Justin Richards' second half penalty earned Cheltenham Town a hard-fought point at a snowy Coral Windows Stadium this afternoon.

New boss Mark Yates was handed a tough task with his opening three games in charge, but the signs are very encouraging indeed after this latest performance against another of the division's heavyweights.

Bradford City had taken a first half lead, but Yates' men played with new-found confidence and belief to dig out a valuable point in front of a restless home crowd whose side, reduced to ten men after the break, have now failed to win in six attempts at home.

The Bantams opened up the previous decade with a match at this impressive arena against Gianluca Vialli's expensively assembled Chelsea side, drawing 1-1 on January 8, 2000 as a member of the Premier League.

It was Cheltenham Town this time around, perhaps underlining the extent of Bradford's problems in recent times, and Mark Yates' side more than matched their former top level hosts here to record the same result.

Indeed the only noise you could hear inside League Two's biggest stage at the final whistle was that of the 148 visiting supporters, who braved Arctic conditions to cheer on their side in West Yorkshire.

TEAM NEWS: Boss Yates was forced into two changes for his third game at the helm. Josh Low missed out after collecting his fifth booking of the season at Dagenham and Redbridge on Monday, while Lee Ridley picked up a calf injury in that 2-0 win and has been ruled out for up to three weeks. Therefore David Bird and Michael Pook returned to the starting line-up, with Bird at taking up right back duties with Pook on the left of a diamond midfield formation. Otherwise the side was the same as the one which recorded only their third away success five days ago, with Barry Hayles and Jack Durrant joining the substitutes.

17th minute: Cheltenham would have been satisfied with their start to the match, working hard to hustle Bradford into only one wild long range effort before fashioning a decent opening of their own, Julian Alsop glancing a Scott Brown clearance into the path of Richards although the striker was beaten to the ball by goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.

22: Michael Flynn and Chris Brandon called Brown into a pair of stops in quick succession, the second a notable diving save to the Cheltenham number one's left.

28: Gareth Evans provided the next opportunity, cutting inside from the left flank before releasing a low 20 yarder which Brown always had covered.

30: Flynn went close to claiming a screamer on the half hour, firing over the top left angle of Brown's goal from around 25 yards on the half volley.

35 GOAL: Bradford City 1-0 Cheltenham Town
The home side made the breakthrough ten minutes before the interval after Cheltenham had failed to deal with a free-kick 20 yards from goal, conceded by Joss Labadie for a foul on Chris Brandon. Luke O'Brien curled it into the defensive wall, but Simon Ramsden picked up play down the right and lifted a ball to the far post which Brown only half-cleared. It fell kindly to James O'Brien (no relation to Luke), who calmly slotted home through the crowd of players to hand his side the lead.

38 BOOKING: Bantams defender Steve Williams was the first player to go into the book for a challenge more akin to rugby on Justin Richards.

40: Flynn had a decent first half and drew another smart save from Brown with a shot on the turn five minutes from the interval to earn a corner. James O'Brien lifted it in, but Lee Bullock's looping header was held by Brown.

HALF TIME: 1-0

51: The snow began to fall as the second half got underway, and Cheltenham carved the first real opening, with Richards and Alsop combining to hand Hutton a great chance to level, but the diminutive striker couldn't reach the big man's centre so it was eventually cleared by Bradford.

53 SENDING OFF: Williams was brandished his second yellow of the match for pulling back Richards inside the box after Hutton had slipped a ball down the inside left channel for the striker to chase. The referee didn't immediately point to the spot as there was some debate around whether it was inside or outside the area but the official eventually decided an infringement had occurred in the box and sent the Bantams centre halve for his early bath. It was the second match in succession that Bradford had been reduced to ten men.

54 GOAL: Bradford City 1-1 Cheltenham Town
Top goalscorer Richards took responsibility for the penalty kick and squeezed it into the top right-hand corner despite McLaughlin guessing right and diving to his left to notch  his eighth of the season.

59 SUBSTITUTION: Louis Horne replaced James O'Brien five minutes after the equaliser, and took up the defensive role vacated by Williams.

60: James Hansen was gifted a great chance to put his side back in front when he raced onto Bullock's threaded ball on the hour, but the striker snatched at his shot from the edge of the box and dragged it wide of the right post.

71: BOOKING: Next Ramsden went into the referee's book for a nasty tackle on Labadie inside Bradford's half.

72: Alsop should have done better after stooping to meet Pook's ball from the left following a patient build-up by Cheltenham down the right. The striker's header was clean enough, but it missed the target by a couple of feet.

80 BOOKING: Labadie was cautioned for a poor tackle on Brandon.

80 SUBSTITUTION: Barry Hayles replaced Hutton with ten minutes to go.

82 SUBSTITUTION: Omar Daley was handed eight minutes to make an impact at the expense of Brandon.

84: Richards called McLaughlin into a low save from 20 yards.

89: Hayles teed one up 20 yards from goal in the penultimate minute of the match but the veteran striker lifted his shot over.

90: Flynn, Bradford's star performer on the right of midfield, pulled one across goal after breaking into the area down the channel on the stroke of time.

90+4: Hanson missed the chance to snatch his side the points with the last kick of the game, lifting a shot over both Brown and the crossbar.

FULL TIME: 1-1

BRADFORD CITY (4-4-2): McLaughlin; Ramsden, Williams, Rehman, L O'Brien; Flynn, Brandon (Daley 82), Bullock, J O'Brien (Horne 59); Evans, Hanson. Subs not used: M Boulding, R Boulding, Sharry (Gk), Horne, Neilson, Convey.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Pipe, Eastham, Townsend (c), Bird; Labadie, Gallinagh, Hutton (Hayles 80), Pook; Alsop, Richards. Subs not used: Diallo, Haynes, Durrant, Lewis, Lee, Richardson (Gk).

REFEREE: C Pawson

ATTENDANCE: 10,831 (148 from Cheltenham)

Murry Toms at the Coral Windows Stadium