Stuart McCall takes Bantams defeat on the chin

DISAPPOINTED Bradford City manager Stuart McCall believes his side have played worse and won this season after defeat at Bristol Rovers.
Charlie Wyke: Spot on for Bradford City.Charlie Wyke: Spot on for Bradford City.
Charlie Wyke: Spot on for Bradford City.

Three second-half goals handed McCall’s men their fourth league defeat in six.

Charlie Wyke opened the scoring for the visitors from the spot, but goals from Joe Partington, Chris Lines and Liam Sercombe did the damage after the break.

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McCall reflected: “It’s tough at the minute, we’ve probably played worse this season and come away with victories.

“It was end-to-end stuff and, unfortunately, we’ve come out the wrong end of it.

“I think overall it’s a difficult place to come. I think we were fortunate to go in at half-time one-nil up. Although they didn’t have any great opportunities, they put us under pressure and we defended it well. I think the key was the first goal in the second half for them.”

The visitors were awarded a first-half penalty after Ollie Clarke handled. Wyke stepped up to convert from the spot for his fourth goal of the season.

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Bradford goalkeeper Rouven Sattelmaier denied Liam Sercombe after the break, but the Bantams failed to clear a corner and Partington scuffed his shot past Sattelmaier to equalise.

Substitute Dom Poleon forced a save from Adam Smith, but the hosts got a penalty after Nat Knight-Percival felled Ellis Harrison – with Lines sending Sattelmaier the wrong way. Sercombe’s late third sealed the points.

Bristol City: Smith, Partington, Broadbent, Lockyer, Bola, Lines, Sercombe, Clarke (Mensah 81), Sinclair, Harrison (Sweeney 90), Gaffney (Nichols 69). Unused substitutes: Slocombe, Brown, Moore, Telford.

Bradford City: Sattelmaier, Knight-Percival, Kilgallon, Vincelot, Gilliead, Reeves (Guy 72), Dieng, Law, Robinson, Taylor (Poleon 72), Wyke. Unused substitutes: Raeder, Devine, Gibson, McCartan, Pybus.

Referee: L Swabey.