IT WAS not pretty, nor was it outstanding entertainment, but there was no doubting Bradford's efficiency yesterday. They had only two serious shots on goal and scored from each of them. Cup romance was not made of this.
Wycombe can reflect that those who decide these things were loath to smile on them, but wasn't it ever thus. Still, they have not managed to proceed beyond the third round and six attempts at breaking with tradition have not yielded so much as a single goal.
For tracts of the game they displayed the surer footing - except when it came to the matter of accepting their chances. That particular forte belonged exclusively to the Bradford defender John Dreyer who unleashed two eye catching strikes to establish the first division side in fourth round company.
Poor Wycombe. Three times they had come back at the previous stage against Barnet, once from a deficit as substantial as this, but as hard as they tried, a repeat performance eluded them.
Wycombe feared that when Bradford goalkeeper Schwarzer pulled off an inspired save from Forsyth's bullet header in the second minute he could remain unbeaten and so it proved.
While eminently playable, the Adams Park surface contained hazardous areas and Chris Waddle was not alone in struggling to keep his balance. This was less an occasion for ageless maestros such as him, more an invitation for the dogged qualities of those - like Dreyer.
The visitors had been back pedalling from the start, relieved to find Schwarzer also holding on to McGavin's deflected shot. When Brown sent his header over following Bell's fine run and cross, Bradford's spirits rose again.
In the 26th minute they were soaring higher still. Dreyer advanced to play a part in their first serious advance and how he made it count, driving the ball in with his left foot after a right wing cross. His second nine minutes later was a carbon copy.
This time Waddle provided, Hamilton made the challenge, back went Dreyer's favoured boot and the same corner of the net bulged to signal Wycombe's growing disappointment.
