Bradford City 2 Leyton Orient 1: Antoni Sarcevic at the double as 10-man Bantams continue strong home form

It was a meeting of promotion-chasers and relegation-battlers as the Bantams hosted the O’s and control was predictably enjoyed by the former.

Antoni Sarcevic broke the deadlock with an emphatic finish, although the floodgates did not open. Orient absorbed plenty of pressure in a fiery affair and struck back through Ollie O’Neill.

Aden Baldwin saw red in the second half but the Bantams were undeterred and Sarcevic poked home a winner with 11 minutes of normal time remaining.

First half

Bradford started brightly, pushing on to the front foot from the get-go. Slick passing exchanges had Orient scattered and the hosts looked particularly threatening down the left.

Tyreik Wright was the first to call Orient stopper Will Dennis into action, jinking his way into space before sending his shot straight down the goalkeeper’s throat.

Bobby Pointon twice danced past defenders to deliver and his second cross was met by Sarcevic, who clipped the outside of the post.

Sarcevic then turned provider for Josh Neufville, whose effort was only deflected as far as Wright on the edge of the box. He lined up a left-footed shot for the second time, but the execution was again poor and he rifled over.

The visitors remained in first gear and opportunities to counter-attack were not taken. Josh Koroma tried his luck from distance only to see his speculative effort fly harmlessly high and wide.

Bradford, meanwhile, continued to knock on the door. Pointon was fed by Sarcevic on the left-hand side of the box before drawing a save from Dennis from a tight angle.

Barely a minute later, the Valley Parade faithfil were calling for a penalty when the homegrown playmaker went to ground in the box. There were appeals, but referee Ollie Yates did not hesitate waving play on.

Sarcevic was proving to be a nuisance for Orient, dropping into awkward pockets of space between defence and midfield. He managed to drift into the box unmarked and only had Dennis to beat, but miscued and dragged wide.

The attacking midfielder managed to make amends within minutes, again finding himself in acres of space inside the box. On this occasion he was found by Neufville and blasted home a shot even a touch from Dennis could not keep out.

Orient’s frustration started to bleed through and Josh Koroma was incredibly fortunate to avoid a second yellow card. Having been booked for a cynical foul on Pointon earlier in the game, the former Huddersfield Town man left Curtis Tilt in a heap with a poor challenge.

Bradford fans and players alike made it clear which course of action they believed was necessary, but the official kept his cards in his pocket. In a development that surprised few, Koroma was promptly substituted to save him from the thin ice he was skating on.

It had been largely one-way traffic but with half-time approaching, the visitors levelled proceedings.

Jenson Metcalfe won a tackle on the edge of the box but it broke loose to O’Neill, who drilled beyond the reach of Walker.

Second half

Bradford returned to the ascendency after the break, emerging from the break and going straight for the jugular.

Ethan Wheatley and Wright combined on the left and the latter drew an impressive save from Dennis with a shot across goal.

The save sparked a scramble in the box but despite managing to gather the ball, Wheatley saw his shot blocked.

As the afternoon progressed, the story remained the same. Bradford remained in the driving seat and continually probed, only to find putting Orient to the sword difficult.

Wheatley endured a tough afternoon up top and it got worse shortly after the hour mark, when he cushioned a tame shot into Dennis’ grateful clutches from a promising position.

As fans chanted the name of substitute Paul Mullin, the Bantams looked to be in need of a spark in the final third.

Bantams boss Graham Alexander called for the cavalry with just under 20 minutes to go, sending Mullin on alongside fellow frontman Stephen Humphrys.

The pair had been on the pitch for just a matter of minutes when the complexion of the game threatened to change. Baldwin was sent off for a seemingly overzealous challenge on O’Neill, giving travelling fans fresh hope.

However, Sarcevic stepped up to ensure that hope was quickly extinguished. Humphrys sliced open the Orient backline with a fantastic pass, enabling Sarcevic to prod past Dennis.

There were flickers from Orient in the dying embers but Bradford held strong, maintaining their discipline to manage the game effectively until the final whistle.