Bradford City must not 'stand still' insists Max Power after League One play-off exit to Bolton Wanderers

For Bradford City captain Max Power and his team-mates, Thursday night was markedly different.

There was pain, for sure, after the Bantams bowed out in a tight two-legged semi-final tie against Bolton Wanderers.

If luck had gone their way in the final quarter at Valley Parade, things could well have been different. It was not to be.

What happened after the final whistle should give City players some solace when the dust starts to settle on another eventful season.

Chants of ‘Alexander’s Bradford Army’ and ‘Oh City We Love You’ reverberated around BD8, complete with heartfelt applause in a record play-off crowd of 22,381 at this venue.

It was a special moment and testament to another outstanding campaign at a club on the up under Graham Alexander.

City finished in their highest position in the EFL for 22 years. Only promoted duo Lincoln City and Cardiff City won more games in League One.

Their points tally eclipsed those of relegated Championship duo Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle by three and four points respectively.

Their haul was 10 more than derby rivals Huddersfield Town – among the promotion favourites before a ball was kicked last August.

Of the clubs who came up from the fourth tier with them in 2024-25, the closest were Doncaster Rovers, who collected 17 fewer points.

Everyone connected with the Bantams, as disappointed as they were on Thursday evening, can be rightfully proud.

Yet football stops for no-one and the trick now is the club maintaining their upward curve, which won’t be easy.

A senior professional with vast experience of the EFL – Power knows that full well.

The Wirral-born midfielder, promoted three times from the third tier as champions with Wigan Athletic, said: “We've had a good season but what can we improve on?

“I think it's important now that the club don't stand still and we use that momentum.

“There are loads of clubs this season who were tipped for the top two and we finished above them.

“What can we do to bridge that gap for next season where you can push closer and get close to that top two?

“This club's had a real good ride in the last 12-18 months. They've been used to winning games.

“I think it's important that everyone uses that momentum to keep pushing the club forward.

“It's tough right now because it's so raw after losing a play-off game but take the emotion out of it and try to look forward. The club's in a really good place.”

Play-off fates have not been kind to Power, it's fair to say.

His third foray into the end-of-season competition ended in the outcome he was not hankering for – after two previous eliminations with Sunderland in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

Luck did not befriend him against Bolton.

He was as close as anyone to levelling the tie on aggregate when Wanderers keeper Jack Bonham superbly tipped his curler onto the bar.

Not too long after, Bolton substitute Xavi Simons delivered the fateful blow to end the hosts season and put the visitors 2-0 up on aggregate.

'Like bursting a balloon,' rued Power, yet to find the net for Bradford.

He continued: “It’s been one of those seasons, unfortunately. I've not managed to find the net, but the (Bolton) keeper made a great save.

“It's play-off football. I've been involved in a few play-off campaigns now and unfortunately still haven't had a successful one.

“They were two close games with both defined on a moment. Their keeper pulls off a couple of good saves; we get the goal disallowed.

“I felt like we were well on top and then it was a bit of a sucker punch (Bolton scored 68 seconds after Kayden Jackson's disallowed goal).

“It's been a long campaign and I'd have loved to have led the team out at Wembley and had the chance of getting out of the division.

“It's not to be, so it's going to be a tough couple of days and a tough few weeks.

“But I think as time goes on and the dust settles, you reflect on the club's first season back in the division and it's been a good one.”

The final word really should go to those City followers whose actions after the final whistle spoke volumes about the reconnection between a club and its fanbase over the past few seasons.

A professional who has seen plenty, Power's respect for what he witnessed was fulsome.

“Credit to both sets of supporters, two big fan bases, two big clubs,” he continued.

“We lick our wounds. I said in the changing room before the game and in the pre-match huddle 'just to leave everything out there and have no regrets’.

“I think that was a performance where we couldn't have asked any more from the team. The fans responded to that.

“You could see with the send-off we got at full-time.”