THE last time Kenny Arthur visited Valley Parade it was a blur for the Reds stopper.

He broke his leg in the early stages of Stanley’s 3-0 win in October 2007 and admitted the whole ‘Bradford’ experience - where he was rushed to hospital and was given morphine for the pain - was extremely hazy.

But the 30-year-old’s trip on Saturday will be clearly remembered after he had the vision to pull off a world class save to keep out the promotion-chasing Bantams.

He instinctively denied Nicky Law with a superb stop and was credited with leaping to the top corner to keep out Omar Daley’s goalbound effort on the stroke of half-time - although he does admit that a header might have helped to send that one away from goal.

"I don’t mind being credited with it but it was a nick of someone’s head," said Arthur. "But the first one, you just hope you get something on it and that it doesn’t go in - fortunately it didn’t."

His show did lead to the talk around the press room at half-time of "how did he do that?" and legendary commentator John Gwynne, who must watch at least two matches a week, enthused that he would struggle to see a better save than the one to deny Law all season.

Praise indeed but manager John Coleman was refusing to pick out one individual as the Reds collected a rare draw.

And what made it all the more pleasing for the Stanley boss was that a makeshift team did it - and did it well.

Even most Stanley fans would have feared the worst with pacey winger Daley being up against relatively inexperienced teenager James Bell; regular defender Kieran Charnock suspended for the game against Bradford’s prolific strike force and the fact the Yorkshire side’s top scorer Peter Thorne was back from a shoulder injury and was ready to come off the bench and provide a boost if needed.

As Coleman himself said: "A lot of people up and down the country would have expected us to fail with the team we put out and would see it as a walkover.

"But to be fair to the lads, they stood up and were counted. Everyone was outstanding."

Valley Parade has been a happy hunting ground for the Reds and when Jimmy Ryan stood over the ball to take a fifth minute free kick after Paul McLaren tripped Chris Turner, there was a feeling it would go in.

The midfielder hit it perfectly, it whipped through the wall - with some talk of a deflection - but then bounced under keeper Rhys Evans body.

And another set-piece could have led to a second when John Miles played in a perfect ball which was centimetres out of reach for both Colin Murdock and Paul Mullin.

Phil Edwards did have a lucky escape with a handball appeal under pressure from Michael Boulding but then came two minutes of non-stop goalmouth action on the stroke of half-time.

Arthur superbly kept out a Law thunderbolt then Boulding’s follow up was blocked and Daly’s shot from the resulting corner was directed away from the top of the net.

It was hoped that was a turning point for the Reds as to concede at half-time could have been disastrous.

But, six minutes after the re-start, the goal did come when Law shrugged off the attentions of Edwards on the wing and raced into the area to set up Barry Conlon - who seems to enjoy goals against Stanley - for an easy tap-in.

When the Reds have conceded recently, they have folded and Bradford boss Stuart McCall - whose side came back from 2-0 down at the FES - said he expected the promotion chasers then to go on and win it.

But Stanley had other ideas with Ryan having another near effort while Mullin ran clean through but defender Matthew Clarke got back and tackled him, both ending up in a heap, with the referee bizarrely booking Mullin for diving.

"That’s a slight on Paul’s character," fumed Coleman.

Bradford, despite throwing on Chris O’Grady and top scorer Thorne, were struggling to get near Arthur’s goal but were urged on by the 12,000 fans.

However it was Reds winger Miles who could have won it in injury time but his curling shot was superbly pushed out by Evans.

"I am disappointed we didn’t win," added Coleman. "But you have got to be happy with the way the lads performed.

"Jimmy strikes a lovely ball and, although the goal we conceded was cheap, we had chances to win it."

While Coleman was relatively happy, McCall was not.

"That’s not good enough," he fumed.