City 2, Oldham 0

STEPHEN Darby has achieved something that had never happened in his lifetime.

Oldham had not lost at Valley Parade since September 1988 – three weeks before the City skipper was born.

Phil Collins was number one at that time with 'Groovy kind of love'; Phil Parkinson's Bantams would have taken any kind of win on Saturday.

There was nothing particularly groovy about the result, which was amazingly their first weekend league win of 2015, but City were excellent value for the points which will breathe fresh impetus into their League One play-off ambitions.

Not that you will get Parkinson or his players saying that. The 'P' word was deliberately scratched off the script of the pre-match press conference and Parkinson was sticking to his "looking no further than the next game" mantra afterwards.

The fact that tomorrow's encounter happens to be against a Chesterfield team who currently sit above City only on goals scored adds a rather hefty dose of spice.

So while the manager continues to flat-bat any mentions of the top six in a manner that Geoffrey Boycott would be proud of, do not expect the same reaction from the supporters.

What a difference a week – and a nerve-free finale – can make. The doom and despondency that shrouded Fleetwood's last-gasp fightback was replaced by a euphoria and restored belief that City are capable of lasting the pace.

A season that some were prepared to write off as done in the wake of dropping those two points in stoppage time may still have plenty of life left.

This was a faith-restoring afternoon on and off the field. Parkinson noted the influence of the crowd and the sense that everybody was in it together. In the manager's eyes, the win was dedicated as much to the efforts of the support as the players.

Oldham's travelling following also played their part. The first four-figure away attendance at Valley Parade since Sheffield United in October, the Latics army rightly won plaudits for their spontaneous fire tribute after 56 minutes.

They also cheered heartily during the half-time entertainment provided by the disability football club – another gesture well appreciated.

Oldham themselves seemed to lack any invention and ambition for a team that had just bloodied neighbours Rochdale's nose to give themselves an outside sniff of the play-off mix. Apart from one tip wide from Mat Sadler, Ben Williams enjoyed a stress-free game in City's goal.

Not that there was anything between the teams in a stodgy first half. But even then, the hosts carved out a couple of decent chances – none bigger than the header James Hanson powered over when he looked odds on to score.

With both sides matching each other with a midfield diamond, space on the ball was at a premium. It was an afternoon for honest endeavour and plugging away until the opportunity presented itself.

Defensively, Rory McArdle and Gary MacKenzie kept the back door firmly shut – there was never going to be a repeat of the previous meeting when Jonathan Forte ran riot and McArdle saw red when frustration eventually got the better of him.

On this occasion, centre half dominated centre forward even after the sadly familiar sight of Andrew Davies making a premature exit from the action.

Davies beat the ground in pent-up fury after his hamstring suddenly gave up on him, the latest in a depressing list of injuries that seem to plague the big Viking.

He has already missed 18 games this season through one problem or another and now faces another spell sidelined. It did raise the debate about what will happen when his contract is up for renewal in the summer.

Retaining a fully-fit Davies is an absolute no brainer but he consistently misses a third of every season and is understood to be one of the highest earners on the books. That is the dilemma for Parkinson.

MacKenzie is looking for a contract – if not at Valley Parade, then anywhere other than Blackpool – and continues to hardly put a foot wrong. He certainly appears to have struck up an understanding with the ultra-consistent McArdle.

Another player with the bit between his teeth is Chris Routis, who wiped away any lingering memories of his personal horror show at Boundary Park with another enthusiastic display in midfield.

He showed a drive and an intent whenever he got the ball and continues to adapt well to his new, more advanced position.

But when Gary Liddle fired over when well placed just before the break, you did wonder if it would be another of those days of banging heads against the wall. City simply could not afford a third draw on the bounce.

Parkinson had laid into his substitutes after the squandered chance against Fleetwood. On Saturday, the changes made a significant difference.

Billy Knott replaced the ineffective Mark Yeates just after the hour and introduced that spark that he had lacked in recent outings. He used his "football intelligence", as Parkinson described it, to inject some zip into City's attacking endeavours.

City v Oldham match pictures

It was Knott's corner, seven minutes after coming on, that paved the way for the opener. McArdle flicked it across goal, Jon Stead headed it back from the far post, Hanson helped it on, MacKenzie nodded it down and Billy Clarke was perfectly placed to finish with a cheeky back-heel.

City had worked in training on Thursday about staying on the front foot when ahead and not allowing themselves to be pushed backwards.

Parkinson stressed that it was sometimes human nature to retreat and try to protect what you had. "It's a psychological thing to think deep can be safe," he warned – "but deep can be dangerous."

The penny had clearly dropped as the rest of the game was played out almost exclusively in Oldham territory. When the fourth official's board came up showing four minutes, there was no need to twitch.

Knott also had a hand in Clarke's second goal in stoppage time which removed any lingering doubts.

The midfielder drew two blue shirts to the corner flag, where he was killing time, before suddenly reversing a pass into Stead. He laid the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, where Clarke placed a precise shot with his weaker right foot into the far corner.

Keeper Joel Coleman should have saved it but the universal joy that greeted the sight of the ball nestled in the net confirmed that City are very much back in the running. Even if nobody in authority wants to say so.

Attendance: 14,010