Bradford City 3 Oldham Athletic 0: The future is ‘bright’ for Bantams - Sean Scannell

First-half goals from the new-look strike partnership of James Vaughan and Clayton Donaldson had put the hosts in control, and the ex-Huddersfield Town winger’s emphatic 72nd-minute strike was the icing on the cake.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Scannell, reflecting on City securing their first victory since relegation from League One. “But we know that we can get better and better. We’ve worked all pre-season to get to this. We’re unbeaten right now and we still know we can get better, so the future looks bright.

“Obviously you’ve got to have both sides [to your game to succeed in League Two] and I think that’s what we’ve got.

“We can play, but sometimes, when you can’t play you’ve got to know how to adapt and do the other side as well, and I think we’ve got that, 100 per cent.”

Some fans were still taking their seats when the deadlock was broken after four minutes.

Connor Wood delivered a cross from the left that was met at the back by captain Vaughan, who finished from close range.

Despite the setback Oldham grew into the contest and slowly took charge, Mohamed Maouche beating Richard O’Donnell with a neat 21st-minute effort only to see the ball bounce back off a post.

City took full advantage of that bit of good fortune just after the half-hour mark, the unmarked Donaldson getting on the end of Kelvin Mellor’s long pass into the right channel and, with the freedom of the penalty area, slammed a half-volley into the net.

Vaughan then saw a header come back off the crossbar as Bradford went into the interval with their tails up, remaining more than comfortable after the resumption.

Oldham failed to make any real inroads at the other end and as gaps began to appear, Gary Bowyer’s men put the game to bed 18 minutes from time.

Donaldson did brilliantly down the right before slipping a pass inside to Scannell, who took a touch then rifled a shot across the face of goal past Gary Woods and into the roof of the net.

Bradford: O’Donnell, Mellor, Anthony O’Connor, Richards-Everton, Henley, Scannell (Patrick 77), Devine (Akpan 80), Palmer, Wood, Donaldson, Vaughan (McCartan 75). Unused substitutes: Paudie O’Connor, Hornby, French, Anderson.

Oldham: Woods, Mills, Sefil, Iacovitti, Smith-Brown (Hamer 46), Fage, Maouche, Sylla, Missilou (Wilson 37), Nepomuceno, Azankpo (Eagles 78). Unused substitutes: Stott, Branger, Vera, Zabret.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Tyne & Wear).