Barnet 2 Bradford City 0: Parkinson calls for calm heads as Villa await

Bradford City have picked up just one point from the last nine and defeat at Barnet on Saturday came despite them having 21 
attempts on goal.

“We dominated the game from start to finish,” said Parkinson.

“The effort was there, we just lacked that bit of composure in the final third.

“For all the attempts we had, I don’t think their goalkeeper made too many great saves.

“It was almost as if we were trying too hard. You need a bit of calmness about your play and we lacked that.”

Having dominated the first half, when they went close through the outstanding Gary Jones, City trailed at the break after Taiwo Atieno fired home from close range in the 42nd minute.

John Oster doubled the home side’s advantage three minutes after the break after Bradford failed to clear.

City did have the ball in the back of the net with 15 minutes remaining but James Hanson, who might also have had a late penlty, was offside when he headed home from Kyel Reid’s cross.

Bradford now turn their attentions to the Capital One Cup and tomorrow’s semi-final first leg with Aston Villa.

“It’s a big game for the club and no matter whether we had won or lost we would treat it the same,” said Parkinson. “We are disappointed after this defeat but we have to move on.”

Bradford are now in eighth place, but are just three points behind third-placed Rotherham, who have a game in hand.

Barnet: Stack; Fuller, Iro, Stephens, Johnson; Yiadom, Oster, Holmes (Thompson 82), Weston, Byrne; Atieno (Hyde 89). Unused substitutes: Brown, Kamdjo, Cowler, Barker, Holwijn.

Bradford City: Duke; Darby (Turgott 77), McArdle, Doyle, Good; Ravenhill (Connell 66), R Jones (Reid 46), Atkinson, G Jones; Wells, Hanson. Unused substitutes: Hines, Brown, McHugh, McLaughlin

Referee: M Heywood (Lancs).

Man of the match: Gary Jones.