Bradford City 1 Mansfield Town 0: Normal service is resumed as Bantams show their serious side in League One

Nothing perhaps explains the Bantams’ renaissance story under Graham Alexander better than the fact they have lost back-to-back league games on just three occasions since the start of 2024-25.

Additionally, a bad week last January did see them beaten three times on the spin. But it remains an outlier.

Much more commonplace under Alexander have been league wins by a single goal at Valley Parade.

Never mind ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’, how about ‘1-0 to the City’. Saturday was the 16th time that has happened under his watch so far. Expect more.

After the sting, as Alexander put it, of consecutive defeats to Cambridge and Plymouth, this was a familiar soothing antidote.

City, not for the first time and certainly by no means the last, showed they can play it two ways.

They can strut their stuff as they did in trademark fashion in a first half when they were powerful, persistent, but also polished, even if their dominance was not necessarily reflected in the scoreline.

On the restart, they had to dig in at times and were doughty against a Mansfield side ripe with forward operators who have been around the block and know the level better than most.

That City displayed both facets in the same game against a side and management team deserving of respect in League One circles suggests that they are heading in the right direction again.

Such wins, especially at the end of three-game weeks which are demanding from a mental and physical perspective, are what it’s all about at EFL level. In both aspects, Alexander was right to say that his players are ‘fit’ on both counts.

Different units across the pitch were functioning correctly.

In the first half especially, the connections on opposing flanks between Josh Neufville and Adam Phillips and Ibou Touray and Bobby Pointon were there for all to see. It was too much for Mansfield at times.

Further back, the three-man central defence of Aden Baldwin, Matt Pennington and debutant George Pratt were playing together for the first time, but you would have never have guessed.

Up front, Jake Beesley's wait for a maiden City goal goes on. But if the maxim of 'the harder you work, the luckier you get' means anything, then his rewards will surely come.

He played a big hand in the only goal of the game on 18 minutes. After winning the initial header when Neufville's cross returned from orbit, he was first to the second and adroitly set up Sarcevic for a splendid acrobatic volley.

The Bantams’ captain hovered with intent centrally as opposed to drifting out wide, which was a criticism from his manager in midweek.

It is wasn't for Harry Lewis, who was promoted to start after Liam Roberts' foot injury flared up again in the warm-up, then City would probably have been home and hosed at the break.

Not for the first time, a player returned to his old club and frustrated them as Lewis made key blocks to thwart Pointon and Phillips, after previously showing good reactions to thwart Callum Connolly.

On the restart, the frustration belonged to Mansfield and more especially Nigel Clough.

Piqued at not being told the referee Zac Kennard-Kettle - who received injury treatment early in the game before managing to carry on to half-time - had been replaced by fourth official Connor Ledgeway, the Stags chief was furious when a goal was disallowed on 69 minutes for a perceived foul on Jon McCracken by Michael Smith following Deii Oshijala's initial header.

"I don't think a more experienced referee would have disallowed that goal", rued Clough, although his main ire was directed at referees' chief Mike Jones and not Ledgeway.

Mansfield, who threw on David McGoldrick at the break, had spells of pressure. But aside from that aforesaid moment and a few scrambles, City dealt admirably with what was thrown at them. A group comfortable in their own skin and tactically smart on the day.

Bradford City: McCracken; Pennington, Baldwin, Pratt; Neufville, Connolly, Sarcevic (Cartwright 65), Touray (Gillesphey 91); Phillips (Jackson 66), Pointon (Powell 71); Beesley. Substitutes unused: Dawson, Welch, Morgan.

Mansfield Town: Lewis; Knoyle (Hewitt 64), Oshilaja, Sweeney, Blake-Tracey; Reed (Bolton 65); Moriah-Welch (Oates HT), Maris, Thompson; Hendry (McGoldrick HT), Smith (T Roberts 80). Substitutes unused: Dodgson.

Referee: Z Kennard-Kettle (Berkshire).