Graham Alexander's reaction after Bantams beat Carlisle

Cook scored both goals to take his tally to five already for the season.

“We know what we have in Cooky if we can get him into the right areas and give him the right deliveries in there,” said the City boss.

“It’s Cooky understanding what type of players we have in the team and where they are going to put the ball.

“I think he’s getting better at that. Him and Olly (Sanderson) worked exceptionally hard, I had to take them off because they’d run their lungs out.

“The second one, the header, was perfect number nine play. Pull off the back defender and then head it back across the goal.

“He could have had a hat-trick from Richie (Smallwood)’s free-kick. That was probably the easiest chance out the three of them but he’s won us the points, so fair play to him.”

Cook spoiled Harry Lewis’ Valley Parade return with the opener after just two minutes, following quick-thinking from Jamie Walker – one of four changes from the line-up that had lost at Grimsby last week.

Sam Walker blundered for Carlisle’s second-half equaliser but Alexander was delighted with City’s response, leading to Cook heading home Tyreik Wright’s cross for the winner.

Alexander added: “The way we started the game was really good with a fantastic press and turnover for the goal. It was great play from Jamie Walker and a clinical finish.

“We had other moments like that where we could have done better to give ourselves a little cushion of an extra goal at half-time.

“But I was relatively content with what we did in the first half. We just had to tweak a little bit with our backline and get a bit higher.

“They came into the game strongly second half and looked after the ball better than us.

“The goal was a bit of a fluke. Obviously it was a mistake from Sam, and he knows that, but the way it cannoned up in the air and came out the sky.

“Sometimes games can hinge on things like that if a team gives up and loses its way. But I thought it galvanised the players and they got better after that.

Graham Alexander calls for calm on the touchline (Image: Tom Pearson)

“Another turnover in the middle of the pitch from Jamie and Brad (Halliday), who was back to what we know from him, and it was another fantastic finish.

“Tyreik’s put a great ball in and Cooky’s done what he does best.”

The crowd of 18,041, which included 1,756 Carlisle fans, made for a boisterous backdrop and Alexander relished the occasion.

“I heard the atmosphere from the changing room,” he said. “I told the players ‘this is what we’re here for’.

“We have to go out and show what a good team we are and I think we did that for large spells.

“I thought we lost our way a bit after half-time – they got control and we kept turning the ball over but none of the players shirked trying to win that game today.

“I was delighted with that because we have to understand that. If we’re going to be the team we want to be, we’re going to play in a lot more games like that.”