Bradford City 1 Harrogate Town 0: Seven in a row and a happy Valley for Bantams who dig in after early Antoni Sarcevic strike in League Two derby

Given the bother that nemesis Harrogate Town have caused against the Bantams since arriving in the Football League, the odds on it not being easy were pretty long beforehand.

A goal inside the first two minutes – 82 seconds to be precise - from Antoni Sarcevic hinted at things being different for City when a magnificent seven looked on the cards in a fine first-half.

Harrogate, with seven wins in 10 matches against their near-neighbours, were poor in the first period, but upped their game markedly on the restart and gave the upwardly-mobile hosts a fair bit of trouble.

There were nerves among the claret and amber towards the end, but City held out for a seventh home success. They are now up to 50 points for the campaign and have moved up to fourth in League Two.

City showed the confidence of a side in pristine form on fertile home soil during the first half. They scored an early goal and displayed aggression, rhythm, movement and slickness in the opening period, but the fact they didn’t add to their advantage represented a disappointment from their perspective, given such good work in a fluid half.

The narrow scoreline was at least a friend for Harrogate, who struggled to get a toehold in the game, in truth. They were comprehensively second-best in the opening half.

The hosts’ goal was a beauty.

The recalled Bobby Pointon, who did damage alongside another returnee in Tyreik Wright down the left, send over an inviting cross, which was powered in emphatically by the head of Sarcevic.

A super goal and some of City’s approach play was a joy in the first period. Harrogate also had issues on their opposite flank, while Alex Pattison and Richie Smallwood controlled the middle of the park with Harrogate’s rearguard also having palpable issues with Callum Kavanagh, Sarcevic and Pointon.

Ex-Town man Pattison fired a good chance over from a nice squared pass from Wright and a well-manufactured chance then saw the ball arrive in space for Brad Halliday, whose fierce low drive was dealt unconvincingly by James Belshaw, before the visiting defence hacked clear before a header from Romoney Crichlow - making his second league debut - was cleared from close to the goal-line.

For their part, Harrogate - who included ex-Bantams’ Olly Sanderson, Levi Sutton and Anthony O’Connor offered little, aside from one token header from Josh March, which was easily dealt with by Sam Walker.

Callum Kavanagh, who received treatment for a knock which left him in discomfort in the first half, made way at the interval with Tommy Leigh moving into the forward line.

A knock for Sutton, who made way but not before receiving sporting applause from City fans, was the cue for Ben Fox o come on for his debut and he was soon in the action, setting up Sanderson for the chance he craved, but he fired over from close range.

Harrogate were showing signs of waking up from their slumber with Jack Shepherd having to be alert to block Sanderson’s goalbound effort before March was a whisker away from levelling with a crisp low drive, which flew inches wide.

City, relievingly for their sakes, got back on message at the other end after a slow start to the second period.

A poor clearance presented the ball to Pattison, who spotted the onrushing Sarcevic, whose fierce drive was beaten out by Belshaw.

A Smallwood corner then caused consternation after it was hooked towards goal from Shepherd, with Harrogate’s attempts to clear going perilously close to an own goal.

The game was on a knife-edge in a much more even half of derby football.

Bradford were forced to defend more and they possessed a reliable, sturdy figure in particular in Shepherd.

There was more concern among home fans, with the scoreline tight and Harrogate being improved with Morris then going close with his deflected strike flying just over.

The Sulphurites pushed late on at a place that has yielded fruit over the years. An error in isolation from Shepherd gifted the ball to Hill, but he curled wide.

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). Substitutes unused: Hilton, Khela.

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

Referee: O Yates (Staffs)

Attendance: 17,126 (496 Harrogate Town fans).