Big match verdict: Stuart McCall not too dismayed as Bradford City are beaten despite '˜strong performance'

Defeat against one of their top six rivals effectively put paid to City’s hopes of breaking into the top two.

Manager Stuart McCall was in no doubt that the play-offs are his side’s most likely destination.

His side slipped down to fifth in the League One table, and are nine points adrift of second-placed Bolton Wanderers, managed by former City boss Phil Parkinson, with just six matches remaining.

“I never have looked at the top two,” claimed McCall.

“The play-offs have always been the aim for us.

“There’s a lot of work to still be done and there’s some good sides still trying to get in there.

“As disappointed as we are about the result, I can’t be about the performance.”

Scunthorpe entered this game on the back of a woeful run of form.

Manager Graham Alexander’s side had been top of the pile until the turn of the year, but had won just one of their last 11 league games.

But the Iron made a mockery of the formbook with just two minutes on the clock.

A corner caused plenty of confusion inside the City box and Ivan Toney was on hand at the back post to steer the ball past Colin Doyle.

On a tight pitch and with the home fans clearly up for the game, plenty of sides would have wilted. Not City.

They have a habit of coming from behind to rescue results and their response will have delighted McCall, as Kevin Toner quickly restored parity on 14 minutes.

The youngster, on loan from Aston Villa, has waited a long time to make his first appearance for City.

Coming into the side in the absence of Nathaniel Knight-Percival, who sustained a freak training ground injury earlier in the week, Toner marked a memorable debut when he planted a header beyond Scunthorpe goalkeeper Luke Daniels from Billy Clarke’s free-kick.

Two minutes later and City were in front.

Influential Alex Jones waltzed into the area and found the bottom-left corner to leave Daniels once again clutching at thin air.

It was a textbook comeback from McCall’s troops, but the remainder of the first half was full of hustle and bustle and short of any clear goalscoring chances.

As good as it was going for the visitors, in the second half City were again caught napping and it proved costly.

In a carbon copy of the first half, Scunthorpe scored within the first two minutes of play.

Again it was the lively Toney who found the net.

The former Barnsley striker latched onto a long ball inside the box and found the net with his back to goal, thanks to a neat, improvised finish to make it 2-2.

City responded with a header from Timothee Dieng and a rasping shot from Charlie Wyke, to both of which Daniels was equal.

But City’s profligacy was punished seven minutes from time when former Huddersfield Town man Matt Crooks powered home a header from a corner.

McCall said: “Once the ball came in for the winning goal, it’s all about the delivery.

“The ball was on the money.

“The boy Crooks is about 6ft 4ins so there’s always a chance it’s going to go in.”

City threw everything at the hosts in search of a late equaliser.

Scunthorpe, to their credit, dug in and hurled themselves in front of shots.

Even six minutes of stoppage-time was not enough for Bradford as they suffered only a second reverse in 11 games.

“We’re disappointed we’re not taking anything away from the game,” reflected McCall.

“But when we put a strong performance in like that, you only have to look at the support we got from the fans.

“They realise the players gave everything and sometimes you don’t get what you deserve in this game.

“It was just a few things that were just unfortunate when we look back on them.”

Scunthorpe United: Daniels, Clarke, Wallace, Goode (Mirfin 72), Adelakun (Wiseman 85), Townsend, Dawson, Crooks, Morris, Toney (Davies 88), Madden. Unused substitutes: Anyon, Bishop, Hopper, Ness

Bradford City: Doyle, Meredith, Toner, McArdle, Vincelot, McMahon, Dieng, Marshall, Jones (Hiwula 80), Clarke (Devine 79), Wyke. Unused substitutes: Sattelmaier, Darby, Penney, Pybus, Hanson

Referee: D Deadman (Cambridgeshire).