City 1, Walsall 1

IT'S not all about glitz and glamour; sometimes football is just a good old-fashioned slog.

When the tale of season 2014-15 is written, a home draw with Walsall will barely make a footnote. But it was another point on the tally and good enough to inch the Bantams back into the League One top six.

That was the main positive on the day that Phil Parkinson clocked up 200 appearances in the Valley Parade hot-seat – an achievement that went largely unnoticed.

Gary MacKenzie admitted they were unaware in the home dressing room but the rugged loan defender, Parkinson's most recent addition, could not fail to appreciate the manager's huge impact on the place.

MacKenzie said: "The gaffer's done a great job here. You can hear what the fans think of him singing his name and they obviously appreciate what he's done.

"I've noticed the spirit among the boys in the few weeks I've been here. They all want to do well and that gets passed on down from the management."

Parkinson became the first City boss since Trevor Cherry to reach the milestone. He also moved up a spot to seventh in the list of current longest-serving managers after Darren Ferguson left Peterborough on Saturday night.

But Walsall counterpart Dean Smith, one of those still ahead of him by seventh months, offered post-match commiseration rather than congratulations – at having to play every other week on that home pitch.

Smith said: "I've a lot of sympathy for Phil and for Bradford. I saw them at Chelsea and Leyton Orient on good pitches and they were excellent.

"But they'll have to adapt how they play. You have to play the conditions sometimes and I know Bradford do.

"We played more long balls than we would normally but you've got to take the pitch into consideration."

It was hardly surprising that the best performers in this latest Valley Parade war of attrition came from the back end of the team – the two Garys, MacKenzie and Liddle, for City and Walsall utility man Adam Chambers.

The flair performers once again found it tough to make things tick on such an unresponsive stage.

Billy Clarke, to be fair, produced most of the brighter touches but Mark Yeates cut a frustrated figure and Billy Knott resorted to throwing himself into tackles to get more involved.

It was a test of City's resolve as injuries started to bite into Parkinson's planning. And with James Hanson, Andrew Davies and Filipe Morais all watching on from the stand, Walsall were arguably the last opponents they wanted to face on current form.

Unbeaten in their previous seven games away from the Bescot, the Saddlers had conceded only twice in that time.

On the back of the mental and physical exertions of Sunderland and the midweek trip to Leyton Orient, City knew the challenge ahead.

The first half was predictably cagey as both sides slugged it out. Being generous, there was a chance at each end.

Jordy Hiwula frightened City with his pace early on but Anthony Forde bundled the close-range shot into the side-netting. Then Andy Halliday burst forward on a run that replicated the one he did at Orient.

He was castigated by Clarke on that occasion for shooting from a tight angle rather than looking up and passing to his better-placed team-mate.

This time, Halliday took the unselfish route and opted for a low cross instead but Walsall managed to scramble clear.

And that was it for 45 minutes devoid of any of the drama that had fixated a full stadium in the FA Cup six days earlier.

At least City's depleted ranks were swelled by Jon Stead's return, although he looked muted compared with his recent high standards – understandable given his foot was still tender and he was probably back earlier than he would have been in an ideal world.

Smith admitted Hanson's absence gave Walsall a major lift when the team sheets came out. "Unplayable" was the visiting manager's verdict of his first-half display in midweek.

City picked up after the break and Stead claimed his customary assist with the breakthrough goal eight minutes in.

He took Clarke's pass on the right wing and returned it 20 yards out for the Irishman to whip a precise drive into the bottom corner. Keeper Richard O'Donnell may have been slightly slow to react but it was still a quality strike from an in-form player to take his personal goal tally to seven this season.

That should have been the springboard for a third straight league win – something City have failed to achieve all season. With other results falling kindly, it looked the perfect ending to a memorable week.

City v Walsall match pictures

But Walsall, having shown precious little attacking intent since that early chance, came out of their shell and 15 minutes from time they caught City napping.

Jordan Cook held off Halliday to swing in a cross from the left and Hiwula found a hole between MacKenzie and James Meredith to pop a header past the previously-unemployed Jordan Pickford.

Francois Zoko had been ready to come on before the equaliser and Parkinson threw him into Clarke's place before City kicked off again.

The Ivorian appeared like a man possessed, chasing and harrying for everything, but he really needs a goal.

He should have broken his duck against Orient but froze over the trigger when one-on-one with the keeper. And having already glanced a header past the far post, Zoko blew another golden opportunity with five minutes left.

Stead did all the groundwork to set him up in the perfect spot but again the substitute dallied over his shot and allowed centre half Paul Downing to whip the ball away.

Still a good point, according to City number two Steve Parkin afterwards, but most left with a feeling of wanting more. Expectation levels are growing.

Attendance: 13,534 (329)