he broke away on the right, however his shot failed to trouble Kelvin Davis.

For Town, Alan Mahon hit a shot from the left which loan keeper Marlon Beresford was equally untested by.

The first substitution of the game came in the seventh minute when full-back Paul Heckingbottom, a former Norwich player, tackled Pablo Couñago from behind and only succeeded in injuring himself, Wayne Jacobs replacing him.

Town came close to a goal in the 11th minute after a Chris Bart-Williams shot had won a corner. From the kick Pablo Couñago's header was blocked and Richard Naylor's rebound went over the bar.

There was an even better opportunity four minutes later. Jermaine Wright played a ball down the left to Shefki Kuqi who held off a defender and burst into the area. However, his shot was not to the same standard and Beresford watched as it sailed a foot or so over.

On 21 the Blues again should have scored, Georges Santos heading Alan Mahon's corner wide when it appeared easier to score.

Soon after a Kuqi shot forced Beresford into a save, the ball running to Couñago but his lay-back into the box was cleared.

The Blues were by now completely dominant after a first five minutes where Bradford had had most of the play.

The home side weren't too far away from a goal on a rare attack in the 28th minute. Nicky Summerbee broke away on the right and crossed for Luke Cornwall who failed to get a decent contact on the ball and Davis gathered comfortably.

Despite the Blues' virtually total control of the game clear-cut chances were not common. Jim Magilton curled a freekick over the bar in the 38th minute while at the other end Paul Evans hit a similar effort into a Town wall.

Just as it was appearing that the half would end goalless, Pablo Couñago headed a Magilton ball down to Alan Mahon just outside the area on the right. Mahon took the ball inside and struck a low left foot shot inside the post and beyond the keeper Beresford's despairing dive.

Bradford immediately went on the attack at the other end, Chris Bart-Williams doing well to block a Ben Muirhead shot on the edge of the area.

Just before the break Couñago was booked for encroachment at a freekick, although it appeared his block was actually on a pass after the freekick had already been taken. A number of Town player remonstrated with referee Graham Laws who had impressed neither set of fans with his erratic performance.

Couñago was at the centre of the first action of the second period. His strong run inside from the right ended with a through ball to Kuqi which the Finn miskicked wide when extremely well-placed inside the area. It was a bad miss and one that Town fans hoped their side wouldn't rue later in the game.

The Blues had a reasonable call for a penalty in the 52nd minute when Georges Santos was held down in the box as a cross came over. Referee Laws saw no offence.

Town had continued from where they left off in the first half. Alan Mahon came very close to a second goal on 57, his 25-yard freekick just tipped round the left post by the excellent Beresford.

Just after the hour another Bradford defender picked up an injury when tackling Couñago. This time Jason Gavin appeared to pick up a shoulder problem challenging the Spaniard.

Bradford again had Marlon Beresford to thank in the 64th minute when he rushed out at Couñago's feet to claim after Richard Naylor, still up from a corner, had headed on a Jermaine Wright pass.

Three minutes later it was Chris Bart-Williams' turn to take an edge of the area freekick. His effort wasn't too far away, the ball beating Beresford's right-hand post.

Town ought to have been far more than the one goal up and in the 72nd minute Jim Magilton was unlucky not to notch his second goal of the season.

Again it was a Mahon cross from the left which the Northern Irishman headed goalwards only for Beresford to pull off a fine save, even getting back to block Couñago's subsequent headed rebound.

A minute later the Blues were given a penalty when David Wetherall was adjudged to have pulled back Kuqi in the area. Wetherall and Kuqi had been up against one another all afternoon, even clashing heads on a number of occasions.

Pablo Couñago stepped up for his fourth penalty in recent games and again put his kick to the keeper's left. However, on this occasion Beresford went the right way and pushed his kick away.

The missed penalty gave the home side and crowd a massive boost and it was pretty much all Bradford from here, something which could hardly have been expected with the Blues dominating almost the entire game up to then.

Muirhead hit a shot wide from the right before Georges Santos went down with what looked like a bad back injury. But after extensive treatment he returned to action.

Town were thankful for a superb Fabian Wilnis tackle inside the area on 77. The full-back got across to challenge sub Danny Forrest as he ran into the area from the right and was about to shoot. Wilnis himself was injured in the tackle but was also OK after treatment.

Blues' fans were unimpressed that referee Laws had taken so long to allow Wilnis back on to the field after his knock, however that would be nothing compared to the annoyance of the Bradford support a few minutes later.

David Wetherall was involved in another clash of heads and this time went off for treatment. After a while he came back on but was told to go off and get more treatment, presumably due to the referee feeling the wound needed a stitch.

Wetherall remained on the sidelines arguing with the fourth official for some minutes until on 86 he was allowed to return with a bandage round his head.

While the Wetherall soap opera had been continuing off the field, Ian Westlake replaced Pablo Couñago as the atmosphere became more intense, partly due to the missed penalty, partly due to the Wetherall incident and partly due to Bradford's greater attacking threat.

Wetherall himself joined the attack which largely consisted of high balls being played into the Town box. While a number of corners were won, the likes of Kuqi, Santos and Naylor won virtually everything and Davis was never forced into a save.

The best chance for the home side came in the six minutes of injury time — which seemed conservative given the number of knocks throughout the game. Richard Naylor miskicked when on the edge of the box but Kelvin Davis did well to get to the ball and clear into the crowd before a Bradford player could get on to the ball.

When the final whistle went, it was a relieved Town crowd which greeted a fifth win of the season and a first league clean sheet. In truth it should have been a far more comfortable win with Kuqi, Couñago, Naylor and Santos all missing decent chances.

The missed penalty gave the home side a massive lift and the last 15 minutes or so was a difficult period for the Blues with the ball rarely out of the Town half. However, most of the high balls were dealt with by the defence and Kelvin Davis had no serious save to make in the entire game.

Another win and a dominating performance for the first 75 minutes at least. The good run continues with visits from Burnley and Stoke in the next week more than likely to yield more points.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, Naylor, Santos, Magilton, Wright, Bart-Williams, Mahon, Couñago (Westlake 85), Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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