CITY 1 SALFORD 1

HOSPITALITY tickets had flown out the door with double the usual sales for a home game.

A sold-out Valley Parade banqueting suite clearly dreamed of catching a glimpse of a Neville, a Scholes, maybe even some investor called Beckham.

None of those materialised – but unfortunately, there was a Rooney.

There was nothing hospitable about Adam Rooney’s late intervention, taking full advantage of a moment of slack defending to snatch away what should have been a comfortable City victory.

The outcome made the Bantams feel worse than the stomach bug that had swept through the dressing room and thrown Gary Bowyer’s selection plans up in the air.

There had been so many good things about City’s performance, which the manager held up as one of the best of the season. The shot stats and amount of possession backed his praise.

But equally, those numbers highlighted the shortcomings that are threatening to hold back the promotion push. Missed chances, and lots of them.

“If only we could call on a 20-goal striker” was the gist of the public frustration.

The fact Eoin Doyle outscored City again on an afternoon that saw him stretch his tally to a league-topping 21 just heightened the post-match angst.

Read more: Doyle at the double after admitting he wants to stay at Swindon

Bowyer, a massive cricket fan, has fended off the weekly Doyle questions with a straight-bat approach that would make Geoffrey Boycott proud.

Like a night watchman seeing his way through until stumps – or in this case the transfer window – the City boss refuses to offer a glimmer of an opening.

He claimed not to have read Doyle’s latest interview in the Swindon media where the Irishman stressed how much he wanted to stay for the season and would be “disappointed” to return north.

Bowyer’s response was simply to remind everyone that the “Ginger Pele”, as he has been coined by his Wiltshire fan club, remains a Bradford City-registered player.

He cannot say much more because the terms of Doyle’s loan have been deemed confidential from day one.

There has been no admission or otherwise that any recall clause actually exists.

But, of course, City dropped a hefty hint when they would not allow him to play for Swindon in the FA Cup.

It would be very unusual for a season-long loan deal not to have a break agreement written in it. There tends to be a window within the window, usually the second week of January, when the parent club can make that call.

From what I understand, City would be in a position financially to pick up the tab for the rest of his wages – Swindon are currently thought to be paying around two-thirds each week – should that happen.

Given the opportunity, of course, it appears the easiest decision in the world to bring back a player on such a prolific run however reluctant he may initially be. Particularly for a side currently finding it tough to score goals.

Whatever transpires, it’s safe to say Doyle will not play for either side when City head to the County Ground for a crucial promotion tussle on the first weekend of the new year.

At least, Forest Green’s injury-time fightback against Swindon ensured the current gap to top spot remains at seven points. That slightly cushioned the blow for the two that the Bantams had let slip through their fingers.

But after the draws with Macclesfield and Leyton Orient, this was another result you hope does not come back to bite them on the bum further down the line.

Salford are hardly plucky underdogs given the financial muscle behind them.

As they prepared for a first meeting with City, the match preview on the club’s own website admitted they were more used to visiting Park Avenue.

They had won their last three visits to Bradford at Horsfall, most recently in October 2017. On the same day, Matt Kilgallon’s header at Portsmouth sent City third in League One.

Different times, very different clubs.

The one constant in the home ranks from that day was Jake Reeves, at the time playing at the top of his form before his injury nightmare would kick in.

Two years on and his resurrection was complete when he was handed the captain’s armband in the unexpected absence of James Vaughan, a late victim of the lurgy.

Reeves responded to the honour by playing like a natural leader. Everything in midfield went through him.

He was behind the flurry of early chances as City created more in the first 15 minutes than they had in 90 in East London the week before.

Reeves had the first shot to test keeper Chris Neal and then provided the set-pieces for Anthony O’Connor to clip the bar and Kelvin Mellor to nod over from close range as the goal beckoned.

That miss, created by Dylan Connolly who proved an effective emergency strike partner for Aramide Oteh, would be one of three big opportunities that Mellor could not take.

Callum Cooke pinged a 25-yarder off the post, Neal thwarted Oteh with a strong left hand and then Mellor was just off again with a far-post volley. But somehow it was goalless at the break.

The goal finally came eight minutes into the second half.

Reeves found Mellor with a cross-field pass and he cut past two blue shirts to the edge of the Salford box. Connolly drilled in a low cross which Harry Pritchard calmly converted at the near post.

Graham Alexander’s side, whose only threat up to that point came from a Luke Armstrong header in the first half, were stirred into a response and Joey Jones fired over the bar.

But it was fellow sub Rooney who would do the real damage.

Brandon Asante was allowed to muscle his way through City’s right side far too easily, brushing off Paudie O’Connor’s half-hearted challenge, before picking out the former Aberdeen man to finish.

Add that to the growing list of clean sheet near-misses for Richard O’Donnell, who had not had a single save to make.

It was Salford's first goal in four league games - from their only shot on target.

City tried to overcome their frustration and regain the initiative. There was one more glorious opening for Mellor but he could not get a shot off from right in front of goal after trying unsuccessfully to work the ball on to his stronger foot.

Salford had extended their unbeaten streak in the city with a first point at Valley Parade. Their hosts were left sick to the stomach by a result that was particularly hard to swallow.