Bantams boss hoping for same reaction after Harrogate defeat

The 3-0 humiliation at Wetherby Road in March was the lowest point in a run of four defeats in a dozen miserable days.

At that point, Graham Alexander drew a line in the sand and revised his game plan, including who would play and how.

The outcome was a charge to the finish line, with City scoring 19 points out of a possible 21 and finishing with five straight victories.

City’s latest visit to Harrogate proved painfully futile as the Sulphurites maintained their lead over the neighbours, with Alexander describing his team’s performance in the first quarter as “unrecognisable.”

But the response since has been spirited, with a late point saved against Morecambe followed by back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Could another humbling in Harrogate serve as the spark once more?
“I hope so,” said Graham Alexander, who noticed other similarities with the personnel missing last season.

“Harrogate was the final of four games in which we also had three centre halves injured.

 

“Matty Platt, Sam Stubbs, and Ash Taylor were all missing, and we had a very difficult stretch.

 

“We decided what we wanted to be, and in 21 games since then, we’ve only lost three.

 

“That’s a good response from both groups: the one that concluded last season and the one that started this season.

 

“There is progress we have made but there’s still work to be done to become what I believe we can be.”

 

Fans will remember bad experiences like that, and the same is true for players and coaches.

 

“Days like that, they do 100 percent,” Alexander continued.

 

“I can smile now, but it wasn’t pleasant last season or two weeks ago. I wouldn’t call it as awful, but it wasn’t much better.

 

“I’ve learnt to see difficulty as it is. It’s a test of character, an opportunity for growth, and a chance to see who’s in it for the long haul.

 

“That’s what we attempt to accomplish. We attempt to take the positives and transform them into something great.

 

“We did it last time, hopefully we can do it the same again.”

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