Bradford City boss Graham Alexander on Richie Smallwood's red card at Swindon plus fitness revelation following League Two clash

At a venue where City had won just once in nine visits since 2005, City were looking well placed to end that sequence thanks to a Calum Kavanagh brace inside the first 10 minutes, only for the sending off of Smallwood for a heavy challenge on Paul Glatzel to change the complexion of the afternoon.

City managed to score two further goals with Kavanagh recording a hat-trick and taking his season’s tally to 13, but couldn’t keep out a Swindon side who found gaps galore and scored two goals at the death to triumph, despite only leading for five minutes during the entire game.

On the red for Smallwood, who will miss the games against Notts County, Chesterfield and Doncaster Rovers, Alexander said: "I think it’s a challenge you see in the middle of the park, week in and week out. I see bookings for certain things, but not even free-kicks for others.

"That's enough said on that side of the game and I am not going down that ‘rabbit hole’. It’s difficult to be honest and if I can’t be honest, I’d rather not talk.

"I am really gutted for the players, team and supporters that we didn’t win that game when we should have. At 2-0, we know what we’re like in that position – our record is phenomenal really.

"But it’s gone against us. The endeavour and team ethic of these players is frightening. The timings of the goals in both halves were daggers really.”

Alexander confirmed that Aden Baldwin and George Lapslie missed the game through illness. He added: “There is a bit of illness going through the squad at the minute. Patto (Alex Pattison) complained about it at half-time.

"It's been going through the squad and five or six have been affected by it. "