Bradford City’s spearhead of Wells and Hanson points towards promotion

To put that tally into context, only Europa Cup finalists Chelsea of the clubs in the top four divisions have played more football than the Bantams while a host of Premier League clubs – including West Ham, Fulham and Stoke – have had just 40 outings this term.

For a League Two team, therefore, to put in as impressive a shift as the Bantams managed at Burton Albion to overturn a one-goal first-leg deficit and book a return trip to Wembley was nothing short of remarkable.

There were, as has been the case all season, plenty of heroes with Andrew Davies sticking doggedly to the task of keeping 6ft 5ins striker Calvin Zola quiet and captain Gary Jones once again belying his 35 years in central midfield.

The ultimate match-winners, however, were James Hanson and Nahki Wells, a front pairing who Jones believes can be the key to a City victory against Northampton Town on May 18.

“The team spirit in this group is absolutely frightening,” said Jones, who last week was named in the PFA League Two team of the Year for the second time in his career. “But when you have Nahki and James in your team, that is what can win a game.

“What a finish that was from James Hanson (for the second goal) and especially because it came with his weaker foot.

“When you have those two in your team, you can win any football match.”

The bare statistics of City’s season underlines the big role that Wells and Hanson have played.

In 53 appearances – 17 of which have been as a substitute – Wells has scored 25 goals, while his partner boasts 14 strikes from 49 starts and a further eight cameos from the bench.

Both have also weighed in with their fair share of assists, as was underlined in Sunday’s triumph at Burton as Hanson repaid the favour of Wells creating his 50th-minute goal by doing the same for what turned out to be the tie-winner shortly afterwards.

Northampton manager Aidy Boothroyd may have been busy preparing for his own team’s semi-final second leg at the time, but he knows all about the dangers posed by Bradford’s front two.

Not only did Wells score in both City’s 1-0 league wins over the Cobblers, but he also netted in the FA Cup replay between the two clubs that went the way of the Yorkshire club on penalties way back in November.

Jones, the Bradford captain, added: “Burton did a number on us in the first leg (which the Brewers won 3-2 at Valley Parade). They knew how we played and tried to keep James Hanson out of the game.

“But in the return I think those two up front showed that they are capable of winning any game.

“We needed a big performance off them, especially after what happened at Valley Parade last Thursday, and we got it.

“We knew what had to be done, but I still thought that was a decent situation. We had to win, simple as that, whereas Burton could get away with a draw.

“It meant we weren’t stuck in two minds, or in limbo, which they probably were. They didn’t know if they should push on or defend the lead.

“It was only when we scored that they started to play. At first, they seemed to want to play it quite tight, but the lads were unbelievable.”

As City prepare for their second visit to Wembley inside three months, the squad have already made it clear how determined they are to make up for the disappointment of that Capital One Cup defeat to Swansea City.

Losing by a record margin for a League Cup final hurt Phil Parkinson’s men, even allowing for the fact that just by getting to Wembley they had made history as the first team to do so in a major domestic competition from the basement division.

Since then, though, Bradford have channeled that disappointment in impressive fashion to lose just three times in 17 games. Among the seven victories during that run was a 1-0 triumph at home to Northampton, the team that stands between the Bantams and a return to League One.

Jones said: “I honestly thought this season couldn’t get any better, but over the 90 minutes (at Burton), it did.

“We needed to come out all guns blazing against Burton. Losing the first leg was a massive disappointment, as was how we played. But we responded in the right way. To play like we did in what was our 63rd game – full credit to everyone.

“Even when they scored the penalty – when Garry Thompson was a bit rash because their lad was not really going anywhere – we all rallied together and came up with the perfect response.

“Northampton will have watched that and thought, ‘Bradford are hitting form again’. I don’t think it matters who we play.

“If we play like that, we can beat anyone, I honestly believe that. On a good pitch at Wembley and in a game that will be on an even keel.

“Against Swansea, that wasn’t the case because they are a top team and we hardly saw the ball during the whole 90 minutes. But we will be up against a team from our division and that can only be a plus.”

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