BANTAM MENACE
Tough tests looming but McCall has faith after City stumble against Argyle
BRADFORD boss Stuart McCall insisted his team can still win anywhere in the division – despite seeing them being stunned by lowly Plymouth.
Promotion-chasing City have a brutal run of fixtures, taking on three fellow high-flyers in succession.
This failure against Argyle’s smash-and-grab tactics was the last thing they needed before those tests against Wigan, Scunthorpe and Shrewsbury.
Bradford players were left frustrated and annoyed, and McCall knows they need to recover rapidly.
He said: “We’ve got to play three teams in the top five, but we’ll be ready for it. We’ve got to go and believe we can get something at Wigan, which we do because this group of players, when they’re on top of their game, can win anywhere. We are probably the strongest side away from home.
“Our next home game is Scunthorpe, who have played really well, so that will probably be another tight game.”
This clash with Plymouth was too tight for Bradford’s liking. It begged the question about whether they can cope when sides defend deep and counter-attack against them.
Winger Tyrell Robinson admitted: “We don’t want teams to come here and sit back. It’s not good for us.”
The Bantams were hit by a sucker punch when Jake Jervis slid in to score against the run of play from Lionel Ainsworth’s cross.
Bradford then had a few near misses. They rattled the woodwork twice through Paul Taylor and Jake Reeves and suffered from Tony McMahon failing to convert a penalty.
The decision was harsh on the visitors as Aaron Taylor-Sinclair appeared to barely make contact with Romain Vincelot.
Plymouth goalkeeper Remi Matthews performed heroics though by diving to his right and saving McMahon’s penalty.
Matthews has only been playing on an emergency loan basis from Norwich because of an injury crisis, but he has already kept three clean sheets in his four games for Argyle, helping them to move off the bottom of the table.
“I’m just here weekly,” said the 23-year-old. “I’m here to prove to people how good I can be potentially. I just want to play football wherever it may be, whoever it is for.
“Obviously it’s not great staying in a hotel but, when you are winning games, you can’t complain. It could be any time that I go back to Norwich. It keeps me on my toes.”