Can Bradford City’s Play-Off dream now be considered feasible?

A miraculous turnaround to the Bantams’ season leaves them now 11th in League Two – a stark contrast from 22nd place in December, where they sat just one place above the relegation zone.

Goals from Levi Sutton and Andy Cook were enough to secure the three points for Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars’ side away at Walsall on Saturday despite a late scare at the Banks’s Stadium.

The last Play-Off place in League Two is currently held by Bolton Wanderers, who have played two more games (31) than Bradford (29), and are only four points clear of the West Yorkshire outfit.

In their last 13 fixtures, City have managed an outstanding nine wins, three draws, and just a single loss. The dynamic duo of Trueman and Sellars at the helm is remarkable, especially considering the pair are just 29 and 34 years old respectively.

Trueman was content with his side’s “ugly” win, as he told the club post game.

“It was a difficult game, but we showed we can win ugly. We have won matches where we have dominated possession, but we did not do that here. We want to dominate possession and play through the thirds, but sometimes you need to adapt. This game was a perfect example of how we can do that. I thought we took our chances really well.”

It took the Bantams four league games to get their first win at the start of the campaign, which sounds ridiculous whenever you look at their recent run of form.

Midfield maestro Levi Sutton opened the scoring just before the break, rifling a shot off the crossbar and in from outside the area – the former Scunthorpe man’s second goal of the season.

His redemption has been something that Bradford fans have been keen to pick up on, turning his season around for the better after being red carded in a 1-0 loss away to Barrow.

The redemption of Levi Sutton.

Following the Barrow (A) game which LS was sent off, he's come back with a real hunger and desire to help the team and he's been an under valued member of the squad the last 3 months.

Hope it continues! #bcafc

— HelsinkiBantams (@BantamsHelsinki) February 27, 2021

The visitors then doubled their lead with 25 minutes to go, when former Walsall striker Andy Cook beat the offside trap and took his time with some beautiful close control on the chest before volleying home from short-range.

If League Two was decided based on the last 15 games played – City would be three points clear at the top with Morecambe just behind – on an almighty 30 points, highlighting their superb improvement in recent months.

The question is, however, will this run of excellence continue? The Football League is one of the most unpredictable in the world, and results can be altered with the flick of a switch – as we saw with the appointment of Trueman and Sellars in December.

Whether this squad has the quality and cutting edge to reach the Play-Offs and potentially even fight for promotion is something that only time will tell, as we venture further into the season.

A glimmer of hope that Bantams fans are holding on to is the season of 2011/12, where Bradford sat ten points off the Play-Offs with nine games to play – and were promoted via the Play-Off final that year. Fast forward to February 2020, and they are four points off the Play-Offs with 13 games to go.

An undoubtedly terrific result in Walsall for the 2013 League Cup Finalists, who face a tricky run coming up including fellow high-flyers Bolton Wanderers and Play-Off contenders Newport County.