Hereford United 2 Bradford City 0: Captain Flynn shoulders the blame from angry City manager Parkinson

Flynn was given his marching orders with 11 minutes to go after he committed a needless foul which earned the defender a second yellow card.

From the resultant free-kick, on-loan Steve Leslie blasted home to open the scoring, before midfielder Tom Barkhuisen lashed in to complete the visitors’ misery with just two minutes to go.

It was another disappointing day – particularly following the previous weekend’s gutsy victory against Torquay – and Parkinson pulled no punches.

He said: “The sending-off killed us.

“To get booked I was annoyed with – then to do the other foul when there was no need for it cost us the game.

“Their second goal came when we were chasing the game, when we were trying to get back in there.

“Our two centre-halves played well and were unlucky to be on the losing side, but the sending off cost us.

“We didn’t produce the football I know we can, but sometimes when you are away from home you don’t get the chance to do that.

“But you want to make sure you get back on the coach with something.

“Our centre-halves dealt with everything and I can’t fault them, but when we went down to 10 men we became disjointed.”

The Bantams had started well with Craig Fagan heading over a cross from Jamie Devitt in the second minute.

Flynn also rifled a 25-yard shot wide of the Hereford post.

The defeat left the Bantams in 22nd place on 10 points, the same as Hereford.

Hereford United: Cornell, Heath, Stam, Todd, Pell, Purdie, Leslie (Townsend 90), Featherstone, Clist (Facey 66), Barkhuizen, Elder (Arquin 66). Unused substitutes: Hoult, Dalibard.

Bradford City: Duke, Oliver, Moore (Bryan 83), Threlfall, Seip, Flynn, Jones, Reid, Devitt (Stewart 67), Reed (O’Brien 67), Fagan. Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Williams.

Referee: L Collins (Surrey).

Man of the match: Kyel Reid.