Graham Alexander praised the impact Antoni Sarcevic is having on Bradford’s promotion push.

Sarcevic who has gone up five times in his career from League Two, scored both goals as the fifth-placed Bantams saw off MK Dons 2-0 at Valley Parade. It was their ninth straight home win to equal a club record.

Bradford manager Alexander said: “I knew Sarce was a goal threat and had a winning mentality. I managed him 10 years ago at Fleetwood and tactically now he’s a much better footballer.

“I think he impacts on the players around him. I wouldn’t have expected that when he was 21 and we had him before but he’s definitely matured over the years.

At the double: Bradford City's Antoni Sarcevic against MK Dons (Picture: Tony Johnson)

“He’s understood the game but he’s always kept that desire, will to win and that goalscoring aspect. He is doing great things for the team but he knows it’s also the whole squad that’s doing it.”

Michael Mellon set up the opener, forcing a mistake in the Dons defence and setting up Sarcevic to slot past keeper Connal Trueman. Sarcevic claimed his second goal on the hour after being played in by Bobby Pointon.

Alexander was delighted with the aggression in his team’s play.

“It’s something we work on every single day, every meeting we analyse and go over it,” he said. “It’s the basis of what we are as a team.

“It’s something the Bradford fans have bought into and want to see and I think they enjoy it. We know when we do get it right, we can hurt teams with the quality we have.

“The two goals were clinically finished and I felt we could have had a couple more.”

It was a fourth defeat in five games for MK Dons, who have won just once since New Year’s Day to slip to 17th place.

Manager Scott Lindsey said: “We have to stick together and dust ourselves down. We’re asking very young players to play against very experienced ones.”

Bradford: Sam Walker, Johnson, Baldwin, Crichlow-Noble (Byrne 73), Halliday, Pattison (Khela 30), Smallwood, Adaramola (Leigh 78), Sarcevic, Pointon, Mellon (Jamie Walker 78). Unused substitutes: Hilton, Huntington, Lapslie.

MK Dons: Trueman, Offord, Lawrence, Waller, Nemane (O'Reilly 80), Crowley, Kelly, Patterson, Hogan (White 62), Gilbey, Orsi-Dadomo (Hendry 80). Unused substitutes: Harness, Tomlinson, Thompson-Sommers, Lemonheigh-Evans.

Referee: S Stockbridge (Tyne & Wear).

'He impacts on the players around him': Graham Alexander hails two-goal Antoni Sarcevic