BILLY Clarke believes City strike partner Jon Stead can make him a better player and insisted: We all want him to stay.

Both were on target as the Bantams clinched only their third Valley Parade victory on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Leyton Orient.

Stead, who made it three goals from seven starts, has another month to go of his loan from Huddersfield.

And Clarke said: “I’m sure the manager would love to keep him. All the boys would.

“I enjoy playing with Steady and can’t speak highly enough of him.

“You can see the calibre of player he is and the level he’s played at consistently. He has that experience and knows the right time to come out and say stuff in the dressing room. Even for someone like me, it’s great to learn off him.

“We both got a goal so the two of us are buzzing. We’ve still got Hans (James Hanson) as well and Francois Zoko so everything is rosy at the moment.”

Billy Knott had set City on the way to a first home win since October 4. But the midfielder was also involved in the game’s most controversial moment when he was fouled by Chris Dagnall.

The former City loanee was shown a straight red card for the challenge – which happened only a minute after David Mooney had equalised.

Clarke and Stead both scored in a three-minute burst as City took full advantage against the ten men. Both sides agreed afterwards that Dagnall had been unlucky.

Clarke said: “Obviously the sending off changed the game and it probably was harsh.

“But we had a few things go against us so it works in circles. I felt I should have had a penalty in the first half when their defender (Scott Cuthbert) tipped my shot round the post with his hand.

“That was going in the bottom corner and he pushed it wide. I’ve also had a header that skimmed just past the post and Andy Halliday has hit the bar.

“I was pleased to get my goal. It’s a case of keep getting in the right areas and the harder you work, the luckier you’ll get.

“I think 3-1 was generous to Orient because we battered them.”

The win lifted City up to tenth and within four points of the play-off positions as they build up to another Valley Parade date against non-league Dartford in the FA Cup.

Assistant Steve Parkin feels the team are hitting a good run of form – and acknowledged the part that Stead is playing.

He said: “The key thing is we’ve played well in the last three or four games at home.

“We could have been going in 3-0 up at half-time against Doncaster and should have been home and hosed against Gillingham.

“There’s a good feeling about the lads at the moment. They are all pulling together.

“Steady is a very positive person, trains properly and looks after himself. He’s a definite winner.”