Bradford extended their unbeaten run to four matches with a 2-0 home win against second bottom MK Dons - a result that pushes the Dons closer to League Two.
They are six points adrift safety with only two matches to play and a massively inferior goal difference to their rivals with this their fifth successive defeat.
The visitors, who often looked dangerous in attack without being able to add a finishing touch, were first to threaten. Chuks Aneke headed Callum Brittain's corner against the crossbar in the seventh minute, but it was Bradford, who took the lead in the 12th minute following their first meaningful attack.
Callum Guy's goalbound shot was deflected for a corner by Elliott Ward and when Tony McMahon swung the ball into the goalmouth Tim Dieng scored with a close range header.
Only a fine save from Wieger Sietsma prevented Kai Bruenker from increasing Bradford's lead in the 38th minute and Bruenker wasted a good chance in the 54th minute when he fired over from eight yards.
However, the Bantams scored their second goal in the 80th minute after the visitors' defence failed to deal with McMahon's free kick awarded when Marcus Tavernier was booked from bringing down Alex Gilliead.
Sietsma punched the ball off the head of Nat Knight-Percival and the Bradford defender retrieved the loose ball before hammering it high into the net and McMahon almost added a third when he fired against the crossbar in the 87th minute.
English League One Standings
POS | Team | GP | GD | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Plymouth Argyle | 38 | +26 | 80 |
2 | Sheffield Wednesday | 36 | +37 | 78 |
3 | Ipswich Town | 37 | +41 | 75 |
4 | Barnsley | 36 | +29 | 72 |
5 | Derby County | 37 | +22 | 64 |
6 | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | +21 | 64 |
7 | Peterborough United | 37 | +16 | 60 |
8 | Wycombe Wanderers | 37 | +15 | 60 |
9 | Portsmouth | 37 | +9 | 57 |
10 | Shrewsbury Town | 37 | +6 | 55 |
11 | Charlton Athletic | 37 | +3 | 48 |
12 | Fleetwood Town | 37 | +1 | 46 |
13 | Exeter City | 36 | 0 | 46 |
14 | Lincoln City | 36 | -5 | 45 |
15 | Bristol Rovers | 37 | -10 | 45 |
16 | Port Vale | 37 | -15 | 44 |
17 | Cheltenham Town | 37 | -15 | 43 |
18 | Burton Albion | 36 | -23 | 41 |
19 | Oxford United | 37 | -10 | 37 |
20 | Milton Keynes Dons | 37 | -21 | 36 |
21 | Accrington Stanley | 37 | -28 | 35 |
22 | Morecambe | 38 | -25 | 34 |
23 | Cambridge United | 37 | -31 | 30 |
24 | Forest Green Rovers | 37 | -43 | 23 |
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