ANTON Rodgers’ sublime first-half free-kick was enough for Swindon Town to claim a hard-fought win at home to high-flying Bradford City this afternoon.

Rodgers curled a stunning 30-yard strike past Bantams keeper Colin Doyle into the top corner of the net just before the 20-minute mark at the County Ground to cap an encouraging Town performance.

The hosts had to show stubborn resistance in the face of late pressure from the Bantams but held on for a victory that sees them put more distance between themselves and the League One relegation zone as they now have a four-point cushion ahead of the bottom four.

Town had their first sight of goal after just three minutes when Darnell Furlong forced a corner off James Meredith. The right-back was also the man to meet John Goddard’s swinging delivery but glanced his header across goal and wide when left unmarked.

The home defence was exposed soon afterwards as Mark Marshall darted up the left and pulled the ball back to Marc McNulty in space in the box but the Bantams striker blazed wide a chance which he should have scored.

Swindon were soon back on the front foot and Goddard latched onto Nathan Delfouneso's flick-on and saw a shot go behind for a corner, with Michael Doughty blazing well over the top after the resulting set-piece.

Doyle then made the first in a series of good stops as he scrambled behind a Delfouneso drive from the left, with the Bantams stopper then clawing away Lloyd Jones’ header on the line as he rose to meet Goddard’s ensuing corner.

Town got the lead they deserved just before the 20-minute mark with a stunning free-kick from Rodgers from 30 yards. Jonathan Obika has halted in his tracks by Nathaniel Knight-Percival after intercepting a loose Stephen Darby pass and Rodgers stepped up and curled a brilliant effort past Doyle and into the top corner.

Doyle kept the score at 1-0 midway through the half as he tipped away a low drive from Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill after the full-back collected a fine Delfouneso pass when charging up the left.

There were a few warning signs for Town at the back as the half wore to a close, though, with Marshall drilling wide from a tight angle on the right.

Knight-Percival then carved open the home defence and pulled the ball back to James Hanson, who blasted over from 12 yards, before the Bantams striker lashed a snap-shot straight at keeper Lawrence Vigouroux in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Bradford were first to threaten after the restart as full-back Meredith cut the ball back from the left to Josh Cullen in the box but his effort was straight at Vigouroux.

Town thought they had doubled their lead on the hour when Obika collected Goddard's incisive through ball to round Doyle and score but he was denied by an offside flag.

An excellent Swindon attack shortly afterwards ended with Furlong whipping in a cross from the right but Delfouneso was unable to get a clean contact at the back post and the ball drifted wide for a goal kick.

The home side continued to have the clearer chances and Doughty fed Obika on the edge of his box and he was able to turn Romain Vincelot but Doyle got down well to smother his low effort.

Bradford were inches away from snatching an equaliser with eight minutes to play when substitute Filipe Morais whipped in a teasing ball from the right and Hanson climbed highest to meet it but saw a looping header glance the outside of the post.

Obika had the chance to put the game to bed with two minutes to go after substitute Luke Norris saw a shot blocked in the box and although the ball broke nicely for the Town striker, he blazed over from six yards.

The Bantams flooded forward in the closing stages, lumping balls into the box in an effort to find an equaliser, with Hanson squeezing the ball wide at the back post.

Swindon were forced to survive six minutes of additional time at the end of the game and Bradford even sent keeper Doyle forward for a series of late set-pieces but the hosts clung on for their victory.

SWINDON TOWN: Vigouroux; Furlong, Branco, Jones, Ormonde-Ottewill (Smith 50); Rodgers, Doughty; Delfouneso (Norris 72), Goddard, Brophy (Iandolo 46); Obika (capt). Subs not used: Henry, Evans, Murray, Young.

BRADFORD CITY: Doyle; Darby (Hiwula-Mayifuila 83), Vincelot (capt), Knight-Percival, Meredith; Marshall (Morais 71), Dieng, Cullen, Law; Hanson, McNulty (Vuckic 66). Subs not used: Sattelmaier, McArdle, Devine, Kilgallon.

Referee: Graham Horwood

Attendance: 6,344