Walsall 0 Bradford 2: Parkinson left beaming by Bantams goal heroes

Reid thundered a stunning effort home from 35 yards on the stroke of half-time and target man Hanson netted from a flick from Mark Yeates two minutes after the break.

“Kyel is playing full of confidence and I don’t think you will see a better goal than that in any division,” said Parkinson.

“It gave us a great lift going into half-time.

“James’s all-round performance deserved the goal. He chased things down, he won headers and his hold up play was tremendous.”

Before Reid’s strike, City had enjoyed the better of the opportunities with Gary Thompson side- footing wide and Yeates being denied by a fine sliding tackle from Andy Butler.

“Walsall were always going to have more possession with the extra man in midfield and we had to be patient against that,” said Parkinson.

“But when we went forward, I thought we looked a constant threat.”

Hanson’s early second-half strike – which started with Rory McArdle’s long ball forward to Yeates – gave City the cushion they were looking for.

Walsall pushed forward and Jon McLaughlin did well to deny Andy Taylor but while there were a couple of close shaves, City were able to hold on for a second successive clean sheet on the road.

“Even though Walsall threw caution to the wind, Jon McLaughlin did not have too many saves to make and that was credit to the discipline of the team,” said Parkinson, whose Bantams are sitting in fourth place.

Walsall: O’Donnell; Taylor, Butler, Downing, Chambers; Featherstone (Hemmings 61), A Chambers, Lalkovic (Sawyers 61), Mantom, Westcarr; Hewitt (Baxendale 61). Unused substitutes: Lewis, Purkiss, Benning, McQuilken.

Bradford City: McLaughlin; Darby, Meredith, McArdle, Davies; Jones, Doyle, Thompson, Reid (De Vita 88); Hanson (Folan 81), Yeates (Kennedy 76). Unused substitutes: Ripley, Oliver, McHugh, Connell.

Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear)

Man of the match: James Hanson.