Songo'o praises Bantams for passing test of character

Songo’o delivered an imposing performance in Saturday’s goalless draw at Newport as the Bantams made it back-to-back clean sheets.

City rode out some heavy pressure at Rodney Parade to earn their first away point in four games.

And Songo’o, a promotion winner last season with Morecambe, believes that is the sort of character needed to crack the division.

“This is the league,” he said. “You obviously need to have quality but sometimes you need that character and personality because the games are not going to be as nice as you want.

“You have to be able to roll your sleeves up and work hard. We’ve shown that.

“It was a tough game. We work as a team and we have shown mental character.

“That’s what we need in this league because everyone who plays against Bradford are going to have that extra motivation.

“Newport are a tough team, they were in the (play-off) final last year and have ambition to get promoted like we do.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It was a battle but we came through with another clean sheet like the Rochdale game and that will give us more confidence going into next week.”

Yann Songo'o faces the media after City's goalless draw at Newport

Songo’o was again used as a centre half and produced a goalline clearance to deny Newport's Courtney Baker-Richardson as they pushed for a winner in the second half.

“I was just there at the right time. But it could have been anyone in the team.

“We all have the mentality wherever the manager needs us to play, we will do the job.

“I’m here to help the team in whatever position they need me. But it’s not just me, you saw Levi (Sutton) play midfield and then go to right back and he was unbelievable.”

Derek Adams received constant stick from the home crowd but Songo’o felt that provided an extra edge to the atmosphere.

“Some of the fans weren’t happy with what happened last season when the manager got Morecambe promoted against Newport.

“It’s football and you’re going to get situations like that. All you can do is focus on yourself and moving forward.

“It was missing that after last season when we were playing with no fans. It motivates you a little bit more.

“Our fans were great. They were behind us the whole 90 minutes and that helped us to take the clean sheet and the point.”

City went without a back-up keeper on the bench on Saturday after Sam Hornby suffered a knock.

But Adams did include winger Abo Eisa in his first squad since Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup in the opening week of the season.

The City boss said: “We were down to the 18, we hadn’t got any more players available.

“Abo was one that I would have loved to have brought on. But he had only trained two days so there was nothing I could do about that.

“I'm delighted for him and we need to get him back in the team at some point.

"Abo is a great boy and he wants to do well and get on the pitch.

“I was just happy that we could put him in the 18.”