City find cure for travel-sickness

The Bantams turned in another gutsy defensive effort to make it two wins from two over Christmas and move further clear of the relegation places.

Nicky Law had two fresh injuries from the welcome Boxing Day win over Stoke.

Robert Molenaar was missing with a bruised ankle and Jamie Lawrence with sore ribs. Michael Standing, who made such an impression as a substitute two days ago, was in from the start and teenager Simon Francis was recalled at centre-half.

City arrived at Molineux with confidence restored as they tried to put a stop to a dreadful run of eight straight away defeats.

Wolves needed the points just as much as the Bantams, having faltered in the promotion race with only one win in their last five games. They had already lost three times at Molineux this season.

With Molenaar out, Peter Atherton took over the captaincy - the sixth different player to wear the armband this season.

Atherton began in defence alongside Mark Bower while Francis was put on the right side of midfield.

City won a free-kick midway inside the Wolves half after six minutes. Wayne Jacobs drove it into the wall and it broke for Francis whose shot was charged down.

City earned a corner but it was catching practice for England under-21 goalkeeper Matt Murray.

Wolves should have gone ahead after ten minutes. Atherton half-cleared as far as Ince who delivered a perfect through ball from the halfway line to send Carlton Cole clear.

The striker - on-loan from Chelsea - should have doubled his Wolves tally but side-footed well wide with only Aidan Davison to beat.

Kennedy whipped in a low ball in the 14th minute which beat both Cole and Dean Sturridge. The unmarked George Ndah brought it under control only to shoot weakly from eight yards.

Sturridge needed treatment after a hefty tackle by Atherton as Wolves continued to boss the early proceedings.

Andy Gray was suddenly given a sniff of a chance after 20 minutes when the ball pinged back in his path as he ran back from an offside position. He turned it just wide before the flag went up belatedly. A foul by Lewis Emanuel on Cole presented Wolves with a free-kick level with the box. Cameron's kick ricocheted off the outstretched leg of Jacobs on the way to Ince who flicked his header over the bar.

The Bantams had offered little up front although something looked to be on when Marc Edworthy missed a clearing header and the ball fell to Lewis Emanuel. He crossed into a mass of players and Jorgensen got a head to it - but there was no repeat of his midweek goal as the ball ran through to Murray on the second bounce.

Wolves went close when Ndah fed Kennedy who whipped in a low ball with real pace across the goalmouth as far as Sturridge. He met it first time from a tight angle and the ball clipped the corner of the bar.

Wolves were creating all the chances and Cole met an Edworthy cross with a downward header which was smothered by Davison. He couldn't hang on to it and Atherton dived in to help drag the ball out of trouble as the fans shouted hopefully for a hand ball.

City were the happier of the two sides to hear the half-time whistle which was greeted with derision by the Wolves supporters.

Half-time: Wolves 0, City 0

Standing and Tod combined in the first minute of the second half but Standing was bundled off the ball by Lescott before he could get in a shot.

But Wolves missed another good chance in the 49th minute when Sturridge glanced a free header across Davison's goal from Edworthy. The striker's frustration was clear as he stayed kneeling on the ground.

Then totally against the run of play the Bantams went one up.

Emanuel's cross to the far post

was headed down by Tod and

JORGENSEN was on hand to hook it past the startled Murray from close range.

Wolves were stunned at falling behind but recovered sufficiently to win a corner straight away. Kennedy's kick was met by Cole but his header was off target.

But the City lead did not last long and after 53 minutes Wolves were level with a superb solo effort from NDAH who unleashed a left-foot rocket past Davison from 25 yards.

The noise level had now cranked right up and Francis had to turn behind a dangerous cross from Sturridge for another Wolves corner. Gray half got it away before Jorgensen thumped it into the Wolves half.

Sturridge surged forward and swapped passes with Ndah into the City box but Jacobs was alive to the danger and whacked the ball into the stand.

But then City did it again with a second goal after 59 minutes.

Standing and Jorgensen began the move just outside the Wolves box with Jorgensen evading a lunge from Ince to release Francis on the right. The youngster's cross along the six-yard box was perfect and GRAY tapped it in at the far post.

The anxiety was clearly evident in the crowd who had gone quiet again, apart from the small pocket of away fans behind Davison's goal who were enjoying it to the full.

Wolves made a second change after 71 minutes, bringing on winger Kevin Cooper for Sturridge.

City won a free-kick in a good position and although the wall didn't look ten yards back it hardly mattered as Jorgensen skied it high into the stand.

Davison failed to claim a hanging kick from Wolves under pressure from Ndah and the ball appeared to catch Atherton's hand as City survived again. The away supporters were making the most of it and could be heard above the wall of silence which had descended.

Bower put in an important touch to cut short a run by Cooper as desperate Wolves threw more and more men forward in search of another equaliser.

City won their third corner in the 79th minute but Emanuel's kick was scooped away by the increasingly forlorn home side.

Cooper had a shot blocked by Jacobs and Cameron's follow-up was similarly smothered by the combination of Jorgensen and Bower.

Ince got an overdue booking for haranguing the linesman after a foul had been given for his meaty challenge on Gray.

The home fans found their voices as Miller forced a corner but Ndah's header, like most of the previous efforts, was tame and several feet wide.