FOR Shay McCartan and Jake Reeves, it was a glimpse of the dream sold in the glossy brochure.

The pre-match buzz, the sense of expectation in the Valley Parade air – this was the Bradford City that both were so keen to sign up for in the summer of 2017.

Over two years on, McCartan is hoping that the reality might finally be starting to live up to the promise.

READ MORE: Hope high as Bantams raise the bar

Scoring Saturday’s winner against Swindon was an impressive way to announce his comeback to the Bantams ranks.

And the Irishman also hopes it marked another step in the right direction for a club he can sense are ready for lift off.

McCartan said: “I was speaking to Reevesy before the game and we were saying that it’s starting to feel like how it was when we first came here. The club are in a good place.

“The support on Saturday was brilliant, it really was like having a 12th man and they will carry us through.

“If we give 100 per cent and play to our strengths, which we did, then I really feel it’s going to be a good season.”

With previous League Two promotions under his belt at Accrington and last season’s champions Lincoln, McCartan should be a talismanic presence in the dressing room.

He has already had plenty of hurdles to clear to get this far with City.

A stop-start first season that nosedived in the second half before being shipped out by Edin Rahic barely a week after coming back.

Then returning with new hope under Gary Bowyer’s watch in the summer, only to spend pre-season out of the picture again with an injury.

But McCartan finally reckons the pieces are starting to fall into place – both for him and the team.

“It has been difficult since the last six months of my first year,” he admitted.

“It’s been a frustrating start for me personally since returning to the club. I missed all the pre-season, came back and then got another niggle which kept me out for a couple of weeks.

“I came on against Walsall and was blowing in that game.

“A player like me probably takes a wee bit longer to get up to the pace of it. But now I feel sharp.

“I played 90 minutes last week in a behind-closed-doors game and felt good. Hopefully I can push on now and score a few more goals.

“We all realise how lucky we are to be here. It’s a totally different place to what I walked into.

"The scenery has completely changed. The environment is a lot more positive and the gaffer has created that.

“He’s brought in good lads and good people. It’s exciting times.”

The win over Swindon registered another notable landmark – a first against a team that had been above them in the promotion pack.

That had been a question mark hanging over City’s claims after defeats to leaders Forest Green, Crewe and Cheltenham.

But the Bantams set the record straight with arguably their most convincing display of the campaign so far to inflict a first away loss on Richie Wellens’ side.

And it was achieved without mainstays James Vaughan, Ben Richards-Everton and Matty Palmer.

McCartan added: “This was probably the first time when we felt we really showed what we are capable of.

“We’ve got great players and were just waiting for it to click.

“To still be up there in the play-offs when we’ve not really been at our best shows what is in the squad.

“It shows the strength and depth. The gaffer pointed it out about Hope (Akpan) after the game.

“He’s been left out the frame for the past couple of weeks but he’s come in and been excellent.

“Zeli (Ismail), as well, was injured with me in pre-season and he put in a good shift.

“The likes of Dylan Connolly and Pritch (Harry Pritchard) are all new to the club still. I think it was always going to take a bit of time to click but that quality is starting to show now.

“But we’ve got to kick on. If we play like that every week, we’ll not be far off it.”

McCartan’s goal was his first since Good Friday – but his last in City colours had been way back in February 2018 against Bury.

He said:“The win was the main thing. We’ve grinded through and got the result. It’s a testament to the squad and the team."