Mark Hughes delighted as Andy Cook ‘comes good’ late on for Bradford

Bradford manager Mark Hughes hailed Andy Cook after League Two’s top scorer “came good” late on to sink Colchester.

Bradford scored twice in time added on to make it three consecutive wins in their promotion push. Cook broke the deadlock with a header from Harry Chapman’s cross – his 22nd goal in all competitions – and then provided the pass for substitute Scott Banks to fire a second.

Hughes said: “He’s working really hard at the moment. He didn’t have a lot of leeway from the three centre-halves and it was difficult for him to get into the game.

“But he’s finished with arguably the winning goal and then he’s produced an assist for the second.

“He’s had to wait like we all had to, but he’s come good.

“We’ve had a few disappointments late in games and those are hard to take. But it’s really sweet when that happens in the reverse direction and I felt we deserved it.

“It was always going to be difficult. People might have underestimated the challenge.

“We knew that Colchester recruited well in January and are a decent team in a false position.

“It was a really important result for us. We stuck at it, the crowd were great and got us over the line when we were pushing and needed that extra help.”

It was a tough ending for new Colchester boss Ben Garner, who was watching his first game from the stand.

The 20,383 attendance was a record for a fourth-tier game at Valley Parade – but it was the visitors who carried the threat in the first half.

Bradford were grateful to two good saves from keeper Harry Lewis, from former Bradford defender Connor Wood and then Tom Hopper.

Bradford stepped it up after the break and Matty Platt headed against the post before they struck twice in stoppage time.

Colchester head of recruitment Ross Embleton said: “That’s a tough one to take.

“I’ve asked the players to show some big whatsits and back themselves to go out in a big arena like today and be positive.

“I’m extremely proud of them to have gone and done that in the manner they did in front of a crowd like this.

“We set out with a game plan in the early stages to close the place down a little bit and I felt we did that.

“We certainly deserved a point when you look at the stats. We created the better open chances in the game.

“I’m extremely disappointed we haven’t converted the chances. We got into some glaring positions in front of goal and should have done better. We should have at least got two goals today.”