JAMES Hanson has shrugged off any criticism from his Valley Parade knockers as "water off a duck's back".

Phil Parkinson believes the City top scorer is an easy target when things are not going well because he is a local lad.

But Hanson, the club's longest-serving player, admits he is not bothered by the weight of expectation.

Hanson claimed his seventh goal of the season in Saturday's comeback victory over Fleetwood – and his first in the league since November 3.

His header launched the second-half recovery which was capped off by substitute Steve Davies opening his City account with the winner in stoppage time.

Parkinson said: "If big James played for Sheffield United or someone else and didn't score, I don't think it would get to him as much.

"But he's a Bradford boy, all his family are Bradford supporters and he lives in the city. He just feels the weight of that on his shoulders too heavily sometimes.

"He's got his goal, which will give him a massive boost and get him off running again. It's important because he's such a key player for us."

It was the first time City have come from behind to win in a year since beating MK Dons on live TV last February. They also closed the gap to the play-offs to three points going into next weekend's trip to leaders Burton.

Hanson said: "It's an understatement to say we didn't play well – but we showed fighting spirit like we had a couple of years ago when we picked up so many points from losing positions.

"I sensed that when we went 1-0 down. I always felt we would come back and get something out of it.

"I'm not on Twitter or anything like that. Obviously people are entitled to what they think but I've just got to keep working hard. (The criticism) is water off a duck's back for me now.

"I know I've missed a few chances recently, so it was important that I put one in. Now I want to kick on for the rest of the season and still get my target.

"I've worked hard in training with Parky (Steve Parkin) on my heading, especially from that side. I knew where Knotty (Billy Knott) was going to play the ball in and it was just a matter of guiding it in the corner."

It was the first time City had scored twice in nine league games and followed a run of just two goals in their previous six matches in January.

Hanson said: "I felt we created a few extra chances on Saturday and it's important we keep getting in there. We've got to keep working on that on the training ground this week and prepare for Burton.

"We had to win to keep the challenge for the play-offs. It would have been two points dropped if we hadn't.

"The dressing room was relieved more than anything afterwards. It pushes us closer to the pack; they aren't getting away from us.

"We've got some big games coming up at Burton and Peterborough, so it was all about the win. We didn't really care how we got it."