City 2, Fleetwood 1

STUART McCall's men clinched  a perfect ten as they made it two months unbeaten – and more importantly got back to winning ways.

McCall had made it clear that nothing less than victory over Fleetwood would do last night after a run of five straight draws.

Things were not going to plan when the visitors struck first but this team do not lack for resilience.

It was frantic and less than convincing at times but the Bantams staged a determined comeback to level through Filipe Morais and then take it with a penalty from the impressive Billy Clarke.

So ten games in, they are up to third and still one of only two unbeaten sides in the Football League.

It was ironic that the weekend reunion with Phil Parkinson should be immediately followed with a game against a manager heavily linked with replacing him.

If the summer rumours were to be believed, Fleetwood boss Uwe Rosler could have been sitting in the home dugout last night.

The German was the initial favourite with the bookies because of his previous links with City's owners in trying to help them find an English club to buy.

But Rosler insisted at the time that his presence at a few City games last season, including Parkinson's final one at Millwall, had been pure coincidence and all parties dismissed the speculation when McCall was appointed.

So instead former Leeds boss Rosler returned to West Yorkshire in the visiting camp with a Fleetwood side who had never beaten City in six previous attempts.

The Lancashire club had also lost two on the bounce – but had scored in every League One game so far.

Goals has been an issue with City and McCall admitted beforehand that he still had not settled on a preferred attack.

He paired Marc McNulty and Jordy Hiwula together for the first time last night, with Haris Vuckic playing behind them in his favourite role at the tip of a midfield diamond.

Hiwula made an instant impression by finding room in the box to test Fleetwood keeper Chris Neal at his near post and Morais, in for Mark Marshall, fired over from 25 yards.

But it was former Valley Parade team-mate Devante Cole who had the best of the early chances after an uncharacteristic loose pass by Josh Cullen.

Cole, who scored six times in a five-month stint with City last season, seized possession to get a yard on the back-pedalling Bantams defence.

But Colin Doyle used his full 6ft 5in frame to stretch out a left hand and turn his placed shot round the post. It was a big save for a keeper who had been generally under-employed in recent games.

The attacking nature of City's set-up made for an open contest and they responded strongly to the scare as Morais threaded a pass through for McNulty, whose effort from a tight angle flashed agonisingly past the far post.

McNulty was then in the wars after getting wiped out by Neal's clearing punch as he chased a chip from Vuckic.

But City were left feeling the pain as Fleetwood struck the first decisive blow on 34 minutes to maintain their free-scoring league run.

Bobby Grant latched on to David Ball's pass, burst past Nathaniel Knight-Percival as he cut in from the right and lofted an angled shot over Doyle into the roof of the net.

Ball then drove over from just outside the D as Fleetwood's pace continued to exploit the room left by the hosts. They looked a threat going forward and Knight-Percival had to be alert to the striker's cross before Cole could pounce.

McCall was forced into a change before the break, with McNulty clearly not right from his earlier collision. On came Clarke, who wasted no time in stamping his mark on proceedings.

Straight off he created a chance for Vuckic but Neal made a fine save to deny the Slovenian – in almost exactly the same spot where he had been thwarted in the Bristol Rovers game.

Not to be denied, Clarke then popped up in the Fleetwood box again from Vuckic's defence-splitting pass. With time and space to look up, he laid a ball back from the goalline and the incoming Morais rifled it past the keeper.

The mood, which had been growing anxious since the Fleetwood goal, was instantly lifted as City headed into the break back on level terms.

It had been a ragged half from the Bantams but the timing of the equaliser allowed them to go into the interval with heads up.

The happier vibe was reflected with the opening stages of the second half that were accompanied by a background of "Stuart McCall's Bradford army" from the Kop.

But Fleetwood were not content to sit back and play second fiddle and Doyle watched carefully as Jimmy Ryan fizzed a dangerous ball across the City goal-mouth.

Clarke really had the bit between his teeth and he was to prove creator and scorer of City's go-ahead goal just after the hour point.

His cross into the box flicked off a Fleetwood head and as Timothee Dieng tried to react to the loose ball, he was dragged down from behind by Eggert Jonsson.

Referee Graham Salisbury had no doubt in awarding City's fourth penalty of the campaign – and Clarke was equally decisive with the spot-kick.

Just like last season's encounter, the Bantams had recovered from a goal down to lead.

Both sides reacted with a double switch, McCall bringing on Nicky Law and Marshall to freshen things up. Cole was one of the Fleetwood fall guys, making way for Watford loanee Alex Jakubiak, and his exit was heralded with a chant of "City reject" from the crowd.

It could have been a sweeter return for the striker if he had done better with that first-half opening.

Clarke was in the mood and tried his luck from outside the angle of the box – only to slice it so wildly that it ended up smacking a steward in the face behind the corner flag.

But this fixture had been settled by dramatic late goals for the past two seasons and Fleetwood were certainly not finished.

Ball remained an elusive threat as they looked to be the first opponents to score twice in a league game against the Bantams since Colchester on March 1.

The sequence of draws left the fans understandably edgy but Marshall threatened to settle the nerves with a fierce blast that Neal turned away after a step-over had bamboozled left back Amari'i Bell.

The final whistle was greeted with equal celebration and relief as City banked their second home win – and both after conceding first.

Attendance: 16,759