Leyton Orient 0, City 2

IF THERE is ever a good time to play Bradford City, it's usually after a cup game.

The Bantams have demonstrated time after time that they can master loftier opponents in one-off combat. But too often, the big knock-out occasion has been followed by a disappointing "morning after".

When they marched on Wembley two seasons ago, they failed to follow up any of those memorable occasions against higher-calibre opponents with victory in the next league game.

And the recent triumphs over Millwall and Chelsea were followed with defeat at Yeovil and a scrappy home draw against Colchester.

So last night's win in East London was significant in more ways than one.

Most importantly, it propelled the Bantams back into the thick of the congested League One play-off picture as they jumped back up to seventh and with at least one game in hand on most of their nearest rivals.

James Hanson did the damage with a first-half double to take his goal tally to 11 before departing at the break.

Orient must have been mightily relieved to see the back of the big man, who was taken off as a precaution with a tight hamstring – the same as defender Andrew Davies.

Phil Parkinson had made three changes from Sunday, one enforced from the ankle injury to Jon Stead which prevented him returning to the ground where he made his 'first' City debut last season.

Andy Halliday replaced Billy Knott and Mark Yeates got his first start since Boxing Day to make it a midfield four. Billy Clarke was deployed as the second striker behind Hanson.

The busiest figure in the opening exchanges was physio Matt Barrass, who was called into action three times to treat Halliday, Filipe Morais and keeper Jordan Pickford.

But Orient threatened to inflict the most painful blow after 15 minutes when City survived a major scare.

Elliott Omozusi fed Romain Vincelot in the box and the Frenchman smashed a shot against the underside of the bar. The rebound bounced back to him and he set up David Mooney, who was poised to finish the job.

But with the goal beckoning, Davies threw himself in the way with a crucial block behind. Still the danger was not over as the corner created another scramble and Orient were furiously claiming handball against Morais.

Having gone so close, the hosts tried to build a head of steam – which City suddenly defused in stunning fashion six minutes later.

Yeates lofted a pass into the path of Hanson, who brought it down on his chest before crashing home a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area.

It was a superb strike and showed the confidence coursing through City's veins from their current run of form.

Leyton Orient looked to mount a quick response and Vincelot came barrelling through to meet Dean Cox's corner with a header that bounced down and straight into Pickford's arms.

But City had the bit between their teeth now – and especially Hanson, who grabbed his second goal just after the half-hour mark.

Morais swung in a free-kick from the left, keeper Alex Cisak was unsure whether to stick or twist and Hanson made him pay for his indecisiveness with a precise header inside the near post.

Two efforts on target, two goals for the City frontman – it was that clinical.

Orient, having won only twice at home all season, were facing more misery on their own patch. Again they tried to bounce back as Mooney held off Davies to set up the incoming Cox but his first-time drive sailed high over Pickford's bar.

The two-goal cushion had given City a control on the match as the interval approached. Those early scares seemed a thing of the past as Clarke's cross attempted to pick out Hanson for a hat-trick attempt but O's skipper Nathan Clarke snuffed out the danger.

Hanson's chances of his first treble in a City shirt disappeared with the half-time whistle. He did not appear for the second half and neither did Davies.

Instead, Parkinson turned to the Blackpool loan duo as Francois Zoko was pushed up front and Gary MacKenzie made his debut at centre half.

Zoko's arrival meant a change of outlook for City going forward. With no Hanson – or Stead – there was no targetman to direct high balls towards.

The Ivorian is still looking for a first goal after a couple of close scrapes but should have broken his duck eight minutes in.

Halliday won possession with a crunching tackle and Yeates found Zoko inside the box. But the striker dallied too long, allowing Shane Lowry to nick the ball off his toe and Clarke's thundering shot was batted away by Cisak.

A flurry of home pressure saw Rory McArdle, again wearing a protective bandage, head away from under his own bar and Stephen Darby block another effort right in front.

The O's fans turned on boss Fabio Liverani when he took off winger Cox on the hour. But as the chants of "you don't know what you're doing" swirled around Brisbane Road, it needed another important intervention from Darby to foil a close-range comeback attempt by Mooney.

Zoko was booked after catching Vincelot and, from the free-kick, Gary Sawyer's cross was nodded wide by one-time Bantam loanee Chris Dagnall.

But it needed a fine save from Cisak to prevent Halliday scoring a third for City on a dangerous counter-attack from halfway. Bursting past Lowry, the Scot was in on goal but the O's keeper produced a strong block to stop his shot sneaking inside the post.

Orient rallied late on as Pickford saved twice from Dagnall and Ryan Hedges before Morais denied Dagnall on the line after Zoko failed to clear a corner.

City could not be breached and banked their seventh league win on the road, the first time they have done that for five years – and it's only mid-February.

Attendance: 4,760

Leyton Orient v City match pictures