Bradford City 1 Torquay United 0: Parkinson looks set to appeal red card after celebrating first win

Parkinson hotly disputed Hull referee Carl Boyeson’s decision to show Davies the red card, but was delighted with the spirit shown by his depleted side to win only their second match of the season while this was his first victory in seven games since he succeeded Peter Jackson as manager.

Davies, on loan from Stoke, was sent off after a foul on Torquay midfield player Danny Stevens in the 24th minute, but Parkinson said: “I would have been disappointed if it had been a yellow card, but now he will miss three games because he was shown a red card.

“We need to look at it. I will speak to the chairmen and make a decision about an appeal.

“It was bad decision – I am convinced the referee got it wrong.”

Parkinson was full of praise for the character shown by his players after he was forced to re-shuffle his team following Davies’s dismissal.

None did more to deny his old club than former Torquay defender Guy Branston when he came on as substitute for winger Jack Compton to fill the gap left by Davies’s dismissal.

Branston lost his place and the captaincy when City signed Davies and Parkinson said: “I left him out of the team a fortnight ago, which is difficult to do when he is your captain. He could have sulked, but he didn’t. I thought he turned in a very good performance. It is a credit to his professionalism.”

Recently signed Craig Fagan scored the winning goal after 38 minutes. Left-back Robbie Threlfall’s free-kick from just inside the visitors’ half was flicked on by Luke Oliver and the former Hull City striker fired home from 12 yards.

Bradford City: Duke, Moore, Oliver, Davies, Threlfall, Compton (Branston 27), Flynn, Jones, Reid, Fagan (Rodney 79), Stewart (O’Brien 74). Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Devitt.

Torquay United: Olejnik, Lathrope (Macklin 46), Robertson, Saah, Nicholson, Atieno, (McPhee 71), Mansell, Oastler (Leadbitter 46), Stevens, Howe, O’Kane. Unused substitutes: Rowe-Turner, Ellis.

Referee: C Boyeson (Hull).

Man of the match: Craig Fagan.