CITY 0 COVENTRY 0

THERE was no late goal drama from City like the last two Valley Parade clashes between these teams.

But the home fans saw more evidence that their team have the staying power to be in the mix after holding their own against the League One leaders.

The point edged the Bantams into a play-off place for the first time this season and was built on another rock-solid defensive effort.

The Ben Williams totaliser is now an incredible 668 minutes, a shade over 11 hours, since he last conceded.

His seventh successive clean sheet was also his fifth in the league, equalling the club record. One more at Walsall on Saturday and he will match the best-ever tally of 1911.

Phil Parkinson sprung a selection surprise with the return of James Hanson up front, just six days after suffering his ankle injury against Aldershot. Initial fears had suggested he could miss up to a month but he had recovered well enough over the weekend to mean he only sat out one game.

Jordan Bowery, who was hastily brought in on loan as cover to start in the win at Scunthorpe, suddenly found himself as one of three strikers on a very attack-oriented bench.

Coventry had rattled in 14 goals in the four straight wins that had taken them to the League One summit. But they were historically poor against City.

The Bantams had not lost in eight meetings since Jim Jefferies’ reign ended with a 4-0 thumping at Highfield Road in front of the ill-fated ITV Digital cameras two days before Christmas in 2001. Valley Parade was a particularly unhappy hunting ground for the Sky Blues, who had only won previous victory there 56 years ago.

The cracking atmosphere was fit for the occasion between League One’s two hottest teams and City looked to back up that noise with a fast start, Kyel Reid finding Billy Clarke for a half-volley over the bar.

Stephen Darby was alert to the pace of the division’s 12-goal leading scorer Adam Armstrong and Marc-Antoine Fortune’s first shot in anger slid harmlessly wide off Nathan Clarke.

But City’s proud defensive run survived a huge scare after 20 minutes when Armstrong found himself in the clear in the box. He drove past the advancing Williams but his shot cannoned back off the post and Ruben Lameiras’ attempt to convert the rebound as the keeper rushed back into his goal was smothered by claret shirts.

Coventry fans sarcastically cheered whenever the Bantams looked to go long with their passes. A chorus of “same old Bradford, always hoofing” echoed the bitter comments a couple of years ago from former boss Steven Pressley when he accused City of using “dark-age tactics”.

It was frenetic, rather than fancy stuff and Lameiras turned away from Reid to drill in a low shot that was comfortably saved by Williams.

City had yet to test young Coventry keeper Reice Charles-Cook at that point but then came within a whisker of grabbing the lead ten minutes before the break.

Billy Knott, eager to get on the ball after being restored to the midfield ahead of Gary Liddle, arrowed a low cross to the near post where Rory McArdle slid the ball inches wide. It was close enough that a fair section of the ground thought he had scored.

Coventry then tried to catch out City with a short corner to left back Chris Stokes. But his deep cross over a defence scrambling to get organised was headed wide by Ben Turner.

It had been an enthralling rather than exciting first half with few chances despite the positive approach from both sides.

It was hard to pick a winner and they traded corners to start the second period, the noise rising at each end of the ground.

Like a prize fight warming up after tentative early rounds, the action began to swing one way then the other.

Tony McMahon, who held talks with Coventry in the summer before signing for City, whisked a dangerous cross through the goal mouth. The visitors instantly responded and Armstrong set up Jacob Murphy for a fierce drive which Williams turned behind.

The Kop continued to play their noisy role behind the Coventry goal and the volume went up a notch when Nathan Clarke’s long throw found its way to the busy Knott who fired first-time wide left from 25 yards.

Coventry sub Jim O’Brien was off target from similar range as the jabs continued with nobody able to find the target.

Charles-Cook was forced into action as Reid’s cross was met with a low volley by McMahon which the Coventry keeper blocked behind with his legs. Nathan Clarke’s header from the corner cleared the bar as City looked to build some momentum.

Williams was nearing yet another shut-out but it was put to the test as Coventry introduced the speedy Ryan Kent from the bench. Straight away the sub burst into the corner of the box and let loose a curler which the keeper did well to palm away.

Parkinson responded with a double switch in attack as Bowery and Devante Cole took over the strike positions.

But it was Nathan Clarke threatening to break the deadlock with a glancing header across goal from a McMahon set-piece.

City almost shot themselves in the foot when a loose pass by Lee Evans was intercepted by Kent to scamper away again.

He set up Murphy in the box but the on-loan Norwich winger, who had scored a hat-trick in the space of ten minutes on Saturday, was denied by Williams.

The keeper raced from his goal and threw his body to block and Murphy wasted the rebound by trying to have another go rather than looking for the team-mates queueing up.

Liddle replaced Evans late on in an attempt to shore things up. But before he got a first touch, Turner misjudged his header from a Coventry corner and got more of his shoulder on it.

City could not find the goal to make it four league wins on the bounce – a run they last achieved in October 2004. But it was result that left everyone fairly satisfied.

CITY: Williams 7, Darby 8, McArdle 7, N Clarke 7, Leigh 7, McMahon 7, Evans 6 (Liddle 85min), Knott 8, Reid 7, B Clarke 6 (Cole 74min), Hanson 6 (Bowery 74min). Subs (not used): Marshall, Morris, James, Cracknell.

COVENTRY: Charles-Cook 7, Ricketts 7, Martin 7, Turner 8, Stokes 7, Vincelot 6, Bigirimana 6, Murphy 7, Armstrong 7, Lameiras 6 (Kent 71min), Fortune 6 (O’Brien 58min, 6). Subs (not used): Phillips, Haynes, Thomas, Tudgay, Burge.

REFEREE: Nigel Miller (County Durham)

BOOKINGS: None

ATTENDANCE: 17,757

SHOTS ON TARGET: City 2, Coventry 3

SHOTS OFF TARGET: City 6, Coventry 7

CORNERS: City 3, Coventry 5

FOULS COMMITTED: City 6, Coventry 7