Bradford City aiming to get back on target as crucial spell looms

Nineteen attempts were fashioned against Bury but only five were on target as City drew a blank for the third time in five FA Cup outings before bowing out on penalties.

It had been an even sorrier tale four days earlier, when Phil Parkinson’s men mustered just a solitary effort on goal out of 15 created against an Oldham Athletic side who, like the Shakers in the Cup, had been reduced to 10 men five minutes before half-time.

On that occasion against the Latics, the Bantams did, at least, make that one count as Tony McMahon netted the only goal of the game to seal a welcome three points.

That win means Bradford are handily placed for a play-off push, sitting four points adrift of sixth-placed Peterborough but with two games in hand.

To justify that standing as a genuine contender, however, the West Yorkshire club are going to have to improve in front of goal.

A tally of 25 in 24 games – the lowest in League One – betrays the difficulties City have had in converting chances into goals and Parkinson is the first to admit that this has to change.

“There is a frustration among the group that we are not taking the chances,” admitted the Bantams chief, whose side travel to Port Vale this weekend.

“It goes back quite a long way. And against Bury, I sensed an edginess. When chances came along, the players didn’t have the calmness we have had in the past.

“That stems from a period where, despite results not being too bad, we have had a lot of gilt-edged chances but not taken them.

“Two or three times against Bury, people got in on goal and should have taken the strike early. But, instead, they took an extra touch. That is what happens when people are not full of confidence.”

City need to rediscover that belief in front of goal and fast, not least because the club is about to embark on a hectic period that could make or break their dreams of a top-six finish.

After the weekend trip to Vale Park, Bradford host Barnsley on Tuesday and then Fleetwood Town the following Saturday.

Then come encounters with promotion-chasing trio Burton Albion, Peterborough United and Southend United.

Considering the Bantams are yet to beat any of the nine sides sitting above them, there can surely be no better time for Parkinson’s men to rediscover their goal-scoring touch.

“Sometimes, the more you make of it, the worse it gets,” said the City chief, who hopes to have James Hanson back to face Vale after the striker missed the penalty shoot-out loss to Bury.

“We have to stay positive with the players we have got. We do have players who can score goals. We need to stay with them.

“Obviously, working on the training ground isn’t a bad thing and we will continue to do that. But we have to stick right behind the players and then, hopefully, we can take a bigger percentage of the chances created.

“Against Oldham, we had 15 attempts and 19 against Bury. But not a big enough percentage of those hit the target and made the goalkeeper work.

“That percentage level has to go up for us to win games comfortably. We have still won games in recent weeks but we want more.

“We have some really good players.

“And we must not wear the disappointment of going out of the Cup too heavily.

“There is a big game this weekend. And we have to move on towards that.”