Nicky Law now targetting direct route to promotion for Bradford City

To say that the midfielder has not had much luck in showpiece occasions at the sharp end of seasons is putting it mildly, with the 29-year-old coping with more heartache in Bradford City’s crushing play-off final loss to Millwall at Wembley.

It ensured the Bantams lost out to the Lions for the second successive season in the play-offs, with the desire to avoid the end-of-season lottery and go up by a more conventional route likely to hold considerable appeal when the club go again for another League One campaign in August.

Law reflected: “I think that would be easier, wouldn’t it.

“That was my fifth final that I have lost in my career. So I have lost a few; a few with Rangers and one with Rotherham and one now with Bradford.

“It would be great for me to avoid finals from now on and hopefully try and do it through the top two.”

Despite a harsh dénouement, Law insists that – with the benefit of time and perspective – Bradford’s season will be judged as a success, more especially given the low base which they started from last summer when their squad was seriously depleted and much painstaking work had to be done.

He said: “We have played some fantastic stuff this year and I think – and hope – every Bradford fan will be proud of this team and our staff and everything which has gone on this year because when I came through the door and in my first day in pre-season, we had eight players and two staff and I think two or three of the players were youth teams ones as well.

“That shows the job that has been done by everybody involved.

“In this pre-season, we will have a better base to work with and, hopefully, we will add again and be stronger next year.”