PHIL Parkinson held up City’s gutsy 2-1 triumph at MK Dons as one of the best results of his three-year reign at the club.

First-half goals from Aaron Mclean and Billy Clarke fired the Bantams back up to fifth with a third straight away league win.

Having suffered back-to-back home defeats, they picked off the division’s top scorers last night – and did it without James Hanson, who suffered a thigh injury warming up before the game.

Parkinson said: “This has to be right up there with the magnitude of the night. This was a big game for us and I thought the manner of the performance was outstanding.

“There was a bit of negativity creeping in, which was understandable, and we were up against a team who had just scored five and recently put four past Man United.

“We asked the lads to put their bodies on the line and some of the composure in our play was brilliant.

“We had some really good periods when we kept the ball and took the sting out of the game. That was important because MK are an open and expansive type of team but they leave gaps.

“Discipline is so important away from home and we showed a great example of that.”

Parkinson had recalled Mclean for Clarke but had to stick the pair together when Hanson tweaked his thigh.

He added: “We’d spent a lot of Monday working on our set-plays and obviously Hanson is a big part. Then we have to rejig everything five minutes before kick-off.

“But the lads who were given responsibility came up to the plate. Aaron Mclean was asked to do a defensive job which he did really well.

“I just felt Azza was ready to play. He was disappointing against Oldham but before that he did okay and I thought this game was suited for him with the space that MK Dons do leave.

“It was always going to be a tough call to leave someone out but I felt we needed Aaron’s pace and power at the top of the pitch.

“It’s been a difficult period for him but when Aaron plays with that bit between his teeth then he’s a very tough player to contend with.”

James Meredith earned the manager’s praise for getting through the game despite feeling the effects of a chest infection.

Parkinson revealed that he had planned to bring in Leicester’s Zoumana Bakayogo on loan as cover – but the defender suffered a recurrence of a serious knee injury the night before.

He said: “We agreed with Leicester he’d play some part of their (reserve) game on Monday night because he was coming back from injury. But then he re-did his cruciate.

“Our plan was to have him on the bench if Mezza wasn’t right.

“Obviously that changed so I told Mezza before the game that I wanted to see that tough Australian mentality that he’s got – and boy did he show it.

“But there were big performances all over the pitch. We could talk about every player and what they’ve done – it was a terrific performance.”