We lacked our usual spark, admits Garner
SWINDON head coach Ben Garner admitted that his side lacked their “usual spark” after seeing a sixgame unbeaten League Two run ended by visiting Bradford, writes Neil Goulding.
Goals from Caolan Lavery, Levi Sutton and former Town player Theo Robinson secured a deserved victory for the impressive Bantams at the County Ground.
Jack Payne bagged a late goal for the hosts from the penalty spot after Paudie O’Connor handled in the box, but it was mere consolation for the hosts, who slipped to only their third loss in 14 League games.
“I don’t think we had our usual spark,” said Garner. “Perhaps there was a bit of tiredness following on from a difficult game on Tuesday night against Sutton.
“My first port of call will always be to assess myself. Did I pick the right team? Was it the right shape? Should I have freshened the team up a little bit more?
“I’ll go through all of those things, and we’ll move onto reviewing it as a group next week.”
Lavery gave the Bantams the lead when he netted after only 16 minutes, and Sutton bagged a simple tap-in as the visitors doubled their advantage just before the break.
Substitute Robinson made sure of the points with a fine curling
SWINDON TOWN .............. 1 BRADFORD CITY ............. 3
effort with a quarter of an hour left, even though Payne did pull a goal back moments later.
“It wasn’t spells of pressure, it was moments,” reflected Garner. “That’s where we’ve got to be better. Our concentration levels have got to be much higher because goals change momentum.
“It’s really important that the players understand that – by giving Bradford that first goal, we then played right into their hands because they could sit in that low block and make it difficult for us to break them down. If we get that first goal, it changes the game completely because it opens up and they have to come out at us – it’s a learning curve for us.”
Bantams boss Derek Adams said: “We could have had six. It was a really good performance. We created so many opportunities.” Swindon: Wollacott, Odimayo, Baudry, Crichlow-Noble (Kesler 46), Hunt (Mitchell-Lawson 85), Gladwin, Williams (Gilbert 64), Reed, Payne, Simpson, McKirdy. Not Used: Iandolo, Ward, East, Grant. Booked: Gladwin, Baudry, Hunt.
Goals: Payne 78 pen.
Bradford: O’Donnell, Threlkeld, Canavan, O’Connor, Songo’o, Foulds, Sutton, Watt, Gilliead, Lavery (Evans 74), Cook (Robinson 74). Not Used: Vernam, Kelleher, Staunton, Cousin-Dawson, Scales.
Booked: O’Donnell, Lavery, Robinson.
Goals: Lavery 16, Sutton 40, Robinson 75.
Referee: Ross Joyce (Cleveland).