Bradford City reach League Two play-offs in reassuringly low-key fashion but the final chapter is still to come

For once they were celebrating, not cursing, a draw at Valley Parade.

With Leyton Orient content to have given it a good go in the first 70 minutes, the last 20 petered out into something unworthy of League Two's biggest gate for five years, outdoing anything Valley Parade saw even in its Premier League years.

Not that it mattered to anyone in a 22,576 crowd which was dampened only in the literal sense by the miserable weather.

The away fans could celebrate winning the title without the indignity of defeat, and Bradford City supporters could revel in a job done in reassuringly low-key fashion, particularly when a defeat for Salford City eased the tension.

It was a long way from West Germany v Austria in 1982, but a pretty amicable 1-1 draw on a day when the Orient contingent had not just respected but heartily supported tributes to victims of the 1985 fire. The minute's silence was all the more poignant because what came either side of it was so boisterous.

If only it was always this straight-forward for a side who have been involved in 13 stoppage-time goals this season, six in their net.

Bradford were only behind for two minutes and never out of the play-off positions all day. They even ended it up a place, in sixth.

Then again, perhaps the explanation was that this was not the end of the Bantams’ season, it is just getting started. Nobody should be lured into a false sense of security – there are surely more twists and turns to come.

The real stuff begins when Carlisle United visit on Sunday before the semi-final second leg at Brunton Park six days later. Given what an unhappy hunting ground it is for the Bantams – two points there since 1985 – Brad Halliday might have been jumping the gun by talking about "when" his team play at Wembley but having scored his first goal since netting for Doncaster Rovers against Gillingham in December 2020 with the aid of a deflection, he was entitled to be feeling lucky.

“The lads were trying to take it off him, saying it was an own goal, but he’s having none of it," said his manager, Mark Hughes.

It was nice to see one of the unsung heroes of the team have his moment not exactly in the sun – that took the Bank Holiday off – but the spotlight.

Largely, though, it was a day for thumbing record books, mainly to marvel at Bradford's fanbase. Valley Parade has seen bigger crowds this century, but only for a 2019 pre-season friendly against Liverpool and an FA Cup quarter-final versus Reading in 2015. The last time as many people were there for a league match was April 1953.

It is more than just a source of pride, it is a formidable weapon in the season’s knockout stages because they did more than just turn up, they made their presence felt long before the game kicked off.

Playing an odd formation where an extra midfielder – Adam Clayton – often meant no winger on the opposite side to Scott Banks, Bradford rode the wave, Andy Cook heading against the crossbar six minutes in.

Orient had more of the ball but the wonky set-up created the best chances.

Jamie Walker shot into the side-netting midway through the first half and Cook turned neatly onto a Banks pass to force Lawrence Vigouroux into a good save.

But Bradford crucially lost concentration after Adam Clayton blocked a Kieran Sadlier shot.

The midfielder needed treatment for a couple of minutes and his team was slow to switch back on, former Barnsley midfielder George Moncur arriving into vast space at the corner. His 40th-minute shot was blocked but when Tom James played the ball back in, Jordan Brown scored.

"That's why we're champions" sang the Orient fans. And why Bradford are not.

But they showed character to get back into the game just two minutes later, Halliday's volley taking a big deflection to level things up.

Orient started the second half strongly and Bradford had not learnt from their concession, again leaving Moncur in far too much space at a corner but spared by a woeful shot.

James and Aaron Drinan had shots blocked, Shadrach Ogbie volleyed wide and substitute Theo Archibald brought an unconvincing save from Harry Lewis.

Eventually, though, Orient eased up as the noisy Kop tried to draw the Bantams towards it, especially after Liam Ridehalgh responded to pleas to shoot by forcing a good save.

But the switch to a diamond formation when Clayton made way just after the hour made Bradford more secure as not conceding become more of a priority than scoring for both sides.

The drama went on hold for a bit. Do not worry, it will almost certainly be back pretty soon.

Bradford City: Lewis; Halliday, Stubbs, Crichlow, Ridehalgh; Clayton (Derbyshire 63), Smallwood, Gilliead; Banks (East 75), Cook, Walker (Osadebe 75). Unused substitutes: Doyle, Platt, Pereira, Nevers.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux; James (Sweeney 62), Beckles, Ogie, Hunt; Brown, El Mizouni (Clay 74); Smyth, Moncur, Sadlier (Archibald 62); Drinan (Kelman 62). Unused substitutes: Happe, Sotiriou, Byrne.

Referee: G Eltringham (County Durham).