‘We’re too easy to play against’ admits Mark Hughes after Bradford City’s dramatic loss at Barrow

Much-fancied Bradford City are still looking for their first win after a dramatic denouement at Holker Street.

Josh Gordon struck the stoppage-time winner for Barrow – straight after Andy Cook had equalised for Mark Hughes’s Bradford, who have had a major overhaul but have claimed just a point from their opening two games.

Hughes admitted: “We’re frustrated. Second half wasn’t anywhere near the level we need to be at. I was reasonably pleased about the first half without creating any clear-cut opportunities. We had plenty of corners and free-kicks on the edge of the box when we didn’t quite produce the ball we needed. But we were really poor second half and got sucked into a game that we’re clearly not very good at.

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“Credit to the opposition who ran around and really put us under pressure. We didn’t deal with the longer ball. When you are defending long, high balls coming down with snow on them sometimes it’s difficult to get distance to clear.

Mark Hughes, Bradford City manager (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)Mark Hughes, Bradford City manager (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)
Mark Hughes, Bradford City manager (Picture: Bruce Rollinson)

“We were too easy to play against and that has to change.”

Ben Whitfield broke the deadlock on 63 minutes when he fired past Bradford keeper Harry Lewis from the edge of the D.

Bradford levelled two minutes later as Jake Young’s angled drive hit the underside of the bar and bounced down over the line.

Barrow restored their lead five minutes from time through Josh Kay – only for Cook to equalise again in added time before Gordon snatched victory.

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Barrow: Farman, Warren, Ray (McClelland 16), Canavan, Brough, Neal, Foley, Gotts (Rooney 81),Waters (Kay 75), Gordon, Whitfield. Unused substitutes: Lillis, White, Grayson, Stevens.

Bradford City: Lewis, Halliday, Platt, Crichlow-Noble, Ridehalgh, Smallwood, East (Songo’o 89), Chapman, Gilliead (Sutton 78), Angol (Young 60),Oliver (Cook 60). Unused substitutes: Doyle, Foulds, Odusina.

Referee: M Woods (England).

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