Tactics change again but Deano is still the hero

No sooner had Colin Todd unveiled City's change of formation, it's being put back in the box.

The last 20 minutes of the Swansea game may have ushered in a radical rethink in tactics. But the same period at Yeovil on Saturday proved City are much happier with what they know.

Just like slipping on a pair of comfy old

slippers, the Bantams looked a lot more at home the moment Todd decided to go back to their traditional set-up.

"I just felt it was right to change back to a trusted way," he said. "I'm not saying we won the game because of that but people got a bit more belief in themselves because they knew their jobs better.

"We worked on the other formation during the week but it's not easy. There were positive signs when we tried it at the end against Swansea but we know what our roles are when we play 4-4-2. You could see from the last 20 minutes that we looked more comfortable."

The old order was also restored in terms of the scoreline. After the shock of losing two of the last three road trips, City got back to business with away win number five.

It was achieved with a blinding free-kick from Dean Windass and the sort of defensive miserliness which has become a trademark on their travels.

In just the same way that City's last away

success at Bristol City was built on swallowing up pressure and then striking late, the foundations of this win further down the M5 were laid by the back three/four/five.

Yes, Yeovil had lots of the play, as the bumptious locals in the vicinity of the press box were keen to point out. But what did they actually produce?

Donovan Ricketts twice denied Phil Jevons before half-time and turned away a fierce effort from substitute Pablo Bastianini in stoppage time. Apart from that, the City keeper had to field a few shots straight at him and watch some woeful efforts disappear over his bar - and more often than not, out the ground.

Yeovil passed the ball nicely and got plenty of men forward but each move tended to end in predictable fashion, cleared from the head of either David Wetherall or Mark Bower.

Alongside the dynamic defensive duo, Damion Stewart slotted in effectively once again and showed great strength and willingness to tackle everything. The Jamaican also unleashed the challenge of the match to thwart the leggy Kevin Amankwaah late on after matching the marauding Yeovil full back stride for stride over a 50-yard dash.

Todd's concern over the tactics centred on the left side, where City struggled to pick up Arron Davies. The winger exposed the uncertainty between Lewis Emanuel and the rest of the midfield and there were moments when nobody was quite sure who was supposed to be marking who.

With Amankwaah needing no invitation to bomb upfield, it proved the home side's most productive attacking route. But for all their huff and puff, Yeovil were kept at arm's length and, as their frustration grew, a sucker punch was always on the cards.

Inevitably it was delivered by Windass. His name has hogged the headlines all week and that shows no sign of changing.

If this was his final outing in a City shirt, and nobody knows for sure, then it was typical Deano to bow out with style. Talk of a second Barnsley bid being launched in the next few days remains pure conjecture. Todd does not expect or welcome it.

Windass remains such a pivotal part of his team - and once again underlined that influence by arcing a late free-kick over the wall and beyond the flailing arms of keeper Steve Collis.

It was a spectacular follow-up to the fearless header that had rescued a point against the Swans - and maintained his 100 per cent scoring record since being moved into midfield!

Lining up in a three-man engine room, Windass had seen Marc Bridge-Wilkinson disappear on a stretcher ten minutes into the second half. He took a painful whack as he attempted a shot after being sold slightly short by a Steve Claridge pass.

There was an anxious moment or two when it was thought that he had injured his knee again but fortunately physio Steve Redmond later confirmed that it was severe bruising on the top of the foot.

But the late goal made it a memorable afternoon for Tom Penford, the other central midfielder. A first start since May 2004 was always going to be a special occasion for the 21-year-old and there were plenty of encouraging moments. He is desperate to get that first professional contract at the end of the season and this was certainly a real step in the right direction.

"It was difficult but Tom came through with colours," was his manager's verdict.

Penford featured heavily in the early exchanges, which saw Windass cleverly work an opening to test the keeper low to his right.

Claridge was getting barracked because of his previous history with Weymouth, Yeovil's old adversaries from 20 miles down the road. But he had a good chance to silence the knockers midway through the first half, only to miss the near post with a header after clever work on the right from Danny Cadamarteri.

But after that bright opening, City just disappeared. Yeovil enthusiastically chased and harried for every ball, although their dominance in territorial terms did not translate to penalty-box danger.

Wetherall survived a huge shout for handball after smothering a drive from Chris Cohen but the home side could find no way through to goal.

Bridge-Wilkinson disappeared soon after the restart, which persuaded Todd to revert to type with 4-4-2 as Bobby Petta came on.

Almost straight away, Darren Holloway was appealing to referee Jarnail Singh's good nature after a clumsy lunge at David Poole in front of the dugouts. It was mistimed, not malicious, but given the defender's 'previous' this term, he must have been dreading the worst.

As the crowd bayed for blood, Singh defused City's worries by winking at Todd and producing a yellow card rather than the red one.

The Bantams started to get their act together again and Holloway finished a slick passing move with a pull-back from the line that somehow eluded everyone.

Then Penford robbed Davies in midfield to create an opening for Cadamarteri, who dragged his first sight of goal across the face and wide.

This was becoming familiar territory for City, who could now sense three points rather than one, and Penford's sharp turn and shot narrowly beat Collis' left post with the keeper rooted.

But surely, given all the hype of recent days, there were only one man who was going to

settle this contest and when Cadamarteri was nudged over by Paul Terry, it gave Windass

the stage he had been waiting for. He didn't

disappoint.

City fans everywhere - even the ones who still like to have a pop - should be hoping that the winning goal does not turn out to be a lavish farewell gift.