Bradford City chief confident Bantams will bounce back

DISAPPOINTED Bradford manager Gary Bowyer was sad to see his team’s impressive eight-game unbeaten run ended by Crawley.
Gary Bowyer: Disappointed.Gary Bowyer: Disappointed.
Gary Bowyer: Disappointed.

Forward Ollie Palmer bagged a brilliant brace to frustrate the Bantams at the People’s Pension Stadium.

Queen’s Park Rangers loanee Aramide Oteh pulled a goal back with six minutes remaining but Bowyer said: “We were desperate to keep our unbeaten run going, so the main feeling after the match is one of disappointment.

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“The two goals we gave away were poor from a defensive point of view and it is now about how we respond to this and go again.

“It is very disappointing, but this team has shown its ability to bounce back magnificently so far this season. It is up to us now to get back out there and do that again.”

Palmer fired the home side into a 21st-minute lead with a smart finish for his sixth league goal of the season.

Five minutes before half-time, the 27-year-old netted his seventh, latching onto a pass from Ashley Nadesan to double the lead.

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Palmer could have had a hat-trick but for a smart save from Richard O’Donnell.

Oteh bundled home from close-range but Crawley held their nerve to clinch just their second win their last 14 league outings.

“This team has the spirit and character to keep going,” stressed Bowyer. “You saw that again – at the death – so it was just a shame we were unable to make it count.”

Crawley Town: Morris, Dacres-Cogley, Sendles-White, Tunnicliffe, Doherty, Camara, Bulman, Ferguson, Lubala, Palmer (German 84), Nadesan (Sesay 89). Unused substitutes: Francomb, Nathaniel-George, Allarakhia, Luyambula.

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Bradford City: O’Donnell, Henley, O’Connor, Richards-Everton, Wood, Connolly (McCartan 69), Reeves (Akpan 57), Palmer, Taylor (Oteh 57), Doyle, Vaughan. Unused substitutes: O’Connor, Gibson, Anderson, Sykes-Kenworthy.

Referee: N Hair (Peterborough).

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