Bradford City 1 Scunthorpe 0: Match-winner Steven Davies hailed by delighted Phil Parkinson
The result saw City step up their play-off challenge by moving into fifth place with their third win in eight days.
The match was deadlocked at 0-0 when Parkinson replaced his strikers Jamie Proctor and Billy Clarke with Davies and James Hanson and within a minute they were in front.
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Hide AdHanson challenged David Mirfin as the defender tried to deal with a long throw-in and managed to head the ball on for Davies to turn it in at the near post.
Davies had been on the pitch for a mere 38 seconds when he scored – his fifth goal off the bench – and Parkinson said: “It is terrific for us. When Billy Clarke and Jamie Procter have run the opposition into the ground and then you’ve got these two to come on, it is a defender’s nightmare.
“Sometimes it isn’t being fresh physically but mentally as well. You could see that with the way Steve reacted to that (chance).
“Steve missed a lot of training during the week because his little girl has been in hospital, but he was determined to be part of it.”
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Hide AdBradford were indebted to captain Stephen Darby for three goalmouth clearances in the first half and goalkeeper Ben Williams saved well from Paddy Madden.
To complete a satisfying day for the Bantams, winger Filipe Morais made his first appearance of the season as an 82nd-minute substitute after being out for eight months with a knee injury.
Bradford City: Williams, Darby, N Clarke, Burke, Meredith, McMahon, Evans, Cullen, Reid (Morais 82), Proctor (Hanson 67), B Clarke (Davies 67). Unused substitutes: Cracknell (gk), Knott, Thorpe, Morris.
Scunthorpe United: Daniels, J Clarke, Wallace, Mirfin (Laird 85), Townsend, Adelakun, Bishop, Ness, L Williams (Vose 81), Madden, Hopper.(Wootton 74.). Unused substitutes: Anyon (gk), Dawson, King, Goode.
Referee: G Ward (Surrey).