Bradford City ended their five-match losing run with a 2-2 draw against relegation rivals Manchester City at Valley Parade, but the result is unlikely to benefit them in their battle for Premiership survival.

After trailing 1-0 at half time, City fought back well to score two goals in five minutes early in the second half through Robbie Blake and Ashley Ward to raise hopes of a rare victory.

However, Shaun Goater scored the visitors' equaliser after 70 minutes.

Jim Jefferies described today's game as a "must win" for City, admitting that anything less than victory would virtually seal their doom.

And the Bantams boss signalled a positive approach by going with an extra striker as Robbie Blake came back in for midfielder David Hopkin, who joined Crystal Palace on Thursday.

Gareth Whalley came in for his first game for four months - his first under Jefferies - to fill the gap in the middle of the park.

Andy O'Brien and Andy Myers were ruled out through injury so Wayne Jacobs won a recall on the left.

Manchester City had won only one of their previous 12 games but their away record of three victories and five draws was as good as second-placed Arsenal and better than Liverpool.

But it was the Bantams who went straight onto the offensive as Ashley Ward flicked on Gary Locke's right-wing throw, Gerard Wiekens cleared as far as Benito Carbone who scuffed a snap-shot wide.

The visitors carved open a decent chance after ten minutes as Laurent Charvet, deputising for suspended skipper Alf Inge Haaland, exchanged passes with Andrei Kanchelskis to bypass Jacobs before driving across goal.

Ward was pushed by Richard Dunne to give the Bantams a free-kick 25 yards out. But it ended in farce as Carbone complained that the defence wasn't ten yards and stopped it with his hand - only to be penalised himself.

They won the first corner after 16 minutes and Ward needed treatment after taking a bash in the face as he jumped for the kick by Eoin Jess, playing the final game of his three-month loan from Aberdeen.

The home fans shouted loud for a penalty when Ward fell under pressure from Dunne but referee Steve Dunn was unimpressed.

But it was the Man City section who erupted midway through the first half as their team broke the deadlock.

Kanchelskis swung a free-kick towards the far post where Steve Howey got above Wetherall to knock down to the lurking WIEKENS. The home defence were slow to react and the Dutchman had time to bring it down before ramming the ball past Gary Walsh from ten yards.

City should have equalised within four minutes as Robbie Blake's through ball was cheekily stepped over by Carbone to leave Ward clear of the offside trap.

But the striker, without a Premiership goal to his name ,drove straight at the advancing Weaver and when he recovered the loose ball, overhit his intended pass for Jess.

Ward nearly redeemed himself when he received a short ball from Stuart McCall with his back to goal. He held it up on the edge of the Man City box before flicking a return into the skipper's path but his instant stabbed effort was well off target.

The excitement level had crept up only marginally since the goal but Man City threatened again with a dangerous ball out of defence from Wiekens.

Kanchelskis found Danny Tiatto to the left of the box but his flighted pass was completely missed by Darren Huckerby, summing up the quality on show.

Four minutes before half-time the Bantams threatened an equaliser when Whalley slipped a ball through to Carbone whose shot was blocked by the sliding Charvet.

City's build-up play had been neat with Whalley and McCall prominent but they were once again lacking that cutting edge in the danger zone.

HT: Bradford 0 Man City 1

The Bantams needed to show a vast improvement on their first half to gain anything from the match and they made a lively start as Blake burst through before firing a shot straight at Weaver.

The Scot was again involved as they kept up the pressure, receiving a pass from Whalley and driving a deflected shot into the keeper's arms.

The Bantams' pressure was rewarded after 52 minutes when BLAKE scored a deserved equaliser with only his secod goal of the season and his first since Boxing Day.

Ward created the opening and Blake scored with a superb low, right foot shot into the far corner, giving Weaver no chance to save.

The visitors hit back when Tiatto beat Locke inside the penalty and held off Robert Molenaar before shooting wide.

But the home side then set the crowd roaring when they struck for the second time in five minutes to take the lead.

Whalley's shot in a crowded goalmouth was parried by Weaver and when the ball came out to WARD the striker who began his career at Manchester City steered it home for his first Premiership goal since joining City from Blackburn last August in a £1.5m deal.

The goal prompted visitors' manager Joe Royle to bring on an extra striker with Egil Ostenstad replacing Tony Grant.

The double burst had given the Bantams a new lease of life and Carbone came close to scoring a third goal when he darted through before pulling his shot wide of the upright.

The Bantams continued to pressurise a none too confident visitors'defence and when two defenders combined to bring down Blake, City appealed in vain for a peanalty.

However, Manchester City equalised after 70 minutes when Whitley played the ball through to GOATER who looked to be in an offside position but the goal was allowed to stand.

The home side hit back immediately and when Ward played Blake through the little striker fired over the crossbar.

Man City introduced Mark Kennedy for his first game since December, coming on for Granville.

Manchester City came close to scoring a third goal after 77 minutes when Ostenstad turned sharply in the six-yard area, but the grateful City defence managed to play the ball behind.

Wetherall had the ball in the net for the Bantams two minutes later but the referee had already blown his whistle for an infringement.

Molenaar became the first player to be booked in the match a minute later when he brought down Ostenstad 25 yards from goal, but the free kick came to nothing.

Goater missed a great chance for the visitors after 84 minutes when Ostenstad pulled the ball back into his path, but he somehow fired wide with the goal at his mercy.