Madejski rematch holds no fear for battling Bantams

In front of Valley Parade’s biggest crowd in 55 years, the Bantams went toe-to-toe with the Championship side and emerged with plenty of credit from a hard-fought stalemate.

Few chances were created but the best of those fell to the hosts and Knott believes City are more than capable of extending their Cup odyssey to the semi-final and, maybe, even beyond.

“There is no fear about going down there for the replay,” said the 22-year-old midfielder. “The lads are looking forward to it.

“We showed that we belong on the same pitch. I thought we could have won in the second half.

“They are a Championship team but we played some decent football on a difficult pitch. The fans will know we gave it everything and that we have a good chance in the replay.

“The gaffer said afterwards that we deserve to still be in the Cup. We have been knocking the big dogs out and we are enjoying it. We just want it to last that bit longer.”

Saturday’s encounter between Phil Parkinson’s past and present clubs may have been something of a damp squib.

But, in a contest more akin to an old-fashioned Cup-tie as the tackles flew on a pudding of a pitch, there was nothing in the goalless draw that should give the Bantams sleepless nights ahead of the return.

Reading, for a start, have struggled at home of late with just one win in five league games since the start of 2015.

Even the poor state of the Madjeski pitch will not faze Bradford, who are by now well used to having to cope with a Valley Parade surface that makes completing even the simplest of tasks a risky business.

Knott added: “I felt we did well as a team. I am told the pitch isn’t great at Reading so maybe the game will be similar.

“Both teams battled well and I think it will be a good Cup tie down there. We like to play football, I think we showed we can do that in the second half. There was always going to be the odd bobble with our pitch but I felt we did okay.”

City’s heroics in the Cup have lit up this season’s competition, as has the level of support that Parkinson’s men have received from the stands.

This backing was again in evidence for the visit of Reading as 24,321 poured through the turnstiles, the old ground’s biggest gate since the visit of Burnley in February, 1960, for a fifth round tie.

Any City fans fortunate enough to have been present to see a Clarets side that just three months later was crowned League champions will know that 2-2 draw was a pulsating affair.

The stalemate with Reading may have been a dour affair in comparison but the atmosphere from both the home fans and the 4,336 travelling contingent that packed the Midland Road Stand was still one to savour.

City’s marketing staff had worked hard beforehand, urging fans to bring along scarves to produce a “wall of claret and amber” on three sides of the famous old stadium.

Bradford band the Good Citizens were also drafted in to sing their adaptation of John Denver’s Take Me Home. While the American singer may not have had a street in Manningham in mind when penning the original all those years ago, the sound of almost 20,000 Bradford fans singing ahead of kick-off about the special place Midland Road has in their affection was a stirring moment.

It was just a shame the football that followed was not of a similar ilk. Still, City now have another chance to make it through to the last four when they travel to Reading a week tonight and Knott, for one, can not wait.

He said: “The draw is Monday night and whoever we do get, it will be something to look forward to even if the focus has to be on the replay.

“But I do feel the country is behind us. Obviously, when you are a young lad and you see the underdog winning then that is a big thing.

“It will be the same now. We want to go through. The replay being on a Monday isn’t ideal. We will just have to lay off the Yorkshire puddings on the Sunday.”