Bradford City 3 Shrewsbury Town 1: Buoyant Bantams look forward to revenge mission at Millers

Most of the personnel will be the same but the Millers will be up against a side lifted in confidence after registering three league wins in a row for the first time since the early days of the 2009-10 season and having stretched their unbeaten league run since defeat to Andy Scott’s side to five games.

A stoppage-time penalty miss by Michael Flynn cost City a point then but important lessons were learned in that defeat.

Talk of a battle against relegation has all-but been banished following wins against promotion-chasers Southend and Saturday’s visitors Shrewsbury and City assistant manager Steve Parkin said: “It’s important we don’t get carried away but a lot has changed since the last match against Rotherham.

“We have ironed out a lot of the problems we had against Rotherham, who we invited to come on to us in that second half. It was very costly but we haven’t done that in any game since then.

“We have reacted to that disappointment very well and Monday’s game is one we are really looking forward to, though it will be a real tough game.”

City are almost certain to have to make changes again unless an appeal against David Syers’s red card proves successful.

Syers had enjoyed a tremendous comeback in his first start since damaging a knee against home-town Leeds United in the Carling Cup at the start of the season.

But he was sent off in the 71st-minute for what referee Dean Mohareb deemed to be a reckless challenge, bringing down Nicky Wroe 27 yards out after the former Barnsley player had skipped past one challenge going down the middle.

Parkin believed the decision was both harsh and hasty. “I think he has gone in very firmly and at speed, but I think he took the ball and it was a good old-fashioned challenge.

“The referee says that although he took the ball it’s the way in which he has tackled in an aggressive manner which forced his decision.

“The thing for me is that it is an aggressive game. Where do we draw the line in stopping our midfield players making tackles against a very good side? I would like to see it again and we will decide if we will appeal but I just wish the referee would have taken a little bit longer in making his decision. He was very quick and could have stood back and assessed whether it was violent or not and could also have taken into consideration the conditions as it was a very slippery pitch. There was not much difference between that and the challenge on Simon Ramsden which only brought a booking (for Joe Jacobsen).

“Syers had done magnificently before then. Full credit to him because he has been out a long time and had a real tough 10 days of training. We really put him through it in terms of getting up to match speed and I think it paid off. For his first game back on a real heavy pitch against such a good team it was a first-class performance and he was unlucky not to get a goal.”

Wroe soon got to his feet after City had been reduced to 10 men but it sparked some late confrontations, with Ian Sharps and Simon Ramsden being yellow-carded after clashing over the touchline and being followed into the book by City goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin and central defender Luke Oliver.

By then, City were 3-0 ahead and although Marvin Morgan pulled one back – he appeared to handle a deep cross before forcing it home – City stood firm despite six minutes of stoppage time.

Syers had been given his start due to central midfield duo Michael Flynn (stomach virus) and Ricky Ravenhill (suspended) being ruled out.

He partnered Ritchie Jones with Jack Compton, who was ending his loan spell from Falkirk, on the left for hamstring victim Kyel Reid and captain Craig Fagan on the right.

City showed little sign of disruption, however, and tore into the visitors from the kick-off after being asked to attack towards the Kop, referee Mohareb missing a handling offence inside the area by Wroe.

One of the tightest defences in the league was made to look jittery against the height of James Hanson and pace of Nahki Wells, who forced the corner which led to City’s 25th-minute opener.

Andrew Davies headed on the in-swinger from Compton, Wells challenged at the far post and Hanson nodded home from close range.

Five minutes later and it was 2-0 as Syers hooked the ball down the middle, Wells outpaced Jon Taylor and dinked the ball past goalkeeper Chris Neal as he rushed out towards the edge of the area.

Bradford have had a habit of switching off after the break but on this occasion they soon made it 3-0 as Compton cut inside two defenders and had his shot beaten away by Neal to Fagan, whose return volley went between the goalkeeper’s legs.

Shrewsbury responded by replacing strike duo James Collins and Jon Taylor with Morgan and Terry Gornell.

Following Syers’s dismissal, Lee Bullock was brought on for midfield solidity at Compton’s expense but it was 3-1 in the 78th minute when Morgan bundled home a deep cross at the far post.

That was as good as it got for the visitors as City’s revival continued, Parkin hinting they may even have a couple of signings by today.

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Bradford City: McLaughlin, Ramsden, Oliver, Davies, Seip; Fagan, Syers, Jones, Compton (Bullock 73); Hanson, Wells (Hannah 68, Threlfall 90). Unused substitutes: Duke, Bryan.

Shrewsbury Town: Neal, Hurst, Sharps, Cansdell-Sherriff, Jacobson; Taylor (Wallace 68), Wroe, Richards, Wright; Collins (Morgan 55), Bradshaw (Gornell 55). Unused substitutes: Smith, Grandison.

Referee: D Mohareb (Cheshire).