MK Dons maintained their two-point lead at the top of League Two after notching up a club record-equalling sixth consecutive win.
Keith Andrews' seventh goal of the season with 18 minutes to go - a fine strike after Aaron Wilbraham's expert lay-off - provided the breakthrough against a determined Bradford outfit.
And man of the match Danny Swailes lashed home the second eight minutes later to seal yet another win for Paul Ince's rampaging side.
Substitute Barry Conlon left the only blot on the Dons copybook when he converted a 90th-minute penalty after being fouled by fellow replacement Drewe Broughton but it proved nothing more than a consolation for Stuart McCall's men.
But on a day where Ince's men might have had the game won before they did, they forced another three points through sheer will to win to leave the rest of League Two looking up at them.
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Leon Knight holds off David Wetherall. |
Sides are starting to make life difficult for them, raising their game as one would expect to play the league-leaders.
But be it a moment of inspiration, a sustained period of pressure or even a piece of good luck, the irresistible Dons just keep on winning.
With Alan Navarro returning to the starting line-up after a knee injury and Colin Cameron's inclusion on the bench, there was no place in the 16 for Luke Howell after an encouraging performance at Mansfield.
As you would expect from the league-leaders in their own back yard, the Dons were straight on the attack forcing a succession of corners before Andrews' hooked a shot just wide from Drissa Diallo's right-wing cross.
Bradford were desperate to weather the storm but he Dons were pouring forward in waves and when Swailes rose to meet Dean Lewington's angled free-kick from the left on five minutes, the centre-half was only inches from scoring as his header smacked the foot of the post.
Diallo sent a free header over the bar and Lloyd Dyer pulled a cross just behind Leon Knight as the home side threatened to run riot but once the Bantams started to keep some possession they started to get some joy.
Omar Daley was their main outlet down the left, forcing Diallo back towards his own penalty area and testing Swailes and Sean O'Hanlon with a number of crosses from that flank.
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Lloyd Dyer looks for a way round Darren Williams. |
The Bantams grew in confidence and thought they were in front on 25 minutes when David Wetherall got on the end of a Paul Evans free-kick, forcing a great save from Willy Gueret, and scrambled in the rebound.
But the whistle had already gone for a foul on Swailes to leave the visitors frustrated.
It sparked the Dons back into life and they produced the half's best piece of football 10 minutes before the break - Navarro's in-swinging ball from the right dummied gorgeously by Knight and Wilbraham just failing to stretch far enough at the far post.
Having given almost as good as they got in the first half, Bradford failed to ever really get a foothold in the second period as the Dons probed for an opening.
The passing was patient and well-executed but the avenue through McCall's defence was non-existent as Wetherall and Mark Bower between them shut the door when the Dons got too close.
Whether his players saw him meandering down to the bench from his seat in the stands is doubtful, but Ince's appearance on the bench was followed by the breakthrough within two minutes.
Lewington dispossessed substitute Joe Colbeck half way inside the Bradford half and looked up to clip a brilliant cross-field ball to Wilbraham on the corner of the penalty area.
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Keith Andrews is held aloft by Aaron Wilbraham after opening the scoring. |
The shot looked on but it would have taken something special to score from their, so Wilbraham intelligently cushioned the ball into the path of the arriving Andrews, who wrapped a controlled half-volley inside the near post.
It brought widespread relief around stadiummk as Andrews again showed that uncanny ability to arrive at the right time around the box and within nine minutes, the game was over.
Lewington was again the provider as he whipped in a deep free-kick from the left and when Wilbraham headed it back across goal, first Swailes and then Diallo fought to keep it alive.
It popped back into Swailes' path who rattled home the loose ball from eight yards out.
"We are top of the league" came the cry from the Cowshed after Swailes had sealed the points, Conlon's spot-kick after Broughton had climbed all over him deep into stoppage time the only disappointment as the Dons go marching on.
MK Dons (4-4-2): Gueret, Diallo, O'Hanlon, Swailes, Lewington, Stirling (Smart 87), Navarro, Andrews, Dyer (Broughton 86), Wilbraham, Knight (Johnson 76).
Subs not used: Cameron, Abbey
Goals: Andrews 72, Swailes 81
Booked: O'Hanlon, Navarro.
Bradford (4-5-1): R. Evans, Williams, Wetherall, Bower, Heckinbottom, Daley, Johnson, P. Evans (Clarke 78), Law, Rhodes (Colbeck 69), Ndumbu-Nsungu (Conlon 67).
Subs not used: Ricketts, Harban.
Goals: Conlon (pen) 90
Booked: Daley, Heckinbottom.
Attendance 7,903
