We unmask the City hero

So who better to put in that role than the masked midfielder Jamie Lawrence?

It might not have been a Phantom of the Opera-style Gazza mask he was sporting, but the Jamaican international, facial protection and all, put on a show Andrew Lloyd Webber would have been proud of in preventing Coventry's experienced playmaker from taking centre stage.

McAllister, who looked less than half the player he did in his international heyday thanks to the shadowing Lawrence gave him, was neutralised and Bradford were able to play the game the way they wanted.

With Ashley Ward leading the line, Andy Gray combining with him beautifully and Claus Jorgensen (incredibly and inevitably) scoring again who would have put money on the Bantams not picking up a result?

Throw a returning and resolute David Wetherall into the mix and you have an away banker.

Forget the showing at Brighton, this was Bradford showing all the grit and determination that has got them through a troublesome season to pick up a deserved win at Highfield Road - for the first time ever.

"What I did out there was what I do all the time for Jamaica," said Lawrence, who wore the disturbing looking mask to protect a fractured cheekbone.

"Stopping the playmaker is a job I have done before. It might not be the most enjoyable thing, but I will do whatever it takes to win and it worked here.

"He is a very talented player but I had a job to do and I did it."

McAllister escaped him convincingly just the once all afternoon. That time Lawrence was booked on the edge of the box for the foul.

It was a booking worth taking as his side romped home with three points, while McAllister's afternoon was spoiled by the round of booing his side received as they trudged from the field after a dismal 90 minutes of one-dimensional football lacking any imagination, ambition or execution.

The Sky Blues were limited to long-range efforts from Gary Caldwell, Ritchie Partridge and Craig Pead in a dour opening 15 minutes with Wetherall, playing his first game since August, adding stability to a back three.

Bradford too couldn't create any clear openings with Danny Forrest having a shot blocked and Lewis Emanuel seeing his free-kick deflected wide.

But after 22 minutes the Bantams, who were gradually beginning to take control, took their lead.

With McAllister's men too often resorting to the long ball, it was a flowing, ground-based move that gave the visitors their first-half advantage.

Emanuel badgered and bothered the home player-manager sufficiently on the edge of his own box to win possession before striding confidently downfield.

The ball was played to the left wing where Andy Gray, who may now be ready to drop the 'emergency' part of his emergency striker tag, picked it up.

He played it in to the feet of Ashley Ward who typically shielded the ball from the defender behind him.

The experienced striker then delicately dabbed the ball round the corner for Gray who went through in space and calmly slid the ball past the left hand of the outrushing Morten Hyldgaard.

The home side attempted to immediately bounce back with Julian Joachim, whose only goal in 18 months for the Sky Blues was against Bradford here last season, sending in a dipping volley from 30 yards.

Aidan Davison, one of eight men to play between the sticks for Law this season, was up to the task and held on just under his own crossbar.

Referee Rob Styles, whose anonymity throughout proceedings made for a good performance, had a bizarre moment of madness in the 42nd minute opting to award a drop ball after both Lawrance and Pead had handled simultaneously in the centre of the park.

But back to the football, and the visitors were unlucky not to double their lead just on the stroke of half-time.

Ward's close-range header from a corner was stopped on the line by the white boots of Coventry new boy Vicente Engonga.

After the break, Bradford's command of the game slipped a little as they sat back on their lead a little too much.

But the home side could not take sufficient advantage and the home 'support' began to show their lack of appreciation for the shortage of creativity with a round of whistles.

This could have turned to booing after 62 minutes when Jorgensen, who has been scoring at will in recent weeks, hit the top of the bar with a 25-yard blockbuster.

Lawrence then earned his yellow for hauling down McAllister before Muhamed Konjic headed over, when he really could have done better, from a free-kick.

But in the 82nd minute the points were made safe when Danish scoring sensation Jorgensen benefited from more astute work from the Ward-Gray forward axis.

Lawrence, temporarily relieving himself of man-marking duties, had the ball on the right-hand side and slid it across to Ward.

The target man once again held the ball up despite the close attention of his marker and again found a corner to play the ball around.

Gray once more slipped behind the defensive line and unselfishly squared it to leave Jorgensen a close-range tap in with the keeper committed.

The goal was greeted with cheers from the sparse visiting fans and the departure of the home ones.

A good percentage left their seats as they realised their side, who had not won since Boxing Day, were clearly not going to do so on this day either.

In leaving early they missed Caldwell have Coventry's best effort on goal

of the day, but his long-range shot

was athletically tipped round the post by Davison.

It was clearly not Coventry's day, and leaving the field to a chorus of boos was no surprise.

But it was a good day for Bradford, who were good value for their three points and can now feel that little bit safer ahead of their 'six-pointer' with Walsall next week.