Mark Hughes laments missed opportunity as Bradford City's play-off bid dented by Barrow

Bradford - unbeaten in their previous five games - went into the match looking for their third win in eight days after beating fellow promotion contenders Stevenage away and Tranmere Rovers at home.

Those two wins had left them only four points behind an automatic promotion place with two games in hand, but Barrow, with only one win in their previous 12 matches and no win in their previous six took the lead in the 25th minute and comfortably held on to it to complete a double over the Bantams. The winning goal came after Josh Kay dispossessed Adam Clayton near the halfway line and kept on running to covert Ged Garner's low cross into the box.

City enjoyed 77 per cent possession but did not manage a single shot on target and Hughes admitted: "We had no end product. We had a lot of the play, but we were a bit slow in our build-up and they were able to keep their shape.

"We need to be brighter at the top end of the pitch. If we don't move the ball quickly enough we get bogged down and end up playing in front of them rather than behind them. We need to be more aggressive and show more guile.

"You have to try to get into wide areas and pick people off and we never really did that, We didn't ask enough questions of them. We did a little bit better in the second half with substitute Scott Banks getting on the outside and putting balls into the box.

"But we were never able to get back into the game and that was a disappointment because this was a missed opportunity. We had had a great week and another win in this match would have helped us no end."

Bradford City: Lewis, Halliday(Banks 60), Platt, Stubbs, Ridehalgh, Gilliead, Clayton, Smallwood (Oliver 80), Walker, Cook, Eisa (Costello 45). Unused substitutes: Doyle, East, Chapman, Kelly.Barrow: Farman, Brough, McClelland, Canavan, Newby, Kay (Whitfield 82), White, Neal, Gotts (Foley 71), Garner (Waters 75), Ray. Unused substitutes: Lillie, Warren, Bennett.

Referee: C Boyeson (East Yorkshire)