City 2, Crewe 0

THE thumbs up directed towards the crowd was a symbolic gesture in more ways than one.

Aaron Mclean's cheery acknowledgement to the fans as he made his way back to the dressing room for treatment on a cramping calf indicated that all was well with the world once again.

For him, thanks to a first home goal of the season, and for City themselves, who were easing their way towards a first Valley Parade victory since opening day.

It was nothing flashy but both had got the job done.

On the face of it, beating Crewe is nothing to crow about – everyone else pretty much does it.

This was the fourth defeat on the bounce for woeful Alex, who have conceded 14 goals in that time. The only response in their barren run has come from an MK Dons player scoring in his own net.

With former Bantams assistant manager Colin Cooper jumping ship from Hartlepool on Saturday night after they hit the foot of League Two, the focus will now shine brighter on Crewe boss Steve Davis.

But for all the murmurings among their small band of travelling supporters, there was no sign of general unrest or mass discontent. Crewe have never seemed to be that type of club.

Yet their visit posed a potentially awkward test for the Bantams on their own turf. Let's face it, vagrants kipping in bus stops have looked more at home than City at Valley Parade at times recently.

If ever there was an afternoon when things could blow up spectacularly, Saturday was it.

The fact that it took 72 minutes before Crewe's back four was finally breached only added to the sense of nervousness among the supporters. The phrase "you just know what's going to happen" must have been muttered by a thousand lips.

That sense of foreboding seemed to increase as City spent the entire first half camped in Crewe territory. It could have been an extended session of corner practice on the training field as the home side clocked up a dozen without reply.

That was where they needed James Hanson. The big man was there – but sitting in a hospitality box above the halfway line rather than exerting his usual pressure on Crewe's creaky rearguard.

City had answered Phil Parkinson's pre-match call to make more happen in the opposition penalty area. After the drought of past home games came a flood of crosses as they ditched the diamond to go "back to basics" with wingers on either flank.

Mark Yeates was on the ball constantly and looking to whip in pass after pass. But for all City's control, Crewe clung on to parity.

There were close scrapes – none squeakier than Mclean's fierce blast from close range that was spectacularly blocked on the line by Anthony Grant. Not only did the Crewe midfielder manage to reach the ball in time, he also somehow deflected it up and over the bar.

Greg Leigh produced similar heroics from another post-corner scramble and keeper Ben Garratt plunged bravely at the feet of Jason Kennedy to smother after an intricate set-up by Yeates.

Billy Clarke also headed wide when unmarked – another of those "where's Hanson" moments for the edgy home fans.

City's perceived home struggles against bottom teams may be a Valley Parade urban myth. Stevenage's win in March was the first by a wooden-spoon visitor since Wimbledon ten years ago.

But only four teams had a worse record against lower-half opponents last season. The bottom five all recorded a victory over the Bantams either home or away.

So the uncertainty grew the longer the stalemate remained.

Crewe switched systems for the second half, removing one of their three centre halves for on-loan Rotherham winger Febian Brandy.

And they had a bit of a go for a while. A first corner was registered and Jordan Pickford was finally brought into action by one-time Bantam loanee Chris Atkinson.

With the contest becoming more balanced, City were suddenly carved open on the counter-attack. Blue shirts briefly outnumbered claret and amber as the visitors surged upfield.

Seventeen-year-old George Cooper, making his full debut, threatened to write his own script but his angled shot was beaten away by Pickford at the near post. It was a big save from the young keeper which more than justified his first home clean sheet for the club.

That scare jolted City into finding another gear – and that elusive first goal three minutes later.

Yeates, inevitably, was the instigator as he cut inside from the left wing to angle a teasing right-footed cross into the goalmouth.

And there was Mclean, alive to the possibilities, bursting in front of his marker to apply the decisive touch. Valley Parade could celebrate – and breathe easily.

Crewe's fragility in recent outings has been exposed when they fall behind. The first goal against tends to be quickly followed by another and more.

So it proved on Saturday. City kept their foot down on the accelerator and were rewarded with a second within two minutes.

Rory McArdle helped the ball towards the byline where Filipe Morais, starting in place of Billy Knott, neatly worked it back to the edge of the penalty area. Gary Liddle did the rest with a precise first-time finish into the roof of the net.

Normal service at Valley Parade – at least that's what we now hope – has been resumed.

Parkinson said: "We needed to excite the crowd more. We want to pass the ball but looked at the stats and have not been hurting the back four enough since the Leeds and Coventry games."

Liddle, whose fourth yellow card leaves him one off a ban, admitted: "The week had been a long one. We're used to playing every three or four days with the hectic start to the season we've had.

"We haven't had too many when we've had a full week's worth of training so it dragged a little bit. But we worked a lot on playing 4-4-2 and got the win we deserved."

Attendance: 12,386

City v Crewe picture gallery