Stuart McCall believes resurgent Brad-ford City can force their way into the top six after earning a point at promotion favourites Sunderland.

The Bantams produced one of their most impressive performances of the season to prevent the Wearsiders scoring in a home game for the first time in 11 months.

The result left the City party in buoyant mood, with Peter Beagrie and McCall both in relaxed and jovial mood at the post-match press conference.

The City skipper arrived a few minutes after Beagrie and could not resist quipping: "I am surprised you lads are still awake listening to him!"

When asked what his aims for the season are, McCall said: "We had a sticky start, but there was only the Ipswich game where we were turned over. If we had got the results then that our play deserved then we would be well up there.

"But we are on a roll now. Realistically our aim has to be finishing in the top six. We matched Sunderland today, who I believe will finish in the top two, but unfortunately we have given teams like them a start.

"We are delighted to have stopped Sunderland scoring. Credit to the gaffer, he played with two men up front and two wide men which allowed us to cause them problems. We are a little bit disappointed that we didn't do better on the ball, but we have to be pleased with a point because they will be in the top two without a doubt."

Beagrie added: "We are starting to put a few clean sheets together, and that is a very pleasing aspect. Sunderland had two great forwards in Niall Quinn and Daniele Dichio, but we frustrated them very well by preventing the wide players getting too many crosses in."

Sunderland manager Peter Reid was also full of praise for the commitment shown by City in an absorbing contest.

He said: "I thought Bradford were brilliant. They worked hard and made it difficult for us. Sometimes you have to look at the opposition and they boxed us in well and worked very, very hard.

"I thought it was a fair result. We were not as fluent as I would like us to be, but you are going to have days like that. You must give Bradford credit though."

Reid came in for a lot of criticism from the home fans for not bringing on substitute Michael Bridges in place of Quinn or Dichio.

However, he said: "I thought the two front men might just nick one at the end. But what if they had won a dead ball late on and Bridges is marking Darren Moore. We could have been sitting here talking about a defeat rather than a goalless draw."

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