Accrington 3, City 0

We have reached the point of no return.

The fans have seen the light with the team that passes for Bradford City 2010/11.

Referee Michael Naylor’s half-time whistle summoned a minute of collective realisation on the away terrace.

As one, the supporters rose to berate those who have the privilege of putting on the amber jerseys of the club they love.

It was not exactly a Eureka moment as the fury that has been bubbling up ever since the first insipid outings in August finally came frothing out.

This is not the first City side to hear the angry strains of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt”. But if things don’t buck up quickly, the fear is they could be the last.

It was a chant borne out of more than just frustration from the pathetic 45 minutes they had just witnessed. It was also a damning verdict on the players who have consistently let them down; not just once or twice but almost week after week.

The Bantams faithful had spoken.

Peter Jackson understood the emotion of what they were shouting. He may not have liked it but the interim boss had no argument with such a depth of feeling.

He said: “There is no bigger insult. It hurts me and I’m not even playing.

“It’s awful to hear and it must hurt the players; I hope it does. All the fans want to see is commitment, effort and desire from a club that’s fighting for their lives.

“But in that first half, there was nothing there. It wasn’t just one or two performing poorly – it was all 11 of them. It was quite embarrassing and the fans summed it up with what they were saying.”

This was a battle between two managers who had eagerly tossed their own names into the hat when the City vacancy first came up.

With three goals by the break, it turned out to be the easiest of wins for the one that the club could not afford to talk to.

John Coleman was pretty miffed at the time when Accrington dug their heels in and played hard-ball over compensation. But forget missed opportunity. He might look back on that now as a case of dodging a bullet.

There are challenges; there are big challenges; and then there is the task of sorting out the mess that is currently Bradford City. And they call England the impossible job...

Jacko, of course, still wants it desperately – after a performance like this one, he will surely have the men in white coats looking out for him.

The debate rages on about whether next season will kick off at Valley Parade or Odsal.

Jackson, though, left the Crown Ground darkly muttering about the possibility of whether there will still be a club at all. Relegation really would represent a black hole.

Judging by Saturday, his team seem to have disappeared down it already.

Maybe they thought the job of securing league safety – hardly a reason for cracking open the bubbly anyway – was sorted with that less-than-convincing point against Burton in midweek.

Perhaps we were all guilty of feeling the same. We had all studied the remaining fixture list, particularly Barnet’s, and come to that smug conclusion.

Jackson had stressed the need for one more win just to make sure. But those appeals had obviously fallen on deaf ears.

Well there’s no chance of putting the feet up now. Not for the 90 minutes this afternoon, at least.

Barnet’s stunning win at Gillingham has changed everything. Four points ahead with three games to go does not sound half as comfortable.

Of course, the maths might not be needed come 5pm. Beat Aldershot at Valley Parade, watch Barnet slip up against Oxford, and dig out the holiday flip-flops.

But can anybody confidently see that scenario panning out – particularly the first bit?

“We’re a team that can’t score goals and can’t keep clean sheets,” admitted Jackson. And that is hardly the best recipe for success.

With Sheffield United netting three to catch up, City now share the unenviable tag as the lowest goal-scorers in the entire Football League.

Put it another way, Accrington have got more goals at home than City have mustered in total – and 11 of that meagre 39 tally were knocked off in three games against Cheltenham, Oxford and Stockport.

Otherwise, it’s 28 from 40 matches – or the equivalent of two hours between every goal.

For the record, City forced only one save out of Stanley keeper Alex Cisak – and that came from right back Lewis Hunt.

Accrington needed only 16 minutes to sew up the victory which has lifted them to fifth place.

By that stage, they were two to the good. Luke Joyce’s curler looked a pearler, though Lenny Pidgeley surely should have moved for it; then Andy Procter beat the City keeper at the near post after Steve Williams was caught flat-footed.

City, who seemed transfixed by the woeful state of the pitch, were passengers as Accrington slickly moved the ball about. A third goal duly arrived just before the break from Coleman’s nephew Sean McConville thanks to a misplaced ‘assist’ from Luke Oliver.

There could have been more, even after Coleman had pulled his most influential players out the firing line long before the end.

Accrington still wanted it – so much so that hot-headed Jimmy Ryan nearly came to blows with full back Dean Winnard after the defender’s hesitation let in Omar Daley. The shot, incidentally, flew over the corner of the stand and out of the ground.

Jackson said: “We’re supposed to be fighting for our lives and they’ll go on and make the play-offs. They are 3-0 up and players are still showing that aggression.”

How he must wish he could bottle that type of spirit and feed it to his own players before this afternoon. Either that or let those fans venting their heart-felt fury on the open terrace provide the team talk.

Attendance: 2,815