Bradford City 1 MK Dons 0: Hanson works hard to get City’s lucky break

Then again, no one deserved to score more than City’s hard-grafting striker, who registered his 10th goal of the season to complete the Bantams’ first back-to-back home wins since August.

One of Hanson’s best qualities is he simply never knows when to give up.

Quite apart from his unselfish running and link-up play, he saw one overhead shot fly fractionally too high and another rattle the bar in the first half.

Then, after his fortuitous goal, he had a header and follow-up blocked.

Martin, who spent nearly three months on loan at Leeds United from Liverpool in 2009-10 and is the son of former England and West Ham defender Alvin Martin, will have nightmares over his fresh-air clearance which presented Hanson with an unguarded net for the only goal.

However, City manager Phil Parkinson said: “We’ve scored a lot of goals like that in the past, with the front two pressing the opposition keeper and back four.

“James ran himself into the ground and deserved his goal and the man of the match award.

“It has been a great week for us.”

City had a lot of defending to do against a side with an extra man in midfield, but they were more potent when Garry Thompson left the bench to supply ammunition from the right.

Copious stoppage time tested the nerves, but City passed the test and will chase a third successive home win against Stevenage on Saturday.

Bradford City: McLaughlin, Darby, McArdle, Davies, McHugh, Bennett (Thompson 56), Doyle, Jones, Reach (Dolan 90), Hanson, Mclean (Atkinson 65). Unused substitutes: Jameson, Gray, Yeates, McBurnie.

Milton Keynes Dons: Martin, Baldock (Hall 77), Spence, Kay, Lewington, Chadwick (Odelusi 79), Alli, Reeves, Gleeson, Powell, McLeod. Unused substitutes: McLoughlin, Smith.

Referee: G Sutton (Lincolnshire).

Bradford man of the match: James Hanson.

Danny Mayor’s stoppage-time strike secured Bury a 1-0 victory away to AFC Wimbledon to extend their unbeaten run to five.