It's raining goals for City

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson turned to Jermaine Johnson and gave him a right ear-bashing for being greedy.

The Jamaican had gone for glory himself and blazed wide rather than setting up his better-placed team-mate and Bridge-Wilkinson was letting him know all about it.

Johnson's miss hardly mattered in the context of the game - City were 3-0 up and cruising it at the time.

But it revealed the commitment and desire behind the most convincing display seen at Valley Parade for a long while.

The margin of victory flattered Crewe. City might have doubled their tally and they could have no complaints.

And all this from a team that hadn't won for six weeks. Crisis? What crisis?

But Crewe do seem to have that effect on the Bantams. The crushing 3-0 win at Gresty Road in August was their biggest of the season - until now.

Listen carefully and I'm sure you could hear a chorus of "Can we play you every week" emanating from the home dressing room.

It didn't take a genius to predict this wouldn't be 0-0.

Crewe's games have seen more goals than any other team in League One this season. They are the top scorers in the division - while only basement boys Leyton Orient have let in more.

But without injured strikers Nicky Maynard and Luke Varney, who have notched 20 between them, Crewe were never the same force going forward. But they were as bad as usual at the back.

It was a good afternoon for Simon Ainge to be thrust in for his first start and the youngster took everything in his stride to snuff out the second-choice visiting attack.

And it was the perfect opportunity for City to get the show back on the road and convince the growing army of doubters that this season can be different from the standard mid-table fare.

If ever a team was there for the taking it was Crewe - and how the Bantams filled their boots.

But take nothing away from the home side's efforts. As morale-boosting exercises go, this was the football equivalent of a night on the razzle with the boss picking up the tab. The weather may have been miserable but from minute one there was a spring in City's step and a smile on their face.

The match stats tell the story. Thirty shots on goal, 18 of them on target - that's probably more than City managed in the whole of October.

An early goal always helps and they struck with their first attack. It was Bridge-Wilkinson who began and finished a flowing end-to-end move as City broke out of their own box with devastating effect.

Jermaine Johnson provided the acceleration as Crewe back-pedalled desperately and though his pass for Eddie Johnson struck his intended target's heel, Steve Schumacher was supporting to keep the move alive. Bridge-Wilkinson had continued his run and received the ball in the box where he clipped it over keeper Stuart Tomlinson and into the net, despite a frantic attempt to clear by Ben Rix on the line.

Amazingly, it was the first time that City had got their noses in front in a game since the last victory over Tranmere on September 30.

It was sizzling stuff and set a tone they pretty much maintained throughout the 90 minutes. After the negatives of recent weeks, there were encouraging signs all over the pitch.

Bridge-Wilkinson revelled in his new role on the left which accommodated the arrival of loan signing Colin Healy, whose positive approach bodes well for his short stop-off from Barnsley.

The effervescent Schumacher, alongside him, maintained his own run of form while JJ was the prime showman as ever.

Those fans who did bother to turn up on a cold and wet afternoon at Valley Parade roared their appreciation at the winger's masterpiece when he went into a step-over frenzy in front of a spell-bound Paul Bignot. The poor left back looked completely bamboozled by the dancing feet in front of him - even though Johnson was not even touching the ball!

If JJ wasn't a scary enough threat, Crewe also had their hands full with Dean Windass and Eddie Johnson, whose partnership clicked for the first time since they had ripped apart the same opposition at Gresty Road nearly three months ago.

Windass was magnificent - Dario Gradi singled him out later with a wistful "if only we had someone of his quality" - but this was no one-man show. He needed the service that has been lacking and got it in spades from his strike partner and the midfield.

Eddie Johnson has been an enigma since that golden afternoon against his old club but this was more like the player that Colin Todd was so chuffed to land amid all the competition in the summer. He looked bright and strong, feeding off Windass and willing to have a crack at goal at any opportunity. Maybe he was let down at times by a heavy first touch but there was no knocking his work-rate and he never gave Crewe a breather.

This was the bold and brash City from earlier in the season - it was a pity that so few supporters made the effort to come and watch. The gate was always going to be down because season-ticket holders have to pay for FA Cup games but the club were expecting at least 5,000. They got 1,500 less.

But despite the lack of atmosphere, City's performance brimmed with passion and excitement. Yet somehow it was still only 1-0 at half-time.

Windass should have scored with a lob after catching Tomlinson in no man's land from a goal kick and the keeper redeemed himself with a stunning one-handed save low to his right to deny JJ.

Johnson and Windass again, Bridge-Wilkinson, Eddie Johnson... they were queuing up to take pot-shots at the Crewe goal.

The slight fear was growing that City would pay for their profligacy. Crewe finished the half with a couple of sighters of their own as Rodney Jack eluded makeshift left back Mark Bower and though the shots lacked any accuracy, it kept the contest on edge.

At least it would have done if City had shown any sign of easing off after the break. But they burst from the blocks again and normal service was resumed.

Healy made himself room for a good effort and Tomlinson enjoyed a massive slice of luck when he spilled a Bridge-Wilkinson free-kick and gratefully gathered the rebound off Eddie Johnson's shoulder.

Another counter-attack engineered by Jermaine Johnson should have killed off Crewe but Windass's pass for Eddie Johnson was a shade too heavy and forced the striker away from the danger zone.

Crewe were clinging on and Tomlinson left Schumacher scratching his head with a stunning block from point-blank range to deny the midfielder's side-foot volley. The ensuing corner bobbled around the goalmouth but still it would not go in.

A second goal would surely settle the contest and it arrived just after the hour to universal relief. Windass worked the ball wide to Bridge-Wilkinson whose sweeping cross was begging to be buried and Schumacher, darting in at the far post, said thank you very much.

The scoreline still bore little resemblance to City's total dominance but it was heading the right way and Windass soon had the goal he deserved with a thumping finish from Eddie Johnson's assist.

The Crewe old boy upped his attempts to get on the scoresheet only to find Tomlinson once again in his way.

But the game was won and Todd used the opportunity to make late changes and give Ben Muirhead and Craig Bentham unexpected run-outs after their long spells on the sidelines.

Neither had even kicked a ball for the reserves but, within a minute of coming on, Muirhead had an instant impact with a short burst and cross which was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Darren Kempson.

The Crewe centre half, too, had only just left the bench and must have wished he hadn't bothered getting off his backside.

No doubt there will be plenty of City stay-away fans who wished they had.