GRAHAM ALEXANDER admits that Bradford City are being ‘harshly punished’ amid a stressful time in another hard League Two campaign for the club – but insists his players have no time to ‘bitch and whinge about luck’ following a third home reverse in a week.
City were turned over 3-0 by Notts County at Valley Parade on Tuesday in what constituted a huge – and potentially fatal – blow to their outside hopes of gatecrashing the play-offs.
It followed an embarrassing 5-1 weekend reverse to Notts County and poor 2-0 set-back to relegation haunted Forest Green, with fans making their feelings known at the final whistle.
Alexander said: “We were harshly punished there considering how well we started. But it’s only us that can change it.
We can’t sit here and cry about it and bitch and whinge about luck. We have to work hard to change.”
Sign up to our new Sports Editor’s TeamTalk newsletter available this week
City did start the game in decent fashion against Notts, only for Macaulay Langstaff to grab a close-range opener with his 25th goal of the season after a deflected shot from Jodi Jones diverted into his path.
The hosts huffed and puffed and produced a big moment of quality in the second half with substitute Harry Chapman unlucky to see his header hit the post after a fine run and cross from Daniel Oyegoke, making his first league start since early October after being sidelined for a lengthy spell following shoulder surgery.
Straightaway, Alassana Jatta added a second at the other end and the big striker scored a late third to increase the Bantams’ misery.
Alexander, whose side were without central defenders Sam Stubbs, Ash Taylor and Jonathan Tomkinson, while Matty Platt was only fit enough for the bench, added: “That was nothing like Saturday. I thought the players committed to the game and the supporters responded to that.
“There was loads of energy and had enough opportunities in the final third before they scored.
“But the first time they enter our box, a deflected shot lands on their striker’s toe three yards out and he pokes it in.
“I was wanting to see how the players reacted and they responded well. The supporters could see that.
“We hit the post, but then the opposition have gone up the other end and scored.
“I think they showed why they’ve scored 70-odd goals this season and over 100 last season – and why we have struggled to score the goals we need to win.
“Our lack of taking opportunities and scoring goals is putting more pressure on our defensive game.
