Antoni Sarcevic cooks up a treat as Bradford City display two important sides on League Two derby day against Harrogate Town - final word

That salmon-like leap, accompanied by a thumping textbook centre-forward’s header into the opposition’s net and followed by those scenes of celebration which have frequently accompanied his many goals in these parts.

In the event, it was Antoni Sarcevic who got all the glory, just 82 seconds in to settle this particular derby from Bobby Pointon’s juicy centre.

If the incapacitated Cook had been watching from afar, he’d have surely doffed his cap in his team-mate’s direction.

Graham Alexander certainly did towards a player who might not play at number nine, but has similarly showcased an innate ability to be a match-winner in lower-division circles many times over like Cook. With no Cook around, a drop of Sarce goes down well.

It was a gem of a strike and moment of quality which proved the difference. Harrogate Town had a go in the second half, but their issues in front of goal remain.

Alexander, whose side registered a seventh home success in a row – something City previously achieved in May 2016 – said on his match-winner: "He just loves scoring goals, in training he scores and he’s always had that since I’ve known him.

"I brought him in 12 years ago when I was at Fleetwood and he always wanted to score goals.

"He loves it and all types of goals, set-pieces, penalties, headers, the lot. He’s probably a midfielder with a centre forward’s head.

"His experience of successful teams is vast. He’s probably one of the most highly-decorated players at this level and I think that experience does seep into the players around him.”

Simon Weaver described Harrogate’s start as ‘dopey’. In truth, their entire first-half display was somnolent.

In the second half, Town suddenly rediscovered something of their old selves against City, who had lost seven of their previous 10 matches against them, including three at Valley Parade. But despite more urgency and intensity, Sam Walker was rarely troubled in the home goal.

Before the interval, City looked like a side chasing their seventh home win on the spin.

A pristine opener helped, of course. But the hosts’ inter-play, tempo and movement was of a pretty high order, with their combinations on the flanks causing trouble for the Harrogate rearguard.

Harrogate’s centre-halves in particular also looked more equipped to face a big lad down the middle like Cook instead of nippy and clever raiders from a bit further back.

In the second half, it became a game. First half good, second half not so good as the late Sven-Goran Eriksson used to opine. Certainly from a City perspective.

Sarcevic won the game and man-of-the-match award, but it should really have gone to a home player at the back in Jack Shepherd.

The one-time kitchen fitter, on a season’s long loan from Barnsley, continues to look compact in the heart of City’s backline.

On an afternoon when the hosts had to rely on defensive order as the clock ticked on, Shepherd did his bit better than most, while Alexander's decision to bring on Paul Huntington to provide ballast in the final quarter as Harrogate pushed was also an intelligent and well-timed one.

Former Bantams loanee Olly Sanderson, whom Alexander had admitted he’d made a mistake with regarding his treatment ahead of his return to Fulham, had one chance to plunge the knife in as Harrogate perked up on the restart, but lofted it over.

The hard-running Josh March, who perturbed Bradford in the second period, was also a whisker away with a crisp low drive. Close but no cigar.

Sarcevic could have soothed nerves if he had put away a chance after being played in by the indefatigable Alex Pattison following a Harrogate mistake.

James Belshaw denied him, but one was enough as City reprised their only previous home win over the Sulphurites, a 1-0 verdict in December 2022, again thanks to a very early goal.

Should Harrogate continue to play as they did in the second half, then they should fine in terms of league retention. Especially if they can nick a goal or two.

If City continue to perform as they did in the opening period, then all bets are off. They are also showing evidence that they can grind it out which is good and useful as well following a day when they reached a half-century of points for the season.

Bradford City: S Walker; Baldwin, Shepherd, Crichlow (Huntington 75); Halliday (Johnson 83), Pattison, Smallwood, Wright; Sarcevic (Mellon 65), Pointon (J Walker 75); Kavanagh (Leigh 46). Unused substitutes: Hilton, Khela.

Harrogate Town: Belshaw; Sims, O’Connor, Moon, Bilongo (Burrell 93); Sutton (Fox 53), Morris; Cornelius (Hill 66), Sanderson (Cursons 66), Taylor; March. Unused substitutes: Oxley, J Daly, Muldoon.

Referee: O Yates (Staffs)