Bradford City boss Graham Alexander praises promoted Doncaster Rovers - but admits to feeling badly let down by Aden Baldwin following sending off

BRADFORD City chief Graham Alexander admitted to feeling badly ‘let down’ by senior defender Aden Baldwin after his needless dismissal in a 2-1 loss at Doncaster Rovers.

Seconds after the half-time whistle, Baldwin was booked for protesting with referee Ross Joyce. Despite keeper Sam Walker’s efforts to usher him away, he persisted and received a straight red.

It gave City a mountain to climb against Rovers, who led through Rob Street’s 10th goal of the season on 33 minutes.

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Bradford managed to stay in the game, but the game’s next big moment then went against them late on, when substitute Tyreik Wright saw his penalty saved after James Maxwell fouled George Lapslie.

Bradford City defender Aden Baldwin is dismissed at Doncaster Rovers following the half-time whistle. Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeBradford City defender Aden Baldwin is dismissed at Doncaster Rovers following the half-time whistle. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Bradford City defender Aden Baldwin is dismissed at Doncaster Rovers following the half-time whistle. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Regular taker Antoni Sarcevic had been replaced 10 minutes earlier.

Billy Sharp then added the salt to make it 2-0, and despite Romoney Crichlow scoring late in stoppage time, there was no way back for City on a day when Rovers were promoted.

For vanquished City, their fates go down to the last day against Fleetwood.

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City were handed a significant boost amid their pain at Rovers, following news of Walsall’s loss to Accrington.

Doncaster Rovers' Billy Sharp makes it 2-0 against Bradford City. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.Doncaster Rovers' Billy Sharp makes it 2-0 against Bradford City. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.
Doncaster Rovers' Billy Sharp makes it 2-0 against Bradford City. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe.

The Bantams remain in third spot and will be promoted if they win next weekend.

Alexander said: “They (Rovers) deserve it (promotion). The league table doesn’t lie after 45 games and they’ve got over the line in the top three so congratulations to Doncaster and Grant (McCann).

“But we have to look within ourselves about how we’ve contributed to a negative result today.

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“I thought we started really well and the goal from a set-piece could have come at either end. We had some as well.

“I didn’t see any superiority from them at that point but that can happen and set-pieces can change games.

“I was relatively happy at half-time and could see how we could improve in the second half. But then I got the news coming down the tunnel that we’d gone down to 10 men.

“That adjusts anything you’d written down. You have to scrap that and make a new plan.”

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On Baldwin’s red, he added: “I was walking down the extremely long tunnel and heard a commotion behind me.

“It was quite far behind me and I didn’t really get it because there was no real animosity in the game between the two teams. It wasn’t bubbling over.

“Then as the players came past, Sam Walker said that Aden had been sent off.

“I spoke to the referee at the start of the second half what happened and it was the only course of action that he could take.”

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On whether he feels let down, he added: “Yeah, I’ll be honest yeah. It was something we’ve spoken about this week especially and with three or four senior players.

“I’ve recognised in games this season, certainly away from home because there’s such a fervour around stadiums when we come to visit with the backing we get, that there’s a volatility in the air and people react to it.

“We can’t control some people but we can ourselves and show composure.

“We identified that and I think in the last five games Doncaster have had, there had been four red cards for the opposition.

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“It was something we addressed this week with the senior players about having that composure themselves and passing that message on to the younger ones.

“The last thing I was expecting was one of those guys getting sent off.”

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