Winger Peter Beagrie remains adamant that Bradford City can still claim automatic promotion despite slipping to defeat in a thrilling derby clash with Huddersfield.

The Bantams remained in second place despite the 3-2 defeat but wasted a glorious opportunity to cement their bid for second place on an afternoon when rivals Ipswich lost 2-0 at Bolton.

The Suffolk side play their game in hand on City tomorrow at home to Stockport when a win or a draw will see them leapfrog above the Bantams with just three matches remaining.

However Beagrie remains upbeat about City's prospects. He said: "I have been told I have the loudest voice in the club but I don't think Stockport will hear me from my front room. But we are all rooting for them.

"We are all disappointed to have lost but I don't think we could have played a lot better. We got the ball out wide and created a lot of chances.

"The biggest positive from the day is that Ipswich lost. It would have been a lot worse if they had got all three points against Bolton. That would have given us a mountain to climb.

"There is still a lot of football to play. They have a couple more difficult fixtures as well. We certainly haven't given up hope yet and remain positive because the flowing football has come back into our game.

"Huddersfield seem to have the Indian sign over us but, at the end of the day, our season is still alive. They can have their bit of glory now but hopefully by the end of the season we can say 'You might have done the double over us, but we got the holy grail'."

City were left to rue a string of missed chances against the Terriers with Dean Windass' penalty miss proving particularly costly.

Beagrie, who is City's regular penalty taker, revealed why Windass took the spot-kick: "It was nothing to do with the miss I had at Bristol. I was struggling with my ankle. Dean looked at me and I said take it. He struck it very well but the keeper made a great save.

"If I had taken it, I would have had to take it with my weaker foot. I know Robbie Blake was disappointed not to take it because he wanted it but Dean had just scored so you go with the flow. Dean is gutted but he was the one who brought us back into the game."

Beagrie was also involved in the first half dismissal of Steve Jenkins but he felt the Town defender was harshly treated.

"It was something and nothing. I aired my views on what he had tried to do and he did the same. Unfortunately he made a movement with his head. He made contact but not enough to make my head go back. I think he was unlucky because the referee was behind him. It was just silly."

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