The Bantams fans celebrated three goals in the final ten minutes inside the modest surroundings of the Fraser Eagle Stadium with its corrugated-iron covered terrace and standing room only open end.

This is the home of Accrington Stanley FC, the butt of many a comedian since being immortalised by the two young kids in the milk advert.

But they were also one of the first clubs whose failure to get their house in order posted a warning note which clubs have continually ignored ever since.

Even now, modern-day seers of economic disasters ahead for the game in the shape of the FA's Lord Triesman are portrayed as doom mongers but what happened to Accrington and Saturday's visitors Bradford should be a salutary lesson to all. Accrington FC were among the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888 but resigned after just five years, reforming after a partnership with the town's Stanley Villa.

Accrington Stanley then competed in the lower divisions of the Football League until 1962, when the club famously resigned from the league midway through the season due to financial difficulties.

They reformed six years later but it took them until 2006 to seal a historic return to the Football League.

So resurrection is possible and while Accrington scrimp and scrape for financial security, Bradford, beset by all manner of financial disasters since their two-season tilt in the Premier League ended in 2001, believe that they have bottomed out and can claw their way back from the League's bottom rung.

And, after Saturday's dramatic fightback which produced three goals in the final 10 minutes of normal time, morale in the City camp has been restored after a run of two defeats and a draw.

The only person not celebrating was City manager Stuart McCall, even though his decision to give a more muscular threat to the attack in the shape of Barry Conlon on the hour proved pivotal.

McCall was particularly furious that his pre-match warnings about Accrington's set-play which brought them the opener through James Ryan after Peter Cavanagh had dummied over the corner from John Miles had been ignored.

Having seen his side rise to third, McCall continued: "Everyone else is elated but I'm a little disappointed because I thought for a little period in the second half we were going a little bit soft and lying down.

"I was angry because they were on a run of losing five in six and confidence is down so you have to take advantage of that.

"If we have any ambition of getting out of this division we have to be coming to places like this looking to get three points.

"We needed some drive but it was the quality of the goals that gave us three points. I didn't even celebrate the final whistle."

"But we kept at it and when you have goal scorers on the pitch like Boulding and Thorne and big Baz you always have a chance and the three goals were all fantastic."

Accrington had stunned the 1,452 City fans largely crammed in the open end when the outstanding Miles threaded the ball through for Terry Gornell to make it 2-0 in the 50th minute.

There was no indication of a fightback on an undulating pitch which, according to former City star John Hendrie resembled a "well-worn mattress", and it looked as though City would rue the two headed opportunities spurned by Peter Thorne and strike partner Michael Boulding, whose stoppage time instinctive header also flashed wide after a deflected free-kick from Joe Colbeck rebounded off the bar, would prove costly.

Cue Conlon and the player who was booed on his introduction off the bench the previous week only to score with his first touch turned hero again.

Boulding was moved out wide to replace Kyle Nix, in for Jamaican international Omar Daley, and was perfectly positioned for Conlon's lay-off to curl the ball home off the underside of the bar from the left edge of the area in the 81st minute.

Conlon got in front of his marker to nod home the 88th-minute equaliser from a free-kick from Paul McClaren and Accrington's confidence was shredded.

The winner seemed inevitable and it came as Thorne exchanged passes into the area with Colbeck and slid the ball across Kenny Arthur with 90 seconds remaining.

Conlon said: "It's been an eventful week, and it's nice to get another goal and nice to come away with three points, especially having gone two down.

"It was hard coming off the bench but all you can do is give it 100 per cent. Every player wants to play from the start but whether I'm starting or coming off the bench I want to be scoring goals and long may it continue for me.

"There is nobody jumping for joy because we know we can play better but it's great for morale. It's not going to be plain sailing so hopefully we can keep this game in the back of our minds when things don't go right for us again."

Accrington Stanley: Arthur, Cavanagh, Edwards, Murdock, King; Ryan (Procter 80), J Mullin, Griffiths, Miles; Gornell, P Mullin. Unused substitutes: Dunbavin, Bell, Smith, Turner.

Bradford City: Evans, Moncur, Lee, Clarke, O'Brien; Colbeck, McLaren, Furman, Nix (Conlon 60); M Boulding, Thorne. Unused substitutes: Arnison, Ainge, Osborne, McLaughlin.

Referee: M Jones (Cheshire).