Ryan Kendall got more than he bargained for with his first senior goal.

The rookie striker also collected his first yellow card after whipping off his shirt in an excitable celebration.

That is sure to have earned him a gentle rebuke from Peter Taylor in training.

But Kendall hopes the quality of the finish before that will have marked the card of the City boss when it comes to naming his next side.

Kendall has made three appearances for the Bantams since joining on loan from Hull, totalling an hour’s worth of action.

His 30-minute cameo at Valley Parade, topped by confidently lifting his goal over Dagenham keeper Tony Roberts, will have given Taylor food for thought ahead of the hectic Easter weekend schedule.

Kendall said: “Hopefully I’ve put something in the gaffer’s mind for next week and he gives me a little bit more time on the pitch.

“He’s been happy with his team and I’ve just had to wait my turn. There have been some good performances since I’ve been here so it’s not really fair to change things for no reason.

“I understand that fully but I’d like to get my opportunity with a few starts. Then hopefully it can benefit both parties, myself and the club.

“Coming on for the last 15 minutes is hard. You try to do your best but it’s not easy to make an impact.

“Getting a bit longer on Saturday was great and I like to think I did my bit for the team with a goal. The lads had done all the hard work and it was good to come on and make an impression.”

After gobbling up James Hanson’s assist, Kendall is the latest paid-up member of the big man’s ever-increasing fan club.

He said: “James chipped in immensely. He got two, hit the post and set my goal up.

“He’s only a young lad as well, only 22, and has done a great job coming up from non-league football.

“Scoring 13 goals in League Two is a tremendous season for him and he deserves all the praise he gets.”

Hanson’s flick-on still needed a cool finish, which Kendall provided before treating the Kop to a forward roll.

“I got a bit carried away,” he laughed, “but it was the heat of the moment.

“It was my first goal in front of the home fans and I really enjoyed it. It also looked like the winning goal but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.

“Big Hanson headed the ball on and it just fell in my path. You don’t usually get much of a bounce on this pitch but luckily it popped up and I saw the keeper off his line.

“It was an extraordinary game. It’s not often you see one own goal, let alone two. Nobody deserved that but the lads will take it on the chin and move on.”