Mark Hughes praised his side's second-half showing at The Suit Direct Stadium, as City recorded a 3-1 victory at Hartlepool United.
A brace from Andy Cook after the break secured all three points for Hughes' men, who impressed in their first away victory of the campaign.
The City boss credited the home side's reaction, but believes the Bantams’ physicality and quality made the game “comfortable” for the visitors.
He said: “I thought we were excellent. We got our noses in front, although we did not lead for long enough.
“We talked about getting an early goal and controlling the lead so we can still work on that.
“We were excellent in the second half, though. We had the understanding of what was required, stood up to the physicality and played good football in strong areas.
“The introduction of Kian had an almost instant impact, and that is exactly what we wanted. That is what you want from your subs, and it allowed us to take full control of the game and be comfortable.
“Away from home, you can get guilty of playing like the home team. That is okay, as it shows you can dominate. On occasions, you have to give them what you have got.
“We did that in the second half, kept up the sustained pressure and saw out the game fairly comfortably.”
Andy Cook’s brace in the second-half combined with the bright play from second-half changes Kian Harratt and Jake Young kept the Bantams fresh up top, and Hughes felt the depth in the attack made City unplayable.
He added: “We are always going to have that threat. When we can mix things up, if play is not going our way, we can change.
“It has not been a great week for us, in terms of all the travelling we have done, so to have those options to come on and supply that freshness, is great for us.
“They do not lack ability, either. The standards do not drop when I make the substitutions. It is really a positive move, whenever I bring anybody on.
“Whenever we show positive play, the fans are right behind us. That is what we want and need. We have to give them something to cheer, and we did that today, so we are all happy.”
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