Frustrated Bradford City aim to put record straight immediately

Saturday’s defeat at Mansfield Town was all the more frustrating for the Bantams when it is considered that the Stags had gone over three months without a win at Field Mill.

City’s hosts went into the clash with the worst home record in League Two, and had won just twice in front of their own supporters prior to the Bantams’ visit, picking up only 10 points from a possible 42.

Bradford return to action at Valley Parade tomorrow night, a place that has proved a much happier hunting ground for Gary Bowyer’s side. However, as highlighted on a disappointing afternoon in Mansfield, Bradford’s away form is threatening to derail their hopes of an immediate return to League One.

Of their 15 games on the road, the Bantams have won just three while Saturday’s defeat extended their winless run to five.

Cheltenham Town are their visitors tomorrow night and Bowyer admits that the only way to banish the memory of a “very, very disappointing” result, is to provide an instant response against their fellow promotion contenders.

“The beauty is that another game comes around very, very quickly,” said Bowyer.

“The anger, the frustration that we are feeling at the moment, we get a chance to put that right on Tuesday.”

Saturday’s defeat saw City drop to seventh, four points behind the automatic promotion spots which are currently occupied by Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City and Swindon Town.

Plymouth sit third but have played two games fewer while Exeter are eight points ahead of City having played 28 games compared to the Bantams’ 29.

And Bowyer feels that leaves Bradford with little room for error.

“Every game from now on is (huge),” insisted Bowyer.

“There are three points at stake and you want to try and take all three points.

“It presents another opportunity, we need to be a lot better than we were at Mansfield.”

Bowyer brought his players in for extra training yesterday and has vowed that the Bantams will “come out fighting” tomorrow night.

He said: “We have said all along, to play for Bradford City you have to have a strong mentality and that is exactly what you’ll see on Tuesday night.

“We have to come out fighting. There hasn’t been many times this season we have felt like this so it will be really good to see what mentality we do have in the dressing room.”

Mansfield had conceded seven goals in their previous two outings but Bradford’s chances were few and far between.

Dylan Connolly had a chance in the opening minutes which was well blocked by Mal Benning.

Eoin Doyle – still waiting for his first goal since returning from a loan spell at Swindon Town – was teed up at an indirect free-kick but was thwarted by a number of Stags players throwing themselves in front of his effort.

A rare positive for the Bantams was the return of Jamie Devitt and Clayton Donaldson, who had been sidelined by injury since September and October respectively.

“I felt sorry for the front two, if I am being honest,” Bowyer continued.

“In the sense that they were trying to make something happen but they didn’t get enough service and enough quality. The positives that we can take away is the returns of Jamie Devitt and Clayton Donaldson.

“Clayton has not done a full week at training and I spoke to him and he said he could do 15 minutes, and he did exactly that, plus the added time.

“They are the positives to take from a really, really disappointing day.

Irritated City supporters could be heard aiming their frustrations at Bowyer throughout the second half and the Bantams chief said: “I totally understand it.

“It is football, I am responsible for the picking of the team and the performances. I can’t say anything but an apology for the way that we performed.”

Mansfield took the lead after just seven minutes when Danny Rose found it all too easy to get above Anthony O’Connor and head the ball back across Luke McGee for the opening goal.

The Stags’ top scorer, Nicky Maynard, found himself unmarked from a corner just before half-time and he guided his header inside the post to double the lead. Andy Cook added a third for the home side as he sent a low effort into the bottom corner from outside the box.

Bowyer wasn’t happy with all of the goals his side conceded, adding: “They were ridiculous goals. The first one, he gets a free header in the penalty box and the second one is the same from a corner.

“Three soft goals, when you see manner of the third one as well, it is just not good enough.”

Bradford will be boosted by the return of captain James Vaughan tomorrow night after the striker missed the clash through suspension.

Mansfield Town: Olejnik; Riley, Pearce, Sweeney, Benning; MacDonald, Bishop, Charsley (Tomlinson 83), Hamilton; Rose (Knowles 74), Maynard (Cook 74). Unused substitutes: Stone, Preston, Khan, Clarke.

Bradford City: McGee; Wood, Richards-Everton, O’Connor, Henley (Donaldson 76); Pritchard (Mellor 57), Taylor, Reeves (Devitt 57), Connolly; McCartan, Doyle. Unused substitutes: Sykes-Kenworthy, O’Connor, Oteh, Cooke.

Referee: Will Finnie.