DEREK Adams aims to have a new striker at City by the Crawley game.

The Bantams boss believes they are moving in on a target in time for the weekend return to Valley Parade.

“We are getting closer and we’re hopeful to have someone in by the end of this week,” said the City boss after their 2-1 win at Walsall.

“Lee Angol is going to be out for a period of time. We’re waiting on the scan results for him.

“We’re coming to the stage of the season when we’re going to need many players to play in games.”

Andy Cook fired home a late penalty to clinch City’s third victory in five in January – and move them back to within five points of the play-offs.

Adams added: “We’ve been on a good run since the turn of the year.

“It was an important three points for us because it was a very scrappy game. There wasn’t much free-flowing football from both sides but I’m delighted to get the three points.

“At the start of the season, we were playing ever so well and should have won games but were drawing them.

“This wasn’t a great performance but sometimes these are the performances you need.

“It’s a really difficult league and sometimes you won’t have a great performance but you come out winners. I’ve always said that.

“These are the games you need to win to put yourselves closer to the teams above us.”

Matty Daly scored his first goal for the club with a deflected effort to put them ahead.

But the star of the show was keeper Alex Bass, who pulled off first-half heroics on his first appearance since signing on loan from Portsmouth.

Adams said: “He made two great saves in the first half. The first one was in and he turned it over the bar and the other one was very good as well.

“It was a very good performance and we’re delighted for him. It lifts the team.

“I made a number of changes to the team and freshened it up a bit. Levi Sutton was just struggling a bit so I left him on the bench to come on.

“He’d limped out of training early on Monday but all in all, we’re delighted to come through the game.”

Richard O’Donnell travelled with the squad but was not in the 18 – and is being strongly linked with a move to Hartlepool.

“From my point of view, I would like to keep the squad together,” added Adams.

“If somebody wants to leave, and feel it could benefit them and I feel the same way, then I’ve got to look at that.

“It might be that there are a few players that leave before the end of the window or they might all still be here.

“I’m not going to push anyone out the door to go. But I understand that if they want to get regular football somewhere else then that might be the case.”