It's gift day as Bantams tie up League Two survival

But the joint-chairman’s club tie wasn’t the gift that the interim boss really wants.

For that, he will have to wait at least another week. Only once the curtain has come down after the Crewe game will the board finally pass judgement on who will be occupying the hot-seat at Valley Parade, Odsal or wherever.

Jackson’s own tie had become a souvenir for one of the 254 away fans who had trekked down to Edgar Street for the point which City had needed before the game to be absolutely 100 per cent safe. Jacko also lobbed in David Syers’ shirt as he enjoyed the relief of finishing the job that had begun with a Sunday roast with the players the day after Peter Taylor’s swansong against Stockport.

Of course, the interim boss has no intention of walking away now. But his fate – after the final fixture is up – will rest in the hands of the club’s powerbrokers.

In the meantime he is looking for any clue about their thinking; any hint in which way the board are swaying.

“Maybe Mark giving me his tie is an indication,” he smiled at the end of a draw that turned out superfluous following defeats for Barnet and Lincoln.

“Mark always said that we will discuss (the job) after the Crewe game. It needs to be done.

“We’ve got a retained list that needs doing after the final game as well. There are ten players out of contract and that needs addressing.”

The fact that the decision will not be made until the season is complete might suggest City are waiting for another club’s manager. John Still’s odds remain very short in second place with the bookies.

Lawn wasn’t giving anything away after Jackson hot-footed it into the Hereford boardroom.

“Peter’s just come in and asked me again,” he said. “But I’ve told him that nothing will happen until the end of the season.

“We’ll see where we are and where we are playing.

“But it’s just a massive relief to be safe. We’ve got a lot of problems in the summer that we’ve got to sort out and that’s the first duck down.”

Accrington, City’s nemesis the previous Saturday, turned out to be everyone’s heroes after dispatching second-from-bottom Barnet. Hereford were also safe thanks to a hat-trick from one who slipped through City’s fingers.

“We could have bought Jimmy Ryan but Stuart (McCall) didn’t want him,” Lawn sighed. “Can you believe that?”

But it seemed churlish to look back on what might have been on an afternoon that ultimately suited everyone.

Understandably, Hereford were by far the happier of the two sides.

When Jamie Pitman stepped up from physio to manager, they were rock bottom with only five points from ten games. To survive with 90 minutes in hand represents a turnaround worth the post-match jubilation.

For City, it’s rather different. Nobody in their wildest nightmares would have started the season with the sole aim of holding on to a place in League Two by the end of April.

This team was supposed to be leaving the division by the front door; not struggling to avoid dropping out through the back.

But given the overall wretchedness of the past eight months, survival became the only realistic goal. Jacko, at least, can say he’s done his job – which is more than can be said for many in that dressing room.

Monday’s breathless win over Aldershot meant that City needed eight results to go against them to be dragged down with Stockport.

It was never going to happen, though there were more than a few butterflies as news of early goals elsewhere filtered through.

Lincoln and Northampton quickly jumped in front and even the general relief at seeing Accrington’s first flash up was soon followed with a groan heralding a Barnet equaliser.

Watching Hereford’s antiquated scoreboard – which must almost date back to the day Ronnie Radford sunk Newcastle with that FA Cup rocket – was the most interesting part of a first half that had the feel of a friendly.

Hereford, in particular, looked lethargic and so nervous that they produced only one shot – and that came from a drop ball on the halfway line that was returned to Lenny Pidgeley with rather too much zeal.

City had the chances at least, with the best falling to Jake Speight after Omar Daley had picked off a loose crossfield pass. Speight struck it well enough but keeper Adam Bartlett smothered.

The strong wind made a scrappy affair even worse, with both sides resorting to hopeful long balls. Luke Oliver and Lee Bullock, again relishing his new defensive role, lapped them up eagerly.

Bullock got away with one lunge on Nicky Featherstone but otherwise Hereford were as toothless as anything City have faced all term.

The draw, which everyone was happy with, looked nailed on.

Hereford became marginally more effective with the introduction of Waide Fairhurst as a second striker with half an hour to go. The previously anonymous Stuart Fleetwood suddenly gained a bit of support.

But it was City who struck first with nine minutes left after James Hanson cashed in on hesitancy between left back and centre half. Stefan Stam tugged him down in the box and Speight rescued another fruitless display with a belting penalty.

Hereford looked in disarray and fearing the prospect of living on their nerves for another week.

But then Lewis Hunt clipped Fairhurst and Fleetwood took advantage of a badly-positioned wall to curl the free-kick round Pidgeley.

Back-to-back wins had been snatched away.

Jackson could have done with the victory on his CV as decision time nears. The interim boss, though, has played his part in rescuing a wreck of a season.

“It’s a little bit flat,” he admitted. “I know we got the point we needed but it should have been three. But we would have settled for this before we left Bradford. I’m pleased for the fans that we didn’t have to rely on other teams and the players did it the hard way.

“I’m just so proud of coming in to a club that was heading to the next tier and flipped it about.”