City finish with a flourish to end year on a high

Whether the performance over the full 90 minutes actually matched the catchphrase of Morecambe’s most famous son is open to debate.

There were longish spells when City were under the cosh and a win, let alone by a crushing four-goal margin, looked wishful thinking.

But credit where it’s due. The Bantams scored three quality goals as well as a late penalty, rode out the tough times to claim a third clean sheet in eight days, and saw out the year with the spirit-lifting victory they desperately needed.

They finished the afternoon like a train – and in the end, could have notched even more.

So City reach the halfway point firmly in an automatic promotion spot. Now the job for the next 23 games is to stay there.

Morecambe arrived at Valley Parade as the third worst travellers in League Two with only one away success since February.

But they had won two of their last three games, including a 4-1 thumping of Macclesfield at Christie Park on Boxing Day.

Not surprisingly, Sammy McIlroy stuck with the same side but there were a few interesting twists to the City line-up. Peter Thorne, still troubled by his shoulder, was out altogether and Omar Daley dropped to the bench after reporting a knock against Lincoln.

Dean Furman was back in the ranks in a three-man midfield supporting a front three of Michael Boulding, Barry Conlon and Steve Jones. Skipper Graeme Lee’s head was wrapped in a bandage – not for the first game this season – following his whack two days earlier.

Morecambe were yet another visiting side to face City playing five at the back. Once again, the challenge was laid down to the hosts to prise them open.

But it was McIlroy’s men who fashioned the first chance as City failed to react to Fraser McLachlan’s through ball. Danny Carlton timed his run perfectly to stay onside but Paul Arnison got across to block his shot.

City bounced to the other end, where Nicky Law’s dart into the box was thwarted by the imposing figure of keeper Barry Roche.

Conlon forced a mistake from Craig Stanley to earn the first corner of the afternoon and then flicked on Lee’s header from it, only to see Roche tip the ball behind.

Rhys Evans made his first save after 17 minutes, comfortably pouching Carlton’s header after the striker had been pushed to the ground by Matt Clarke.

The game was opening up and Law continued his impressive start by picking up possession 30 yards out and whipping in a drive that Roche pushed away. Furman followed his lead and tried the same 30 seconds later, the ball whizzing through a host of bodies and narrowly wide.

City hearts were briefly in mouths when Clarke and Lee both went for the same Morecambe cross, with Clarke’s flick fortunately bouncing wide of goal before Evans tidied up.

But that was quickly forgotten as City grabbed the lead in the 24th minute. Conlon claimed he was dragged down as he challenged for Paul Arnison’s cross but Paul McLaren seized on the confusion to pick his way through with the loose ball and toe it past Roche.

After back-to-back goalless draws, the relief around the ground was evident. It was also the first goal scored by a City player other than Boulding for six games – and the 100th in the league since McCall took the Valley Parade helm.

Not that City could rest on their laurels as Morecambe looked for an instant response and Evans needed two grabs at a powerful drive from defender Henry McStay.

City claimed hopefully for a penalty after 33 minutes when Boulding went down under Jim Bentley’s tackle. Referee Andy Woolmer was unmoved by that but did produce a yellow card for Stewart Drummond’s clumsy lunge on Clarke after the ball had gone.

But it was a slender lead with Morecambe looking a threat through their passing and movement in midfield. The visitors were getting too much room to play, with City inviting pressure by coughing up several cheap free-kicks in useful positions.

Considering City were in front, more and more of the game seemed to be played in their territory as the first half wore on.

Clarke, City’s best performer at Sincil Bank, was in the thick of it and reacted furiously when the referee awarded a corner from his sliding tackle on Howe. City continued to live dangerously as Stanley’s corner was turned across goal and inches past the far post with Carlton just unable to supply the killer touch.

It was the narrowest of escapes right on the stroke of half-time and the home fans knew it.

But worryingly, the second half kicked off in the same vain, with Morecambe once again knocking on the door. City were doing themselves no favours and a failure to clear their lines allowed Carlton to get in a snap shot which Evans beat away.

Law latched on to Conlon’s knockdown for a long shot but Morecambe went straight back on the offensive as Evans clutched a curler from Stanley.

City needed a period of decent possession to knock the visitors out of their stride as the light blue shirts continued to swarm forward with confidence.

Boulding finally got the ball to the under-used Steve Jones to run at Danny Adams. The cross was too deep but Law recovered it well and drove back into the box where his shot was deflected behind.

McLaren blotted his copybook with a booking for a trip on Adam Yates but City took a much firmer grip on proceedings by doubling their lead in the 62nd minute. Conlon’s pass sent Boulding clear and the on-form hitman showed once again why he was such a prize capture, calmly advancing on Roche before slotting home his tenth goal of the campaign.

A 2-0 lead flattered the home side but only the 400-strong section of Morecambe fans in the 13,105 crowd were complaining.

It proved to be Boulding’s final involvement as he left the field to a standing ovation as Daley took over. And the Jamaican was straight into it, taking Law’s lay-off but pulling his shot wide of the near post.

Daley’s appearance seemed to energise City and Jones delivered a cross that was just too high for the leaping Conlon. But there was a better balance about the team now and the stuffing had been knocked out of Morecambe’s play.

City were a whisker away from a third with 15 minutes left. Jones dinked a lovely angled pass in for Conlon, who took a touch as two defenders slid in and then thumped the ball against the bar.

But they weren’t to be denied much longer as Law capped a fine individual display with the goal he deserved. And what a great finish it was, spotting the keeper off his line and bending a superbly-executed shot into the top corner.

McIlroy must have thought the afternoon could not get any worse. It did as Adams handled a shot from Jones four minutes from time and Conlon drove home City’s fourth from the spot.