Shaun Goater salvaged a point for relegation-haunted Manchester City as rock-bottom Bradford were denied their first victory since New Year's Day.

But for boss Joe Royle's side it is now just one win in their last 13 matches and on current form they look set to join Bradford in the First Division next season.

At least the Bantams were able to stop the rot, with the draw ending a run of five successive defeats, but they are now 15 points adrift of safety and the drop beckons.

And, given the first-half performance, Division One is where both sides deserve to be next season, even if the second half did possess all the hallmarks of a frantic bottom-of-the-table dogfight.

There was the suggestion this was supposed to be a football match, but after what the 19,117 crowd witnessed during the opening 45 minutes on a bitterly cold day at Valley Parade, the Trading Standards Office could have been called in.

The fans sat and watched a turgid affair, one which was arguably among the worst of this term, and almost certainly a dress rehearsal for the Nationwide League next season.

City supremo Geoffrey Richmond was promoting season tickets in his programme notes, but the football on show was the sort of nondescript nonsense to send supporters rushing to the exits, rather than reaching for their cheque books.

Bradford are all but down and unless Royle can perform the kind of managerial heroics he has achieved in each of the last two seasons, then City will be joining them.

Creativity had seemingly become an alien concept to these two teams as hopeful passes turned into rugby-style up-and-unders, through balls were aimed at no one in particular and attempted shots on goal were ballooned into the stands.

It was laughable stuff, and way below the standard now expected at Premier League level, but of course this is a serious business at the end of the day given the millions of pounds at stake for survival.

Bradford, of course, have been downsizing for the last few weeks having apparently accepted the fate which would appear to await them, one which could yet be confirmed by Easter.

Boss Jim Jefferies has been cutting a swathe through his squad, taking the tally to seven this week with the £1.5million departure of David Hopkin to former club Crystal Palace.

Jefferies readily admits he is taking such drastic action to increase the size of the transfer kitty he is to be handed by Richmond in the summer to rebuild the side.

In many respects, given just how far Bradford are adrift at the foot, that is a luxury not open to Royle as he has to play with the cards he has been dealt with - and hope lady luck then plays her part.

At least Royle's side conjured up the only bright spot of the first half in the 23rd minute, with Andrei Kanchelskis floating a free-kick to the far post where Steve Howey outjumped a static defence.

The ball fell kindly for the awaiting Gerard Wiekens, the Dutchman driving home his second goal of the season as his close-range shot smashed into the ground and beyond a leaden-footed Gary Walsh.

Bradford had the chance to equalise moments later with their only testing moment of the half, but after being sent clear, Ashley Ward could only drive a left-foot shot at grateful goalkeeper Nicky Weaver.

Both dressing rooms must have been lively places during the half-time interval as what followed during the second period, in particular from Bradford, made a mockery of what had preceded it during the first.

Two goals in five minutes suddenly propelled Bradford into the lead, although both will have left Royle fuming as the defending was non-existent.

Howey let Robbie Blake run at him in the 52nd minute and as the City skipper backed off, that was all the invitation needed for the Bradford striker to crack home a low drive from 18 yards.

The Bradford supporters then erupted with delight minutes later as they watched their side take the lead in a game for the first time since January 1 when Bradford beat Leicester 2-1 at Filbert Street.

Robert Molenaar, Gareth Whalley and Ward all initially combined in and around the City area, before the latter eventually teed up the awaiting Whalley.

Weaver could only push the low drive away into a crowded goalmouth, ensuring a mad scramble ensued, and there was Ward to ram home his third goal of the season - but more remarkably his first in the Premiership since his summer move from Blackburn.

The joy was shortlived, however, as City were level 13 minutes later with Goater sliding home his eighth goal this term after being put through by Jeff Whitley, an early second-half substitute for Darren Huckerby.

Goater did miss an easier chance to steal the win, but then referee Steve Dunn also denied Bradford what appeared to be a clear case for a penalty in injury-time when Howey seemed to handball a Wayne Jacobs' shot.

In the end, a draw was not good enough for either, especially City who remain in the bottom three and are now four points behind Middlesbrough following their shock win at Newcastle.

Teams

Bradford: Walsh, McCall, Wetherall, Molenaar, Blake, Locke, Carbone, Whalley, Ward, Jacobs, Jess.

Subs Not Used: Davison, Nolan, Halle, Kerr, Jones.

Booked: Molenaar, Ward.

Goals: Blake 52, Ward 57.

Man City: Weaver, Wiekens, Tiatto, Granville (Kennedy 72), Grant (Ostenstad 58), Kanchelskis, Dunne, Howey, Goater, Charvet, Huckerby (Whitley 51).

Subs Not Used: Prior, Nash.

Booked: Dunne.

Goals: Wiekens 22, Goater 70.

Att: 19,117

Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).