City back to basics but still can't buy a win

While the recent results suggested they were doing their level best to toss the play-offs away, those teams around them have kept hope flickering thanks to their own shortcomings.

Sooner or later, the Bantams have to do it off their own back. But after another mediocre and frustrating afternoon at Valley Parade, time has still not been called on Stuart McCall’s Wembley dream.

City hardly looked like a side capable of stringing a run together that will take them to the May 23 showpiece.

But draws elsewhere for Chesterfield and Shrewsbury and Dagenham’s loss at Gillingham mean City are still there in the pack. And having now gone eight games since the last win, that is a miracle in itself.

City’s line-up had a back-to-basics feel, with the three changes giving it a strong resemblance to the side that began the season like a storm.

Those halcyon days saw five wins reeled off in the first six games – how McCall’s men could do with finishing in the same vein.

Lee Bullock resumed his central partnership with Paul McLaren and up front, Michael Boulding was back alongside Peter Thorne. Paul Mullin could feel a bit miffed to be on the bench after leading the line well at Morecambe.

Bullock was involved from the off and twice tried to slide in Boulding with well-judged passes. Goalkeeper Rob Burch, a target of McCall’s last summer, grabbed the first but there was brief panic in the Lincoln ranks when he could only push the other out as far as Thorne, who was unable to get in a shot.

Boulding was looking hungry in the early stages and rolled centre half Janos Kovacs on the edge of the box before firing a rising drive over the bar.

There was a subdued atmosphere, perhaps not surprising considering the horrific form of late. The sight of Peter Jackson on the touchline in t-shirt and tracky bottoms rather than trademark designer coat added to the low-key air to proceedings.

But City’s play betrayed the tension, with too many loose passes under no real pressure. Zesh Rehman, in particular, was having a tough time at right back, giving the ball away three times in as many minutes and then missing a tackle against Aaron Brown.

Lincoln had offered little other than a wild lash wide from winger Dany N’Guessan. City were looking for Boulding to run in behind the defence at all times, although Joe Colbeck nearly got Thorne away from a promising four-man break.

But the frequent groans from the fans summed up the frustration as moves broke down before the penalty box, Colbeck wasting another when he drifted a cross well beyond Boulding.

Colbeck’s head was dropping and another pass flew into touch on the halfway line as intended target Rehman chose not to push forward. The murmurs of discontent were growing louder.

It was a poor, error-strewn contest, with City showing none of the quality of their first-half performance at Christie Park three days earlier. But Lincoln were no better and neither keeper had been called into any kind of action as half-time approached.

Steve Jones, who had come in for Chris Brandon on City’s left flank, tried to lift the tempo with a burst over the halfway line but he ran straight into Paul Green. It remained a grim spectacle.

Boulding did get the ball in the net right on the interval but the assistant’s flag was well up. I bet McCall couldn’t get in the dressing room quick enough to stir up his lethargic troops.

Surprisingly there were no changes for the second half – but the mood darkened ten fold when Lincoln grabbed the lead two minutes after the restart.

The goal came from a horrible error by Graeme Lee after he had intercepted a Lee Beevers through ball. The City skipper dwelled on the ball and then criminally gave it away to teenage striker Andy Hutchinson.

The 17-year-old debutant was left with a clear run on goal and seized on the gift to fire the ball between the legs of Rhys Evans.

It was a shocker to concede and the angry Valley Parade faithful immediately vented their feelings. An ironic chant of “you don’t know what you’re doing” came from the TL Dallas Stand as boos rang round.

McCall shuffled his pack with a double switch – which was greeted with a contrasting reaction.

While Colbeck’s departure produced some cheers, something that will not have helped the winger’s brittle confidence, the sight of Boulding’s number going up was jeered. Boulding had looked the best of a poor bunch in the first half.

City changed to 4-3-3, with Mullin and Jones up front alongside Thorne – and the shuffle nearly did the trick straight away.

Newly-arrived substitute Nicky Law delivered a peach of a cross which Jones nodded on and Thorne turned on to the bar; perilously close but no cigar.

Law’s introduction injected a much-needed spark into the team and the fans, who were at least seeing City have a bit of a go – and they hit back with an equaliser midway through the half.

Rehman’s cross into the box picked out Thorne, who held off Kovacs enough to push the ball back to Bullock. The midfielder had time to pick his spot and drilled past Burch from 15 yards for his third goal of the season.

The pendulum swung again as City had 24 minutes to find a winner with the fans back onside and the crowd appreciated it as Jones chased down a seemingly lost cause to force a corner from Green.

Thorne won another big header to find Bullock again and he supplied Jones for a snap-shot which cannoned off Moses Swaibu and could have gone anywhere.

Lincoln had numbers behind the ball – pretty strange numbers as sub Sam Mullarkey came on wearing N’Guessan’s shirt after they had left some of the kit at home.

City’s number was nearly up as time ticked away and Jones’ frantic shout for handball in the box was ignored by referee Fred Graham.

Suddenly there was a real chance as Mullin’s header got Thorne goalside of Kovacs but the leading scorer was stretching as he shot and his contact was weak.

Then Mullin was clear for a second but a lack of pace showed as Brown made a great recovery to whip the ball away on the edge of the Lincoln box.

Ben Wright nodded a free header wide for the visitors as the three added minutes began. City were hurling men forward but could not find a way through.

Another week, another chance gone begging. Yet somehow, they are still alive.

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