Bradford City 1 Cardiff City 2: In-character second half - but damage inflicted earlier for Bantams

Sadly, their failure to do that proved telling at the start of a huge triple-header, beginning with the visit of the league leaders.

Perhaps piqued by the Bantams’ result in the Welsh capital, which truly planted the claret and amber flag on the League One map back in the autumn, the Bluebirds secured retribution thanks to a cracking 14th-minute opener from David Turnbull and a neat flicked finish from defensive veteran Callum Chambers 10 minutes later.

The hosts were temporarily stunned. A goal just before the hour mark from Jenson Metcalfe, a reprise of his eye-catching effort in the previous home game, made it a competitive encounter again shortly before the hour.

City were much more like their usual selves on the resumption after being humbled in the opening period.

But a leveller was not to be as the Bantams lost for just the second occasion at Valley Parade in the league this term.

Their second half showing was game for sure, but the result intensifies the need for a result in their next two juicy fixtures with Huddersfield Town and Lincoln City.

The breakthrough in these types of high-stakes fixtures was always going to be all-important and when it arrived, it was an absolute beauty. Unfortunately it was delivered by Cardiff.

In fairness, Turnbull, a Scottish international, had already fired a warning before his exquisite 14th-minute opener.

Earlier, the recalled attacking midfielder had gone close after Cardiff worked it well down the hosts’ left.

Ollie Tanner slotted in Turnbull, whose low shot from a narrow angle deflected off Metcalfe and was kept out by Sam Walker.

Straightaway, Turnbull just failed to get on the end of Joel Bagan’s left-wing centre as the Bluebirds started to significantly stir.

Soon after, the Tanner-Turnbull axis yielded joyous fruit for the visitors.

Tanner slotted in his team-mate, whose superb curler flew into the top corner. It was his first league goal of the campaign with his only other strike being a similar stunner when he netted against Chelsea in the EFL Cup.

Regrettably, it got worse for the Bantams as Cardiff added a second in a powerhouse period when they showed that they are top of the division for a reason as they played the game on their terms and looked the part.

Again, Tanner was the creator with his cross-shot flicked in neatly by Chambers.

It was turning into a chastening half for the hosts, more especially given events in Wales in the reverse fixture.

After digging in - at a time when it had the potential to get ugly - they at least regrouped and showed more assertion and conviction in the final spell of the first half.

A weaving run from Josh Neufville saw him fire over a dangerous cross-shot which just needed a connection from someone in front of goal before Cardiff uncharacteristically surrendered possession and the returning Bobby Pointon fired over.

Ahead of the break, Curtis Tilt hooked an overhead kick over after the visitors failed to clear a corner from Max Power before the half ended with a penalty call when Antoni Sarcevic went down, although he seemed to run into Chambers.

There was one earlier at the other end, when Bagan went down under pressure from Aden Baldwin.

You felt that Graham Alexander had to do something to change the narrative at the break and he did with Stephen Humphrys and Louie Sibley entering the fray, with the latter handed a Valley Parade debut.

Humphrys was soon presented with a great chance to drag the hosts back into it, but fired over at the near post from close range after good work from Neufville, City’s best player on the day. It represented the sort that you need to take against league leaders.

At the other end, Turnbull showed he had not gone away after testing Walker, while alert defending from Neufville denied Chris Willock.

Neufville was then involved in something more important.

After Power’s cross was cleared, he picked up the loose ball and teed up Metcalfe, who fired him a sumptuous curler and a virtual carbon copy of his strike in the previous home game against Port Vale - and Turnbull’s earlier strike from almost the same position.

Suddenly, it was a proper game again and those in claret and amber cranked up the noise levels.

While not hitting their heights of their first-half levels, Cardiff were managing the game well enough, even if there were entitled to be a few nerves after Metcalfe’s lifeline for the hosts, who handed debuts to recent loan recruits Harrison Ashby and Joe White midway through the second period.

Bradford, from their standpoint, were far more ‘in character’ in comparison to the first half which was important and heartening to see.

A half-shout for a penalty was ignored as the hosts kept up the intent. It was not to be.

Bradford City: Walker; Baldwin, Tilt, Touray (J Wright 90+5); Neufville (Ashby 68), Power, Metcalfe, T Wright (Sibley HT); Sarcevic, Pointon (White 68); Swan (Humphrys HT). Substitutes unused: Hilton, Leigh.

Cardiff City: Trott; Ng (J Colwill HT), Chambers, Osho, Bagan; Wintle, Robertson (Robinson 78); Tanner (Davies 64), Turnbull, Willock (Ashford 64); Salech (Fish 85). Substitutes unused: Turner, Lawlor.

Referee: D Rock (Herts).

Attendance: 21,251 (2,082 Cardiff City fans).