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Town hadn?t lost at Valley Parade in 11 years, until Saturday 5th of March 2005 as the Bantams won 2-0 with goals from Andy Cooke and Dean Windass and their first win at home since October.
A match that many Town fans were looking forward to, to be fair Town fought hard but lacked at final third as they just didn?t have the bite to punish Bradford.
Peter Jackson kept the faith with the squad that beat Oldham the previous weekend. Bradford with a squad of experienced players (old men like David Wetherall and Nicky Summerbee and tubbies like Peter Atherton and Dean Windass) but had loan signing Marc Bridge-Wilkinson on loan from bottom club Stockport County making his first start.
As me and my mates were sat in the Yorkshire first stand before the match and with Bradford players doing their pre-match warm-ups in front of the Town crowd, as we booed the Bradford players we were kindly told to ?f*** off? by Dean Windass and it didn?t go down to well with us Town fans.

Two goals in the space of 10 minutes either side of half-time earned Bradford the double over the Terriers as they beat us 1-0 at the Galpharm Stadium last December. It ended Bradford?s sequence of ten home games without a win, City still dream of promotion (yeah right!). Bournemouth are in 6th place 5 points ahead of Bradford but Brentford have 3 games in hand.
For Town it was just within time the young lads will make the finished article, but Town played as dismal as they did when we played the Bantams at the Galpharm last December.

Loan signing Bridge-Wilkinson threatened to draw the first blood in the sixth minute as Town?s defence started slowly.
Nicky Summerbee?s cross field-ball found the loan man from Stockport in space outside the box and his low effort was carefully handled by Town keeper Paul Rachubka.
But a minute later Bradford keeper Paul Henderson could have gifted Town the lead, to be fair Paul Henderson doesn?t seem to know what the job description of a goalkeeper was at times and was amazed to hear how clubs in higher leagues were watching him, a woeful clearance by the keeper landed at the feet of Town?s top scorer Pawel Abbott.
The forward side stepped his marker and ran into the box but a poor finish rolled tamely into Henderson?s body.

It was a typical fiery derby match when a tangle between Lee Crooks and Jon Worthington provoked a brief brawl, which referee Grant Hegley surprisingly allowed to pass with punishment.
The scuffle provided particular evidence of Town?s anxiety after an incoherent performance during the opening stages and they were fortunate to remain level from the resulting free kick.

Lewis Emanuel?s set-piece was the least to say ambitious from the half way line, but David Wetherall rose first to guide the ball to the back post where fatty Dean Windass dropped a header onto the top of the crossbar.
Town attempted to hold a persistent pace but their frustration was shown and Worthington fired up for this match got booked after he clattered into Steven Schumacher with half an hour gone. A chant about Kevin Gray was soon chanted by the Town fans.

Adnan Ahmed looped a shot wide, and Chris Brandon?s worthwhile but wayward shot was the only result of a brief period of pressure from the visitors before half-time. Andy Cooke?s flick offered Bridge-Wilkinson another opportunity in which he happily sliced into the crowd.
Had Delroy Facey reacted quick enough to an improvised through-ball off Adnan Ahmed?s knee, Town might have lead at the interval but it was Bradford who took the lead right before half time not for the first time this season for Town.

Bridge-Wilkinson was let paced past by Andy Holdsworth, who should have done anything but let him get a cross in, Bridge-Wilkinson?s low fast cross was powered in by Andy Cooke past helpless Town keeper Paul Rachubka.
Jacko kept faith with the kids at the start of the second half but their own ability failed them in their second derby defeat of the season and Town just lacked any conviction and didn?t really deserve it.

Windass soon picked up on this nine minutes after the restart, the striker ran onto Cooke?s flick on header and Windass drove the ball against Rachubka?s body, which in turn rebounded off his big fat self and trickled into the net and then had the cheek to celebrate in front of the Town fans and taunt them.

With nothing to lose, Town tried to play like they know they can but damage had already been done, City offered them no way back. The chants of ?Jacko, what?s the score? was soon chanted by the Bradford fans and the chants of ?easy? towards the Town fans, some of them had already left.

Jacko threw on Efe Sodje and Junior Mendes on 62 minutes in replace of Nathan Clarke and Michael Collins. Sodje soon made his presence on Windass as he clattered into him with forearm, the one that got me in trouble earlier in the season. Sodje was booked and Windass went off to the touchline and was arguing with Town boss Peter Jackson probably over that Jacko had probably told Sodje to make his mark on Windass if that?s what you want to put it like.
Town had gone 4-3-3 with Mendes coming on but it was too little too late. After Delroy Facey?s good performance last week against Oldham, on Saturday he looked non-existent against Bradford.

Tony Carrs was thrown on in place of Adnad Ahmed on 72 minutes. But Town created little. Pressing on Bradford who were defending and hoping to catch Town on the break, Town?s captain Worthington shot wide and then after bobbling around the penalty area a low cross from Junior Mendes found Abbott who hit it low and hard only to see the feet of Henderson save it.

Town?s only comfort really is that the team are young enough to come again. Maybe Delroy Facey isn?t the answer? But only time will tell. Still this defender that was due still hasn?t arrived yet and I would love to see Luke Beckett back as he was a fantastic finisher and has memory served me right he is the second top scorer behind Abbott and he had only played about 7 games. Says it all doesn?t it?

Keep the faith

Sean?s Star Man:- Nathan Clarke

Bradford: Henderson, Atherton, Wetherall, Bower, Emanuel, Summerbee, Schumacher, Crooks (Muirhead 68), Bridge-Wilkinson, Windass (Forrest 87), Cooke.
Subs Not Used: Ricketts, Symes, Swift.

Town: Rachubka, Holdsworth, Mirfin, N Clarke (E Sodje 62), T Clarke, Collins (Mendes 62), Ahmed (Carrs 72), Worthington, Brandon, Abbott, Facey.
Subs Not Used: Senior, McAliskey.

Attendance: 15417