Cardiff reaction:
Bradford City manager Graham Alexander expressed his frustration after his side’s 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City at Valley Parade, highlighting a controversial refereeing decision and acknowledging his team’s resilience against the league leaders.
Penalty Controversy Sparks Anger
Alexander was unequivocal in his criticism of the officials, insisting that Bradford were denied a clear penalty when Antoni Sarcevic appeared to be fouled by Cardiff captain Calum Chambers just before half-time.
“It’s 100 per cent a penalty. I don’t see how it cannot be given. That non-penalty should have been given before half-time and would have put more pressure on them for the whole of the second half.”
The Bantams boss also questioned the consistency of the referee’s decisions throughout the match:
“Once he’s set the bar after 20 minutes of what is a foul and what isn’t, and then the swingometer goes from one end to the other, that’s when it gets frustrating.”
Performance Under Scrutiny
Despite his anger over the penalty incident, Alexander admitted Bradford contributed to their own downfall with defensive lapses.
“We made basic errors for the first goal and then conceded from a set-piece for the second. Those are things we can control and have to improve.”
However, he praised his players for their response after going two goals down:
“In the second half especially, we were the team in the ascendancy. We’ve never seen this team go under.”
Respect for Cardiff’s Quality
Alexander acknowledged the challenge posed by Cardiff, who extended their lead at the top of the table with the win.
“You’ve got to take into account the quality of the opponent when they’re in confident mood – and who wouldn’t be confident when you’re two up away from home at what’s proved to be such a hard place for anybody to win.”
