Cheltenham Town 0 Bradford City 0: Davies dismissal hits play-off-bound City

The experienced central defender, unluckily cautioned in the first half, was sent off just before the hour mark of the Bantams’ final game of the regular season at Cheltenham for a second bookable offence after shoving Jermaine McGlashan to the floor.

“Andrew was told at half-time in no uncertain terms that he needed to be get a full game under his belt, be whiter than white and don’t get involved in anything” said City assistant manager Steve Parkin.

“It is a silly sending off and a sending off that rules him out of one of the games this week.

“It put a slight cloud over the day because there were some really positive things to come out of the game. We were playing against a very good side who have been up there all year. They are very physical and very big and we coped with it well.”

City made eight changes from the side that had clinched a top- seven place the week before while Cheltenham, who had an outside chance of automatic promotion before kick-off, named their strongest line up.

Steve Elliott and Kaid Mohamed headed wide for the hosts in the first half while Matt Duke saved a well-struck Marlon Pack free-kick.

Nathan Doyle volleyed across goal and narrowly wide and Carl McHugh had a header blocked in the second half for City who did have one let off when Pack saw a header come back off the post.

Robins boss Mark Yates, whose side now meet Northampton, said: “Third place hasn’t happened for us but by the time the players leave tonight, we’ll be back to work and ready to go again.”

Cheltenham: Brown, Jombati, Hector, Elliott, Jones, McGlashan, Pack, Taylor (Benson 67), Mohamed, Penn (Deering 78), Harrison (Harrad 72). Unused substitutes: Roberts, Lowe, Carter, Duffy.

Bradford: Duke, Darby, Davies, Nelson, McHugh, Hines, Doyle, Ravenhill, Atkinson, Gray (Thompson 78), Connell (McArdle 62). Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Meredith, Hanson, Jones, Wells.

Referee: A D’Urso (Essex).

Man of the match: Carl McHugh.