Hartlepool United boss laments basic errors in Bradford City defeat

Despite fighting back into the contest through David Ferguson, who cancelled out Scott Banks’ opener for the Bantams, Pools fell to their first home defeat of the season against Bradford thanks to Andy Cook’s second half double.

And Hartley, who shared his concerns about Pools’ start to the season, believes that individual errors were responsible for all three goals in the game.

The Bantams opened the scoring inside six minutes when Crystal Palace loanee Banks, a player who Hartley had coveted this summer, calmly dispatched into the far corner having been allowed to cut inside onto his left foot.

“We showed them what Bradford are about and what their wide players are about,” said Hartley.

“They want to come in, especially Banks on his left foot, but we showed him inside the pitch which was criminal and he passed it into the net.

“You’ve got to do your job better. It’s a basic thing to show him the outside. He’s left footed playing off the right, so that was disappointing.

“But we had a good response in the first half.

“We get back into the game which was good, it was encouraging. I felt we were on the front foot at times.”

But those signs of encouragement would not last as Hartley found himself equally as frustrated with the two goals conceded in the second half as Cook ensured all three points for the away side, first sliding in from Kian Harratt’s cross, before getting the wrong side of Alex Lacey to fire into the top corner in stoppage time.

“The second half was really frustrating. The two goals he [Cook] scored, we can prevent them,” said Hartley.

“We are in charge of the ball and we give it away. They charge down the pitch and we don’t stop the cross.

“The second one we let him inside again. We keep saying to show them outside. We’re in control of the situation and then he cuts in.

“It’s a good finish on his part, but it’s basic defending and basic errors.”