Bradford's hopes of Premiership survival will rest on their final game of the season after a potentially fatal blow with a damaging defeat at Leicester.

Three goals in eight second half minutes killed off the Bantams at Filbert Street and means next Sunday's home tie against Liverpool will now decide their fate.

Scotland international Matt Elliott opened the scoring with a trademark backpost header just before the hour and four minutes later repeated the trick with his 11th of the season.

Tony Cottee added a third on 67 minutes to put the result beyond doubt and leave the 2,000 faithful Bradford fans anxiously awaiting the result from Selhurst Park.

Even that, when it came, was mixed news, Wimbledon failing to beat Aston Villa but snatching a late equaliser to join Bradford on 33 points and set up a thrilling last-day decider - the Dons away to Southampton on the last day.

Paul Jewell, a former Liverpool player, had named an unchanged side for his team's crucial relegation battle at a sun-drenched Filbert Street.

Jewell unsurprisingly kept faith with the side that defeated nearest rivals Wimbledon last week to put their Premiership fate in their own hands.

Leicester boss Martin O'Neill also named the same side that defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield in midweek with goalkeeper Tim Flowers continuing to rest his troublesome back.

Bradford's hopes were dealt an early blow when Wayne Jacobs was forced off with an injury just 10 minutes into the game to be replaced by Lee Sharpe.

Sharpe's first duty was to turn the ball behind for a Leicester corner at the far post from Steve Guppy's dangerous cross as City pressed for an early goal.

The visitors were struggling to get out of their own half at times and with Dean Saunders employed as a lone striker O'Neill was quick to change his formation.

Matt Elliott was released from defensive duties to join Cottee and Eadie up front with Savage pulled back to the right hand side of a three-man back line.

Elliott almost had an immediate impact in his not-unfamiliar forward role, helping on Guppy's cross into the path of Izzet in the area.

With the ball seemingly beyond him, Izzet swivelled to try to reach it and, with his back now to goal, managed a deft back heel that Matt Clarke did well to save as he sprinted from his line.

Gilchrist then flashed a header over the bar from Izzet's corner before Peter Beagrie became the first player booked on 26 minutes for an elbow on Savage as the two jumped for a header right in front of referee Steve Dunn.

It took a blunder from the home side to give Bradford their first sight of goal, Savage failing to control Beagrie's attempted through ball to allow Blake to surge into the area.

But the Bradford forward slipped as he tried to turn Frank Sinclair in the area and the chance was gone.

As if stung into action, Leicester immediately threatened at the other end, a surging run by Eadie forcing a corner from which Elliott turned superbly and shot just wide and Guppy cutting in from the left flank to shoot wide of Clarke's far post.

The home side should then have taken the lead on 41 minutes as the Bradford defence stopped dead appealing for an offside against Cottee as he received the ball in the area from Guppy.

But no flag came from the linesman and Cottee's cross reached Elliott just five yards out but Wetherall managed a vital block on the line.

Sharpe, sporting a similar haircut to that of former Manchester United team-mate David Beckham, then offered Arphexad a belated chance to get his gloves dirty with a tame volley the keeper easily held.

No doubt spurred by the half-time scoreline at Selhurst Park, Bradford made a much more positive start to the second half, Savage turning away Blake's dangerous cross as Saunders lurked and Sinclair's back header to his goalkeeper almost letting in Saunders.

News of Aston Villa's equaliser against Wimbledon then filtered through to the Bradford faithful and possibly the players as well, Wetherall glancing Beagrie's corner wide.

But those songs stuck in the throats of the visiting fans just minutes later when Leicester took the lead on 59 minutes.

Guppy's corner found Elliott at the far post and the Scotland international rose above Wetherall to power home past Clarke.

And just four minutes later Elliott doubled the home side's advantage with his 11th goal of the season, stooping to head home Lennon's right-wing cross.

Bradford now had the look of a beaten side and Leicester put the result beyond doubt on 67 minutes with the third goal in just eight minutes.

Guppy's ball found Cottee 40 yards out and he turned O'Brien with embarrassing ease before sprinting into the box and beating Clarke with a low shot into the far corner.

To their credit Bradford kept battling till the end, Sharpe's low free-kick bringing a fine save from Arphexad at full stretch.

But it was all too little too late and Bradford's fate now comes down to 90 minutes next Sunday at Valley Parade.

Teams:

Leicester: Arphexad, Sinclair (Oakes 80), Guppy, Gilchrist (Walsh 71), Elliott, Impey (Zagorakis 71), Izzet, Lennon, Savage, Eadie, Cottee.

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Price.

Booked: Sinclair.

Goals: Elliott 59, 63, Cottee 68.

Bradford: Clarke, Wetherall, Halle, Dreyer (Lawrence 60), Jacobs (Sharpe 10), McCall, Beagrie (Rankin 71), O'Brien, Windass, Blake, Saunders.

Subs Not Used: Westwood, Davison.

Booked: Beagrie, McCall.

Att: 21,103

Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).