Bradford City urged to show ruthless streak after Salford City stalemate

Bowyer said: “I thought it was one of the best performances of the season, especially in the first half.

“We had over 60 per cent of the play and 26 attempts at goal.

“We came out of a difficult week.

“We lost James Vaughan and Adam Henley this morning due to illness and Danny Devine is also off with illness.

“Ben Richards-Everton wasn’t in yesterday so he had a fitness test this morning. Connor Wood, Callum Cooke and Aramide Oteh all played with it.

“We felt the level of performance was terrific apart from the last bit. That was their only shot on target which is disappointing again. I thought it was poor defending in the bottom corner.

“That was a massive lesson learned for the players. We said to them last week that we have to be more ruthless. That is the next step for them. Don’t let teams back in.”

Cooke saw a left shot hit the post, Kelvin Mellor’s header clipped the bar and numerous efforts were blocked in a one sided first half before Harry Pritchard gave fifth placed Bradford the lead in the 53rd minute, slotting Dylan Connolly’s right wing cross into the net.

But Salford equalised in the 79th minute, when substitute Adam Rooney scored with a close range shot after Brandon Asante played the ball into his path.

Bradford City: O’Donnell, Mellor, P O’Connor, A O’Connor, Wood, Pritchard (Taylor 90), Reeves, Cooke, Reeves, Oteh, Connolly (McCartan 76). Unused substitutes: Sykes-Kenworthy (gk), Ismail, French, Palmer, Anderson.

Salford City: Neal, Threlkeld, Hogan, Burgess, Touray, Jervis, Towell, Maynard (Jones 61), Conway, Asante, Armstrong (Rooney 45).Unused substitutes: Letheren (gk), Piergianni, Lloyd-McGoldrick, Whitehead.

Referee: Carl Boyeson (Hull)