*Merson proves crucial*

Paul Merson’s second-half introduction as a substitute breathed life into a sterile Villa performance and paved the way for Dion Dublin to score his fifth goal of the season and earn his team maximum points.

The rejuvenated former England player helped Villa step up their attacking momentum before Dublin struck in the 70th minute. A cross from another substitute, Darius Vassell, reached Lee Hendrie, whose strike was superbly parried by keeper Gary Walsh but only as far as Dublin, who converted into the open goal from close range.

Bradford’s assimilation into Premiership life has been a slow and painful one but, in the defensive part of the game at least, the first half demonstrated that they are beginning to cope with some aspects of the top flight.

Villa, below-par and poor in their passing, hardly presented them with a Herculean test but Bradford showed more organisation and a better grasp of the duties required of them than had been evident on previous outings.

The one quality certainly not lacking in Paul Jewell’s team is its determination and spirit. Of City’s five points this season, two have come with last-minute home goals against Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham earning draws, and their one victory came with a last-minute goal at Middlesbrough.

Stuart McCall, the veteran Scottish midfielder, exemplifies that spirit and his over-enthusiasm earned him an early booking for a foul on the tricky Hendrie. A foul on the same player in the 21st minute, sprinkled with a liberal dose of dissent, could have brought McCall a red card.

But another statistic - three goals in six games before yesterday - underlines the telling weakness of the Bradford line-up.

Ugo Ehiogu came closest to really testing Finnish keeper Peter Enckelman, making his full league debut in place of injured David James, with a defensive header from Andy Myers’ cross which flashed across the face of goal. That aside, Villa enjoyed the glut of possession without the quality to make it count for much. The fact that it took until the 34th minute for a moribund first half to produce a corner told its own story.

The quality of football scarcely improved after the break as the respective managers altered their personnel in an attempt to breath life into the alleged contest.

Bruno Rodriguez, a striker signed on loan from Paris SG for the remainder of the season, was brought on for the visitors as a half-time replacement for the ineffective Lee Mills while, nine minutes later, Merson substituted Villa midfielder Alan Thompson.

It was Merson who at last began to assert some influence, making himself available with some intelligent running and movement, two basic facets of the game curiously beyond many others on the field.

He nearly scored on the hour after Watson’s shot was blocked, and the ball broke kindly to Merson, whose first-time drive from 12 yards was superbly parried by Gary Walsh.