Bantams press self-destruct button to blow their chances of victory

Even a red card for Bradford-born Clayton Donaldson in first-half stoppage time could not help City break their depressing slide.

Crewe, League Two’s leading scorers, always give you a chance to play and the visitors enjoyed plenty of possession and a fair share of attempts on goal.

But the cold truth was another blank in the points column – the gap to the bottom two is only five – ahead of a trip to leaders Chester-field on Saturday.

And again there was a sense of self-destruction about the defeat as City conceded the decisive second less than a minute after equalising.

Jon Worthington’s loan from Oldham was rushed through in time for the combative midfielder to go straight into the starting line-up.

The former Huddersfield skipper, a target of Stuart McCall in the past, was making his first league start since April. His only action this season had been a three-game spell with Fleetwood in the Blue Square Premier.

Peter Taylor matched up Crewe’s 4-3-3 approach by recalling Leon Osborne and Gareth Evans to play either side of James Hanson.

The most notable change was with the officials. Assistant referee Sian Massey had been down to run the line but was pulled out by the Professional Game Match Officials late in the afternoon following the furore over the weekend comments from Andy Gray and Richard Keys on Sky.

It was an open start, no surprise given Crewe’s record, with David Syers and Byron Moore trading early shots.

But Evans missed a massive chance to fire City in front after six minutes. Worthington played him clear with a sliderule pass, leaving the striker with only keeper Steve Phillips to beat – but he whisked the ball a yard wide.

Jon McLaughlin had to be alert as right back Matt Tootle tried to squeeze one in at the near post before Crewe drew first blood after quarter of an hour.

It was too simple again, a half-cleared corner being picked up by Shaun Miller, whose low cross was turned home by his unmarked strike partner Donaldson. It was the former Rhodes-way pupil’s 16th goal of the season.

It nearly got worse when Osborne carelessly coughed the ball up to Moore, who charged towards the City goal. McLaughlin did well to get an outstretched hand to his low shot, which was arrowing for the bottom corner.

Luke Murphy fizzed one narrowly wide as Crewe’s pressure continued, Evans trying to respond with an ambitious pop from 30 yards.

Evans was seeing a lot of the ball against his first club and picked out Hanson for a header which bounced straight into the keeper’s arms.

Adeyemi tried to barge his way into the box, getting a kick for his troubles, before Osborne hooked the loose ball at Phillips.

City were looking for a way back but every Crewe attack carried danger and Miller should have done better than blazing wide after Murphy found him between two defenders.

City suddenly levelled six minutes before the break – only to concede again just seconds later.

The equaliser had been well-worked. Adeyemi played a free-kick to Luke O’Brien, who spun off his marker to cross at Syers. He flicked across goal and there was Shane Duff to power home his first goal for the club.

But City were still celebrating as Crewe restored their advantage. A long through ball sent Moore scampering clear and – unlike Evans earlier – he drilled it past McLaughlin into the corner of the net.

City’s frustration was demonstrated with Evans sliding in late on Donaldson and collecting the night’s first yellow card. It sparked a crazy end to the half.

Tempers flared straight away with a clash between Worthington and Donaldson, who shoved his head into the City new boy and was shown a straight red.

O’Brien then took out Tootle on the touchline – but referee Kevin Wright mistakenly thought it was Evans and sent him packing as well.

The ref was immediately surrounded by his team-mates, as well as Wayne Jacobs and Junior Lewis, all pointing out that he had punished the wrong man. Luckily Wright realised his blunder, Evans was recalled and O’Brien took the booking his reckless challenge had deserved.

Where was a sensible female official when you needed one?

The Crewe fans made their feelings over Wright very clear – and Evans was also getting booed, having done nothing wrong.

Evans had the chance to increase their ire soon after the break. But receiving the ball on the edge of the box, his lay-off for Adeyemi was awful and Crewe cleared a dangerous position.

It was the last touch for Evans, who made way in a double switch after 55 minutes. Taylor, perhaps wary that both players were walking a disciplinary tightrope, removed him and Worthington.

On came Omar Daley and Jake Speight as City reverted to 4-4-2, with Osborne switching to right midfield.

Lee Bell fouled Speight 25 yards out but O’Brien’s free-kick was gobbled up by the Crewe wall and his follow-up as well.

Daley did better as he wrestled off Tootle to rattle off a decent effort which Phillips blocked with his legs. Crewe’s uncertain defence gave City hope and Syers was a coat of paint away from the far post after a slip from Danny Blanchett.

Crewe continued to push for a killer third themselves and Tootle bombed into the box to set up Moore, who was denied by an alert stop by McLaughlin.

Another Moore break was foiled by Luke Oliver as the crowd’s shout for a penalty went ignored. You couldn’t tell Crewe were a man down, with Miller doing a superb job of holding up the ball and troubling the City backline.

Adeyemi launched into a promising run that was illegally halted by Ashley Westwood’s pull level with the Crewe D. Daley smashed the free-kick, which took the thinnest of deflections wide.

Michael Flynn finally got his chance with eight minutes left before Speight was thwarted by the quick-thinking Phillips after Adeyemi beat the offside trap.

Adeyemi looped a header over and Flynn crashed a close-range volley into the advertising boards.