MK Dons 1, City 2

SO THE old 'leave out James Hanson and fool MK' trick worked a treat once again.

City's increasingly impressive start to the new season moved up another notch with a battling win at one of League One's promotion favourites last night.

And their second victory on the road in the space of four days was achieved without Hanson leading the line.

The big man did not even make the trip because of his tight thigh – but how the Bantams coped without him. Yet it has happened here before.

Those looking for a pre-match omen could point to City's last league visit when Hanson pulled up injured in the warm-up – and a hastily-reshuffled front line of Billy Clarke and Aaron Mclean both scored in a 2-1 win.

Clarke got the chance again to partner Jordy Hiwula – and seized the opportunity to convince Stuart McCall by scoring once more with a superb effort.

That followed hot on the heels from a scrambled opener by Josh Cullen and City were on their way to three more massive points.

Two up at the break, they had to dig it out in the second half against a relentless procession of MK attacks – but saw it through despite conceding for the first time this season right at the end.

It was the fourth time in six visits to this excellent but near-deserted arena that City have emerged victorious.

On a night where there was little height on either side, this was a towering display. No wonder McCall was bursting with pride at the final whistle.

At least the return of Timothee Dieng and the lunchtime confirmation of Vincent Rabiega meant the Bantams boss could name six on the bench this time.

There was a distinct lack of atmosphere, given the swathes of empty seats. The travelling fans were in a far distant corner but did their best to make themselves heard – and they were making all the noise at the end.

More were watching on the live 'beam back' inside Valley Parade as City repeated the experiment they tried a year ago at Colchester.

That turned out to be uncomfortable viewing with a rotten away performance – and there must have been a few hands over eyes again in the opening seconds as George C Williams burst straight through from kick-off and fired across goal.

But having negotiated a tricky few minutes, City then stunned the hosts by scoring not once but twice in a five-minute spell.

They had already found their feet when Mark Marshall's neat turn set up Clarke for a curling shot at keeper David Martin.

But then Marshall cut in again on the right side of the box, Martin just about smuggled his shot out of the net, Hiwula's follow-up was blocked from point-blank range – and there was Cullen loitering with intent to jab home the rebound at the far post.

Things got even better from City's next foray forward. A loose pass out of defence was returned first time by James Meredith, the ball dropped neatly into the path of Clarke and he blasted it with interest beyond the reach of Martin from 20 yards.

It was a sweet moment for the Irishman, who is still trying to force his way into McCall's plans – and eerily similar to his strike in City's last win at this venue.

The MK crowd were quiet enough to start with; now there was a stunned silence but for the noisy corner of West Yorkshire and their enthusiastic drummer.

Dean Lewington, the captain who seems to have played for the Dons forever, tried to engineer some quick resistance but his drive from the edge of the box skimmed off Romain Vincelot and past the post.

But City continued to play with a real swagger on the ball. With no go-to targetman, they were lined up almost as a 4-5-1 with Hiwula operating from the left.

Marshall and Hiwula were still prepared to track back when the Dons went forward but that did not inhibit their attacking intentions whatsoever – and City were a whisker away from a third goal after ripping open the hosts once again.

It took a brilliant block from Paul Downing to deny Marshall, the centre half throwing himself in the way of his goal-bound shot after Martin had palmed Tony McMahon's cross straight at him.

That surely had to act as a wake-up call for MK Dons, who had recovered a two-goal deficit three days before to salvage a draw with Millwall.

They nearly had one back within four minutes of the restart but Daniel Powell's low cross evaded Kieran Agard in the goal-mouth and Meredith and Cullen combined to thwart George C Williams.

Vincelot pulled off a well-timed interception to nick Ed Upson's through-ball away from Agard, then keeper Colin Doyle held Williams' volley after being blocked off from a corner.

The pressure was building and Upson beat Doyle from 20 yards – but the shot pinged back off the post and past two waiting white shirts.

Right back George Baldock fizzed one past the post and Lewington fell in the box under a challenge from Marshall. It looked a fair shout but referee Andy Haines was unmoved.

City had barely got out their half since the turn-around and MK went close again as Lewington headed inches over from Upson's free-kick.

McCall replaced the tiring Clarke with Paul Anderson but the second half onslaught went on. Doyle could not hang on to Nicky Maynard's drive but Vincelot, who else, was there to nick the loose ball from Agard.

The keeper then plunged low to hang on to Lewington's header as a fourth clean sheet on the bounce beckoned.

City had not managed a shot since the break and the frenzied MK Dons' efforts finally got some reward in the fourth of five added minutes.

Baldock's cross was hammered against the bar by Downing and Upson reacted quickest to the loose ball to force it home.

There was still agonisingly time for Agard to punish the club who wanted to sign him but he could not get any control on his shot. But anything other than a City win would have been a travesty.