Bradford City 1 Bolton Wanderers 1: Kayden Jackson's brilliant equaliser edges Bantams a step closer to League One play-offs
He who dared won when Bradford City hosted Bolton Wanderers. Well, drew.
The Bantams could not get the win that would have inked them into the League One play-offs but they at least go into the final weekend in the driving seat – not bad for a team who spent the final minutes of last season scrapping to get out of the fourth tier.
With three points from the last four matches, they are edging rather than sprinting towards their target, but thanks to Kayden Jackson's brilliant equaliser, a point will suffice at Exeter City.
Manager Graham Alexander rolled the dice midway through the second half when he threw on an extra attacker to push for victory against the third-placed Trotters. Ineffective at centre-forward – as much because of a lack of service as his own failings – Jackson was shifted out to the right.
Within minutes, the Bantams were behind, and fans were cursing the decision.
But not when Bradfordian Jackson brilliantly volleyed a dropping ball into the net to secure a point.
After a sombre minute's silence to mark the 41st anniversary of the Bradford City Fire, the game got off to a frantic start and stayed that way throughout.
There were only 15 seconds on the clock when Johnny Kenny ballooned a shot.
Bolton were looking to release Amario Cozier-Duberry at every possible opportunity and it was obvious why.
It was the right-winger whose cross-shot hit the crossbar in the seventh minute. When the ball came back in, he headed it beyond the far post.
Josh Neufville found himself at left-back in the 15th minute and was booked for bringing him down. Mason Burstow, on loan from Hull City, put shot wide under pressure.
Curtis Tilt needed to put a big block in on Cozier-Duberry in the 24th minute, and it got the reception it deserved from the Kop.
Ten minutes later, Neufville again found himself on the opposite side of the field and his poor touch played the winger through, only for him to make an excellent recovery.
But Bradford were causing problems at the other end too, albeit more sporadically.
Jenson Metcalfe was beating the ground in the 14th minute after beating the goalkeeper from Neufville's pull-back, only for his shot to hit a defender.
A dangerous cross from the wing-back found a white rather than a claret-and-amber shirt.
Bolton ended the half strongly, Eoin Toal's shot on the swivel going wide and Ibrahim Cissoko's effort taking a wicked deflection which dipped it just below Sam Walker's crossbar only to be well tipped over.
Shortly after half-time it took a brilliant goalline clearance by Ibou Touray to keep Bradford on level terms as Kenny thought he had scored.
Tilt had to put in another heroic block, this time from Ruben Rodrigues. Bradford broke but Kayden Jackson could not force his shot beyond defender Chris Forino.
Graham Alexander rolled the dice, changing formation to four at the back, but the Trotters kept coming at them.
Walker touched a Kenny shot just wide.
The striker finally found the net in the 73rd minute after Burstow helped a long ball to him. He took a touch to make space, kept his composure, and found the corner of the net.
The equaliser was completely out of keeping with the scruffiness that led yup to it, Bradford persisting in putting the ball into the box and Jack Bonham ultimately making a hash of it. As the ball dropped Jackson's way, he hit a quite beautiful shot.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but it was not forthcoming.
Luton Town's winner at Barnsley meant it was not quite enough to book Bradford's place in the play-offs. With a three-point lead but an inferior goal difference, the Bantams will need to take something from Exeter City on the final day to be sure of that.
Bolton's place is assured, so Bradford will be hoping they stay switched on for Luton's visit.
Nearly there, but not quite.
Bradford City: Walker; Baldwin, Wright, Tilt; Neufville (Powell 65), Power, Metcalfe (Swan 65), Touray; Lapslie, Humphrys; Jackson.
Unused substitutes: Hilton, Evans, Wheatley, Pennington, Ashby.
Bolton Wanderers: Bonham; Johnston, Forino, Toal, Christie, Sheehan (Dempsey 87), Rodrigues, Cissoko (Gale 87), Kenny, Cozier-Duberry, Burstow.
Unused substitutes: Broome, Conway, Simons, Apter, McAtee
Referee: S Stockbridge (Tyne and Wear).