CHARLIE Wyke has lived up to the Valley Parade hype, says Rory McArdle.

The £250,000 January recruit is looking to maintain his perfect home record tomorrow against Peterborough.

Wyke has scored in all three of his home games for the Bantams so far, adding four goals to an impressive personal tally of 22 for the season.

The striker’s arrival from Carlisle was greeted with huge anticipation as the replacement for talismanic target man James Hanson.

And his fast start in League One has impressed fans and team-mates.

McArdle said: “Charlie has hit the ground running. He has scored goals, made assists and caused problems for the opposition.

“The hype around Charlie was big because it was the first time for several years that the club had paid quite a substantial fee.

“From his point of view, I think he’s dealt with it really well. Scoring on his debut settled him in right away and he’s built on that.

“The lads have helped and made him feel welcome and he’s a nice lad.

“He came in full of confidence because he’d already scored so many and the transition has been nice and smooth.”

Wyke scored City’s second equaliser against MK Dons on Tuesday with a trademark header to go with the one in his first game against Gillingham and the Bolton double.

His current hot streak stretching back to early November stands at 17 goals from the last 22 appearances.

McArdle added: “You can see why he’s got goals. His finishing in training is great as well and he definitely knows where the back of the net is.

“He takes the ball in, links the play and then gets himself in the box. That’s the priority for someone like him, especially with the quality that will come in from the likes of Marshy (Mark Marshall) or Gilly (Alex Gilliead).

“Everyone talks about the number nine shirt and Charlie has got that.

“Hans had it for a while and always chipped in with goals so I’m sure Charlie was well aware of that and what people expected.

“But he’s dealt with it great and hopefully will continue in the same form right through to the end of the season.”

Unfortunately despite Wyke’s scoring spree, he is still waiting to finish on the winning side at Valley Parade. All three home games have now finished 2-2.

There was a slice of fortune about both MK Dons goals – a deflection and a cross that went in off a post – but it extended City’s clean sheet drought in the league to nine games.

And McArdle is yet to be involved in one in 11 attempts this season – a sense of enormous frustration for the trusty centre half.

He said: “You look at the games overall and we’re limiting teams to chances.

“But sometimes you just need that little bit of luck. Goals are hitting the post, hitting the other post and then going in, whereas on another day it comes out the other side.

“We’ve just got to keep going and make sure we are strong and sound.

“We want to keep clean sheets because that’s what we’re judged on. But we’re still among the lowest in the league for goals conceded.

“It’s just the scrappy goals we’ve let in over recent weeks and when you keep drawing, that makes it worse.”