Match report: City turn on the pressure

Once again City wheel out the big performance for the big occasion.

Ipswich twice, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Norwich, Rotherham ... you can now add Leicester to an impressive list of names.

It seems the Bantams rarely disappoint against the First Division's top dogs.

Yet turn the tables, literally, and it's a completely different story against the league's stragglers. Think Brighton twice, Walsall, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke.

Before last night's game, Law wondered aloud which Bradford City would bother turning up. He should have known full well against a side packing Premiership quality and hell-bent on returning to the promised land at the earliest opportunity.

City couldn't afford any Walsall-style lapses of concentration against this lot. And there weren't any.

Law said afterwards: "I'm not saying that the players didn't work hard on Saturday. But if they had directed and channeled their energy like they have done tonight then the Walsall game wouldn't have been a competition. We'd have been out of sight.

"I ask the players after every game, if only we could compete at that level of performance on a more regular basis. But performing at that tempo against the lesser teams has been our problem all year."

Leicester have traditionally struggled with visits to City. They have not won at Valley Parade since 1937 and that was their only success in 11 attempts dating back almost 100 years.

But after City's sloppy home losses to Brighton and Walsall, recent form certainly threatened to overhaul history.

Leicester, beaten only once in the league this year, were typically all-aggression and looking for corners and set-pieces so they could roll the big men forward.

It was a night for the home side to stand up and be counted and there was no flinching right through the ranks.

The fighting spirit was typified by the youngsters. It is getting repetitive but Danny Forrest and Simon Francis continually catch the eye.

This was their biggest occasion yet up against some of the toughest nuts outside the top flight and they were clearly loving every minute.

But the old guard were just as committed, none more so than Peter Atherton and Jamie Lawrence who never retreated an inch in the midfield trenches.

Behind them, Aidan Davison and his defenders remained strong against Leicester's front three and the constant barrage of crosses, flick-ons, heads and elbows that are their trademark.

Forrest had the first chance of the night, robbing Gerry Taggart before pulling an effort across the goal.

But Leicester were quickly on the offensive as Brian Deane fired into the side-netting and Jamie Scowcroft headed wide.

They thought the mounting pressure had paid off after 28 minutes when Jordan Stewart's cross dropped invitingly for Trevor Benjamin but Davison pulled off a crucial save from right in front the gaping net.

Davison followed that up by smuggling away Paul Dickov's near-post flick and then Matt Elliott shot against the bar as City half-cleared the seventh of Leicester's first-half corners.

The action was hotting up and so were tempers. Atherton clashed with Stewart who kicked out angrily and was lucky the card that referee George Cain brandished was only yellow.

On another occasion, the hot-headed midfielder could have been off for an early bath and he would have had few complaints.

Atherton, back from missing two games with a stomach bug, was making up for lost time and refused to be intimidated. He crunched into one tackle with Benjamin and was immediately surrounded by four blue shirts before the official pulled them away.

For ten minutes after the break, City could hardly get out of their half until Gus Uhlenbeek, operating in right midfield with Francis behind him, galloped upfield only to launch his cross too far for the intended target, Forrest.

But with the home fans roaring them forward, City's spirits were lifted and they started to find more joy.

Claus Jorgensen thought he had a penalty off Taggart in the 63rd minute but the referee was unmoved - a pattern that would repeat itself several occasions.

Then Uhlenbeek slunk to the far post unnoticed to meet Forrest's cross. Unfortunately it was a typical defender's finish as the Dutchman fired in a weak volley.

Both sides were chasing a winner and after Dickov had curled one just off target, David Wetherall had the chance to emerge as the hero. Forrest was again the provider with a low ball across the Leicester box but the stretching skipper could only make contact with his knee and a golden opportunity bobbled away.

For a few seconds Wetherall remained flat on the ground - he knew a real winning ticket had gone begging.

But City were growing in confidence going forward and twice thought they had earned spot-kicks in a frantic final ten minutes.

Both were against Taggart for challenges on Jorgensen and Uhlenbeek. City felt particularly hard done by when referee Cain didn't blow for the clash with the Dane - who was then shoved to the floor by Elliott, a stupid act surprisingly missed by the officials.

Uhlenbeek's unsuccessful tumble proved to be City's final chance but there was almost a sting in the tail when Deane set up Dickov for a shot on the turn. As the fans held their breath, Davison saw the shot early and leaped towards the far corner to push it safely over the bar.

City's first home draw for nearly five months - and fourth goalless stalemate - had been hard-earned. Law's battlers proved once again that they are no respecters of high-flying reputations.