Derek Adams feels fan chants following Bradford City’s defeat against Exeter City were undeserved

The result leaves them eight points drift of the final play-off place. Adams said: “I don’t think as a manager you deserve that because you work so hard for the football club. When it becomes abusive it is very difficult.”

Huddersfield Town loanee Kieran Phillips scored the game’s only goal in the 44th minute, collecting a pass from Jevani Brown before lobbing the ball over advancing keeper Alex Bass.

Exeter have now won five of their last six matches and their win would have been more emphatic had not defender Yann Songo’o raced back to clear a goal bound shot from Brown after turning the ball past Bass, who had raced out of his area in an attempt to clear in the 61st minute.

Levi Sutton and substitute Callum Cooke both tested visiting keeper Cameron Dawson, but Bradford rarely looked like salvaging a point.

Adams said: “I don’t think we played well in the second half. We didn’t work their keeper enough. We were too rushed and anxious in our play. Exeter passed the ball better than us and managed the game very well in the second half.

“Theirs was a poor goal. It was an error we didn’t have to make. Alex Bass made a number of errors. He has got a very good high line, but maybe today he could have communicated a lot better with his back four.”

Bradford City: Bass, Hendrie, O’Connor, Songo’o, Foulds, Watt, Sutton, Daly (Cooke 71), Walker (Robinson 63), Cook, Delfouneso (Elliott 63). Unused substitutes: O’Donnell, Gilliead, Kelleher, Cousin-Dawson.

Exeter City: Dawson, Caprice, Stubbs, Collins, Kay, Dieng, Phillips (Nombe 72), J Brown (Atangana 84), Sweeney, Kite (Jay 17), Diabate. Unused substitutes: S Brown (gk), Sparkes Grounds, Coley.

Referee: R Joyce (Middlesbrough) .