Ipswich Town boss George Burley has thrown down the gauntlet to Bradford City after seeing his side edge back above the Bantams in the race for automatic promotion.

Burley's side drew 0-0 in a tense East Anglian derby with Norwich yesterday to edge a point clear of City, with both sides having five games to play.

The Bantams had beaten Ports-mouth 2-1 just 24 hours earlier to move above Ipswich, but the Town boss said: "We are in second place on merit. We have five games left and other teams have to catch us."

City have a great chance to reclaim second spot tomorrow when they travel to struggling Port Vale, knowing that Ipswich's next game is a tricky trip to Bolton on Saturday.

The Bantams managed to ease past Pompey thanks to goals from Lee Mills and Lee Sharpe to cap a fine week in which Paul Jewell's men claimed nine points in eight days.

City struggled for much of the game against battling Pompey, whose manager Alan Ball proved to be a less than gracious loser.

He said: "Two flukes have undone us. The first goal saw their lad (Mills) shin it into the net, and if he tells you he meant it he is telling lies. Then Lee Sharpe went to head the ball across goal and it went in.

"For people who don't know the game, they will think they were fantastic goals. In football you have luck and Bradford had that against us. When it goes against Bradford before the end of the season, and it will, I hope they don't grumble."

When told of Ball's comments, Jewell responded: "I hope we win the next five games by two flukes! I think we fluked four goals at Portsmouth as well. Every manager needs to be lucky - he should know."

Asked how he saw both goals, Jewell said: "Lee Mills hit one that came off his knee from 25 yards, and the second one was a magnificent header which came off Lee Sharpe's foot! So there you have it.

"Seriously, I thought Mills' goal was a good shot and then it was a good header from Lee Sharpe. Their goal to me was fluky!"

City's top-scorer Mills was just delighted to claim all three points. He said: "Ipswich will have been gutted to see this result. The belief is there throughout the team that we will win every game. That is why we were all gutted in the dressing room afterwards because we didn't play too well."

Asked about Ball's outburst, he said: "That is my 23rd goal of the season, so go and tell Alan Ball that. I am just delighted to get another goal."

One rival boss with praise for City was Sunderland's Peter Reid. After their 2-0 win over Hudders-field he said: "Full marks to Bradford - they keep on winning."

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