'˜We were poor', admits Bradford City boss Stuart McCall
TOO many below-par performances contributed to Bradford City's first league defeat in seven, according to manager Stuart McCall.
On-loan Crystal Palace striker Freddie Ladapo handed struggling Shrewsbury a welcome three points as defeat left the Bantams 10 points off the automatic promotion spots in League One.
Despite the form book and league table suggesting the visitors should have had enough to take something from the game, they failed to stamp their authority on proceedings at New Meadow.
“There was nothing tactical or magical that made us lose the game. We just had too many players under-perform,” reflected McCall. “Three or four of the lads had their worst games of the season.
“That’s something we haven’t been able to say too many times this season after 27 league games.
“It‘s very rare we have come away from a game thinking ‘we were poor’ but that was one of them.”
Winger Mark Marshall had the visitors’ best chance but his strike was saved by Jayson Leutwiler.
Bantams’ goalkeeper Colin Doyle had to be at his best to deny eventual goalscorer Ladapo from close range.
Four minutes before the break, Louis Dodds took advantage of former Shrews’ defender Nat Knight-Percival’s slip. Dodds’s shot was kept out by Doyle but Ladapo was on hand to tap-in the rebound on his home debut.
Shrewsbury: Leutwiler, Riley, Nsiala, El-Abd (O’Brien, 36), Sadler, Rodman (Smith, 90+3), Ogogo, Deegan, Brown, Ladapo, Dodds (Whalley, 60). Unused substitutes: Halstead, Jones, Anderson, Barnett.
Bradford: Doyle, McMahon, Knight-Percival, Vincelot, Meredith (McArdle, 90+1), Marshall, Dieng (Gilliead, 76), Cullen, Law, Hiwula-Mayifuila (Hanson, 67), Jones. Unused substitutes: Sattelmaier, Darby, Devine, Kilgallon, Hanson.
Referee: C Breakspear (Surrey).