By Jason McKeown

Losing a game of football is never a good thing. Even though this defeat counts for very little in determining Bradford City’s EFL Trophy progress, it has deeper significance because it has furthered the Bantams’ recent malaise.

It’s a loss that denies City top spot of Group C and a more favourable home draw in Round Two. It’s a loss that stretches Bradford City’s winless streak to six – a run that has now gone on for longer than a month. And it’s a loss that follows the Burton weekend blues and adds to the sagging morale.

Plenty to frustrate Graham Alexander, then. As he served his one-match touchline ban from up high in the stands, a Bradford City team of 10 changes initially looked completely in control – only to get slightly beaten up in the second half. There was initially encouragement to take from a first half showcasing of the squad’s strength in depth. And perhaps some welcome headaches for the City boss lay ahead, when choosing the team for Bolton a week Saturday. But by the end of the evening, Alexander’s head was left throbbing for different reasons – how did this go wrong?

It turned into a somewhat chastening experience. Not least because familiar villains popped up to inflict the misery. Here’s Jordan Gibson again, introduced at half time. Here’s that silly song City fans sing about him and his dad. Here’s another slab of revenge for singing it. Gibson scored. Then he scored again. His second and third goals of the season. And we all remember his first.

Luke Molyneux – another Doncaster player who absolutely loves to terrorise the Bantams – had come on at half time alongside Gibson and set up the game-sealing third. And all of this after City had completely bossed the first half and taken a 1-0 lead through Tyreik Wright. It meant we saw a rare occurrence under Alexander. For only the second time over his 113-game reign as City boss, the Bantams scored the opening goal but went on to lose. The only other time this has happened was the traumatic 5-4 defeat to Swindon last April.

And of course, this didn’t sting nearly as much as that harrowing afternoon at the County Ground. But crumbs of comfort were difficult to find here. It means they’ve lost three games in a row for the first time since that infamous March 2024 period where the club seemed to be collapsing. Different times now, and certainly nothing here approached the wretchedness of that 10-day period. Still, for a club that had only experienced defeat twice all season, three losses in a row are an unwelcome turn of events.

The story of the game echoed many of City’s cup matches this season. They took the game more seriously than their opponents, and initially made hay. Doncaster had rung a similar level of changes, but evidently do not have the same depth.

Grant McCann’s starting XI included two 19-year-olds – centre back Will Flint and midfielder Sam Straughan-Brown – who had been temporarily recalled from loan spells at non-league Gateshead and Peterborough Sports respectively. Only two of the overall XI had started more than five league games for Rovers this season. Ex-City loanee Glenn Middleton (yeah, I forgot about him too) was their closest to first team regular, with all of eight league starts this campaign.

And City’s greater second-string quality showed at first. They were purposeful from front to back, with Andy Cook leading the line with menace, flanked by Wright and George Lapslie. The three enjoyed good service from a midfield packed with the energy and running of Alex Pattison and Jenson Metcalfe, whilst wing backs Brad Halliday and Lewis Richards got up and down effectively.

The back three included the welcome return of Tom McIntyre, plus under-lapping centre back extraordinaire Neill Byrne. Ibou Touray – who played as left-sided centre half – was the only Bantams starter who would have felt reasonably confident of a starting spot at Bolton. And for a time, it really was the performance of a City team with a point to prove, making a good fist of staking their individual starting claims.

So City dominated the first half, with Wright’s goal six minutes before the break the least they deserved. He was played through on goal from an angle after excellent work by Cook and Richards, before finishing emphatically for his first goal of the season. In fact, it was Wright’s first goal since a double-salvo at Accrington Stanley all the way back in March 2024, days before that dreadful losing collapse. Given how this evening ultimately finished, maybe a Wright Goal is a Wrong Omen.

I guess we can also say in hindsight that one of City’s biggest failings was not making more of their first half dominance. Because McCann – who, worth noting, HASN’T WON A LEAGUE GAME SINCE DONCASTER BEAT US IN SEPTEMBER – reacted strongly to the awkward situation his charges were in. At half time he made four changes, which as well as Gibson and Molyneux included bringing on the experienced George Broadbent. The game completely changed. For how feeble Doncaster were in the first 45, they now looked formidable.

Perhaps if Cook could have made more of an early second half chance, when he was found in the box by Pattison, the home resurgence would have quickly petered out. Under some pressure from a defender, Cook stabbed his effort wide of the goal. It’s still hard to know what expectations we should be placing on Cook after such a long period out. His all-round game is decent, but you do feel it wouldn’t hurt his confidence to get on the scoresheet.

Not too long after that chance, Rovers equalised after Gibson headed home a cross from fellow sub Tom Nixon. And then six minutes later, Broadbent produced a superb through ball that sent Brandon Hanlon into a one-on-one with Joe Hilton, with the 28-year-old lifting the ball over City’s number two and into the net. And then eight minutes after that, Molyneux set Gibson away, and he finished from an angle after Byrne couldn’t get near and Hilton rushed out. It’s probably a bit harsh to say this, but if Sam Walker had played here Doncaster probably wouldn’t have scored three goals.

We should take something from the fact this City side don’t give up – and they never lied down here. At 2-1 down and with the cavalry of Will Swan, Stephen Humphrys, Tommy Leigh and Ciaran Kelly sent on, they pushed for an equaliser and continued to attack even after going 3-1 behind. But Doncaster saw it out, even having a fourth goal disallowed for offside.

It matters little in the grand scheme. Though finishing second in the group does mean the Bantams will travel to one of either Salford City, Tranmere Rovers, Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers, Harrogate Town, Port Vale or Crewe in the second round. Not necessarily ideal given the game will need to be fitted in this side of Christmas.

More troublingly, the winless run goes on. And with 11 days before they’re back in action, they’ll stay in their stupor a little while longer. The season was never going to be as easy as it seemed in those heady September days – and certainly no alarm bells should be ringing. But losing is never a good thing – and the Bantams have now done it three times on the bounce.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2025/26, BCAFC, Doncaster Rovers, Football League Trophy