Phil Parkinson said: “I’ve watched Charlie a few times for Leeds reserves and he’s a good addition. With Reidy (Kyel Reid) being out, it gives us some fresh legs.”

Hi all, Just to let you know I’m having a break from the website until I’ve finished my exams….back soon!

Nialle Rodney (26/12) @niallerodney43 “Back at Bradford now! Wish mansfield all the best for the rest of the season.”
Jamie Devitt (27/12) @jamiedevitt20 “Not aloud play till jan bud cause i cut my loan short wasnt going good so jus working hard at hull and hopefully gt a chance soon.”
Dominic Rowe (28/12) @dominicrowe93 “My loan is now finished and I’m back at Bradford. All the best to barrow for the rest of the season.”
Guy Branston (29/12) @Brano1979 “Cheers pal .Back a Bradford to get fit and in the team.”
Liam Moore (31/12) @liammoore93 “Great result for #bcafc again! Officially end of my loan today, thanks for all the fans and lads there made me feel welcome and thanks to The club for giving me my first experience in pro football. Wish you all the luck for rest of season, #bcafc x”
Jack Compton (1/1) @ComptonJ11 “Really Gunna miss @ #BCAFC great club and fans! All the best to the boys. Great lads and they are defiantly going up the league.”
Patrick Lacey (1/1) @PatrickLacey93 “Ankle just went blocking a shot. Talk about luck I have non what so ever. Feel like retiring.”
Michael Bryan – He is set to return to Watford following the expiry of his loan deal.

Hanson handed the Bantams the lead after 24 minutes. The striker rose highest to nod Andrew Davies` cross beyond Chris Neal in the Shrews` goal to register his ninth goal of the campaign. And the home side doubled their lead five minutes later when Bermudan international Wells buried the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net with a left-footed shot from the edge of the area. Fagan`s 12-yard volley effectively killed the game off four minutes after half-time and, although Syers received his marching orders with 20 minutes remaining following a foul on Nicky Wroe, all Shrewsbury could muster with the man advantage was Morgan`s volleyed effort after 78 minutes.

CITY: McLaughlin, Ramsden, Oliver, Jones, Hanson, Compton (Bullock 73), Wells (Hannah 68)(Threlfall 90), Syers, Seip, Davies, Fagan. Subs not used: Bryan, Duke

The former Middlesbrough and Southampton central defender had a dreadful start to his City career by being harshly sent off in consecutive games. But he has gone on to play a key role in the Bantams revival in recent weeks and has featured in the side that has recorded three clean sheets in our last four league games.

Phil Parkinson told the club website: “We have a deal in place with Stoke for Andrew to stay until the end of the season, so we are really pleased with that. Andrew has been a key player for us and a key character in the dressing room as well. He was on the wrong end of a couple of harsh red cards at the start of his time here but he didn’t go back to Stoke during his suspensions, he stuck around with the lads and played his part on the training ground and in the dressing room. Since he’s been back in the team, he’s been very, very good.”

Compton’s deal is due to expire after the New Year’s Eve game at home to Shrewsbury Town and Parkinson is optimistic an extension can be agreed. The City boss is quoted as saying: “We’re speaking to Falkirk already regarding Jack and we’ll have to have more conversations with him. Obviously he’s available for Saturday anyway and hopefully we’ll get something sorted. I’m really disappointed for Reidy (Kyel Reid)but sometimes you get those injuries on the heavy grounds, especially with the explosive type of player that he is.”

The club is also said to be keen to extend the loan periods of Stoke City’s Andrew Davies and Notts County midfielder Ricky Ravenhill, as both are due to return to their parent clubs in the New year. Parkinson is also likely to extend the contract of Marcel Seip, the Dutch defenders 3-month deal expires after Saturdays game.

“I told the players that when you work as hard as that it is amazing – you get a bit of luck. We thought the player dived for the penalty. It was a big moment in the game. It could have been a different afternoon if that had gone in, but the miss lifted everything again.”

City went ahead after two minutes in fortunate circumstances. Jon McLaughlin’s long clearance was headed goalwards by Hanson and skipper David Artell’s headed clearance rebounded off the head of Nahki Wells, the ball looping over the head of Alex stopper Steve Phillips and into the net.

Both sides hit the post in an eventful first half, Carl Martin from a free-kick for Crewe and Hanson with deflected shot for City, but the visitors ought to have equalised after 56 minutes when they were awarded a penalty. Ricky Ravenhill brought down Nick Powell in the box, but Lee Bell’s spot-kick rebounded off the underside of the bar.

The Bantams made Crewe pay for this miss after 65 minutes when leading scorer Hanson put them 2-0 in front, hammering a low, right-footed shot into the net after seizing on a partial clearance. And the hitman put the result beyond doubt with City’s third goal six minutes from the end. Luke Oliver headed substitute Jack Compton’s free-kick into path of Hanson, who scored with a right-footed shot from 10 yards.

CITY: McLaughlin; Ramsden, Oliver, Seip, Davies; Jones (Syers, 90 mins), Ravenhill, Reid (Compton, 51 mins), Fagan; Hanson, Wells (Stewart, 75 mins). Subs not used: Duke, Threlfall.

“Me and Steve (Parkin) saw Southend play on Tuesday, they are a good side, but I said to the lads before the game tonight that we would win if they did their jobs. We listed the key areas of the game – the key points of our performance that we needed to get right – and we said to the players that if we do well in these key areas, we’ll win the game. I was confident of that. I was confident that we had the ability to beat this team. I said to the lads after the game that I had really meant that. I didn’t say that to build them up and then secretly feel not so sure inside, I genuinely felt we could beat Southend tonight if we did our jobs for the whole match, and we did. If they had won tonight, they’d have gone back top, so that shows how good a result this is for our lads. We’ve come here on a Friday night, with people up and down the country looking to see how Bradford would cope tonight, but we have coped with it very well. We were a strong and disciplined side tonight with quality going forward at times.”

City went closest early on with a Michael Flynn free-kick which was saved by Luke Daniels, while Southend did not test Jon McLaughlin in the first half. The hosts improved after the break and the introduction of Lee Sawyer and Anthony Grant resulted in the latter having their first shot on target, an effort easily held by McLaughlin.

Liam Dickinson forced McLaughlin to parry his free-kick from the edge of the area – but Oliver then grabbed the winner and the Bantams held on for four minutes of stoppage time.

CITY: McLaughlin, Ramsden, Davies, Oliver, Seip, Fagan, Flynn, Ravenhill, Reid (O’Brien 85), Hanson, Wells (Stewart 83). Unused substitutes: Duke,Jones,Compton.