Sheffield Wednesday 2, Bradford City 0; Richard Sutcliffe reports from Hillsborough.

Bradford City's first season of Premiership football has reached a crossroads.

The Bantams' woeful defeat at bottom club Sheffield Wednesday was as comprehensive as it was depressing with Paul Jewell's men looking a pale shadow of the committed side which has won many admirers in the first half of the campaign.

After a bright start which saw Jamie Lawrence twice go close, City were torn apart by a Wednesday side who started the game eight points behind in the league table.

The winning margin may have been only two goals, but with the Owls hitting the woodwork three times and also missing a string of chances it could easily have been a lot more.

City, quite simply, were awful and the fact that Lawrence's two first half shots were their only on target efforts in 90 minutes tells its own story.

Paul Jewell was very frank about his side after the game and without naming names, suggested some of his side "needed a kick up the backside".

After seeing his side capitulate in this relegation six-pointer, he said: "I thought Sheffield were better than us all over the pitch - they were stronger, sharper and had more desire, which is disappointing. We got all that we deserved, nothing.

"A lot was made of this game but if we had won we wouldn't have sent Sheffield Wednesday down and we wouldn't have been safe. But it will make our job harder.

"We have 16 cup finals left between now and the end of the season and we have to do better than that."

The simple truth is if City do not improve on their showing at Hillsborough, and in particular the wretched second half effort, they will go down.

And that is why what happens from today onwards is vital. Following on just days after the FA Cup humiliation at Gillingham, the Wednesday debacle must have drained confidence.

City can go one of two ways. They can either keep battling on and hope their fortunes turn with a win at home to Watford to set the existing squad up for a testing February and March.

Or they can go out and inject some new life by bringing in new faces and making a few changes. Once a season passes the half-way stage, it is amazing how quickly the rest of the campaign passes away so action must be taken now.

The Premier League is probably the toughest in the world with the sheer pace and wide array of skilful players testing even the best talents.

City have now played five months at this level and for the first time on Saturday, they looked mentally and physically jaded.

After the initial 20 minutes when play swung from one end to the other, Wednesday took control of midfield with Wim Jonk dictating play with some telling passes.

The Owls certainly did not look like a side who were rock bottom of the league with Niclas Alexandersson also impressing on the right.

Strike pairing Gerald Sibon and Gilles De Bilde linked up well and they took advantage of City's nervous defending.

Sibon, in particular, could have had a hat-trick but for wayward finishing and a couple of fine saves by Matt Clarke.

Wednesday hit the woodwork three times in the first half but City survived to the half-time break with the scores level.

In recent weeks, the Owls have dominated the early stages of games only for their confidence to slip away after missing a string of chances and eventually losing heavily.

However they remained patient and got the bit of luck needed in such a situation when Clarke's excellent save from Sibon ran kindly to Alexandersson in the 52nd minute.

He then coolly steadied himself before placing the ball past Wetherall on the line and after that it was one-way traffic towards the City goal.

Clarke again showed the Wednesday fans what they have been missing this season since he quit Hillsborough on a free transfer last summer.

However the City keeper could do nothing about Wednesday's clinching goal with 22 minutes remaining.

City had failed to deal with the overlap all afternoon with the midfield and forwards failing to track back when Wednesday poured forward.

Andy Myers was left badly exposed as a result and he could do nothing to prevent Ian Nolan getting to the by-line and sending over a low cross which Andy O'Brien turned past his own goalkeeper.

From thereon in, it was damage limitation for City although Jewell did bring on goalscoring midfielder Dean Windass in the hope he could grab a late lifeline.

The former Hull man replaced skipper Stuart McCall, a move which incensed the huge army of 4,500 City fans who rounded on their manager with the chant 'You don't know what you're doing'.

However neither Windass or Lee Mills, who had replaced Peter Beagrie on the hour, could revive City and the final whistle could not come quick enough.

And the loud booing from the away enclosure spoke volumes for what turned out to be a desperate afternoon for City.

Derby's 4-1 victory at Middlesbrough means the Rams have picked up ten points from their last five games and moved four points clear in the table.

That only served to deepen the gloom.

However the Wednesday game is now over and everyone's energies have to be centered on this weekend's clash at home to Watford.

Hopefully fresh blood can be brought in before Saturday to give everyone a vital lift because anything less than a victory over the Hornets is unthinkable.

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