Essential that Bantams return to winning ways back on Parade

WITH their last win at Valley Parade having come a month before the clocks changed to signal winter was on its way, Bradford City clearly need a change of fortune on home soil.
Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson.Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson.
Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson.

So, what better time for the Bantams to rediscover their footballing mojo than in the coming 11 days when Phil Parkinson have a trio of opportunities to get their home campaign back on track.

Port Vale are tonight’s visitors as City look to claim three points off a visiting side for the first time since Shrewsbury Town left empty-handed on September 28.

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Bradford, without a game on Saturday due to the trip to Coventry City being postponed, sit five points above the drop zone in 14th place.

Parkinson, whose side also host MK Dons and Stevenage before next heading out on the road, said: “We have three home games coming up and that means this is a very, very important period for us. We are all working hard to find a solution.

“Our home form has not been good enough. Okay, we have drawn a lot of games and there have been positives to take out of fixtures. But we need to win.”

Of the 10 games Valley Parade has hosted since Shrewsbury were beaten 2-1, seven have been drawn – a statistic that explains why Bradford are not deeper in the mire after such a poor run.

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Nevertheless, City have won just once in 21 games and Parkinson knows that has to change. He said: “I wouldn’t say our problem has been a lack of effort or anything like that. Definitely not. But the team has chopped and changed a lot for various reasons.

“We don’t make life easy for ourselves, either. Look at Tuesday night and our last game (a 1-0 defeat at Carlisle), when we conceded an early goal that could have been prevented. We responded well and dominated for a period but just couldn’t get that goal.”

Aaron Mclean could return to the squad after recovering from illness.

Last six games: Bradford City DDDLDL, Port Vale WLLLWD.

Last time: Bradford City 0 Port Vale 1; September 29, 2012; League Two.

Referee: M Brown (East Yorkshire).