The away end ‘turns toxic’ as Bradford lose three on the bounce with a 3-0 defeat to Lincoln, who are now unbeaten in 11 games.
Freddie Draper’s early header had the hosts in front after just 7 minutes, then Jack Moylan lashed home just before half time.
Ben House then nodded a late third on 86 minutes, making it four defeats in five and they drop as low as they have been in the League One table (5th, 46 points from 27 games) since early September.
Lincoln meanwhile are 2nd, keeping the pressure on leaders Cardiff, a 4 point gap after 28 games played.
Bradford’s Graham Alexander said, per the club website: “It was a difficult game, as the previous two have been results-wise. We understood what the challenge was going to be; it was always going to be a physical test.
“Unfortunately, we did not pass the test. They scored early from a set piece, and although we responded reasonably well and tried to make an imprint on their back line, the goal just before half-time made the challenge a lot harder.
“The players kept working right to the end, but we did not have enough to win the game, and Lincoln deserved the result.
“We have come up against three very good teams at the top end of this division.
“We have not had enough over those three games to get the points, but that does not define our season.
“Our season will be defined after 46 games, and I think we have already shown this season how good we are.”
He told BBC Radio Leeds: “We’ve seen the genuine quality at the top end of League One and I’m delighted we’ve been a part of that all season and still are.
“You also have to take context in the three teams we’ve just played and understand that we’re not here through luck, the two teams we’ve just played [before Lincoln], everybody knows the disparity in what they can do.
“And we’ve just played a team [Lincoln] who have been at this level for six-and-a half-years and have built for six-and-a-half-years to be two or three places above us and we’ve been here five minutes.”
“Any team missing two of their top goalscorers [Will Swan and Antoni Sarcevic], it’s going to affect them,” he added.
“No club at this level, the level below, the level above have got like-for-like in two or three positions, it doesn’t happen so when clubs miss players who have played a big part so far you have to find a way through that.”
On their next game against struggling Doncaster Rovers this Saturday: “Ultimately there were four new clubs at this level and we’re the only ones anywhere near competing at the top end of the table which I reminded the players of before the game,” said Alexander.
“The strides we’ve made this season don’t get washed away by two bad results [before tonight] and the same still stands for me.
“We’re 27 games in. I think every single person would have taken fifth in the table but that’s gone now, we’ve still got to understand we are the team that got there and we’ve got loads of opportunities in front of us to get better.”
“The progression line is not linear, where it’s just a constant steep hill going forwards.”
Bradford City manager Graham Alexander assesses his side’s 3-0 defeat at Lincoln which was the Bantams’ third consecutive loss. #BCAFC | #BBCFootball | #BBCEFL pic.twitter.com/88tVyfVox5
— BBC Sport West Yorkshire (@BBCWYS) January 27, 2026
“When we walked on the pitch this morning it was completely foggy – I said, ‘This is us at the minute’.”
Graham Alexander discusses a difficult 10 days for Bradford City, after three straight League One defeats.#BCAFC | #BBCFootball | #BBCEFL pic.twitter.com/vmXB7jfcgX
— BBC Sport West Yorkshire (@BBCWYS) January 28, 2026
Lincoln’s Michael Skubala said: “The fans are pushing us and they were sucking the ball into the net – they’ve been sensational all season
“You want the team to turn up in these big games and it was absolutely brilliant from the lads. The first half was just electric, probably the best I’ve seen us play. To a man it was electric.
“In the second half it was a professional performance to make the right decisions in the moments, we got our third and could have got more.
“When we move the ball quick, counter attack well and make the pitch big we make it difficult for teams to build against us. We think we’re a match for anyone when we’re like that.
“The fans at this stadium are something special. When it’s full and it’s rocking, it’s a special place to play football.
“Everyone is bouncing around the city at the moment. What they see is a group of players who work hard for the badge – they will run all day.
“This league’s tough and we’re keeping our feet firmly on the ground. We think we can match anybody, but we’re staying in the moment and just focused on the next three points.”
Twitter users reacted as the away end ‘turns toxic’ while Bradford going on to lose three on the bounce with a 3-0 defeat to Lincoln…
@Liam21F: Can’t see us getting anything on Saturday either. What a waste of a good start to the season. Alexander you are clueless!!
@AJWBCAFC: Spend some fucking money, Max Power you’re a fucking disgrace going straight down the tunnel, when it all goes well you’re the first to come clap the fans and encourage the fist bumps, and when it all goes to shit you’re non existent. Graham your “tactics” are fucking shit
@dombcafc: I for one am very glad we got rid of Cook, Patto, and Halliday, we’ve been a completely different team since! #bcafc
@AJBeeca: Two of the most pathetic back to back defeats you will ever see. 1 shot. Transfer window disgrace. Halliday, Cook and Pattison get in this team. GA needs to change from 343 fast. Everyone has worked us out. Except him. Rupp absent AGAIN. SHAMBLES.
@dannym97: What has happened in 2026? 😩 An absolutely horrific 2 weeks for us, on & off the pitch. Haven’t got any of the basics right & gone down limply as a result. A real look within is required to curb this collapse. There’s plenty to play for but the performances – WOW 💩 #bcafc
@Hk__47__: Stop being stubborn Graham it won’t fucking work
@bowers_bcafc12: Make them walk over to the fans and apologise that’s fucking embarrassing
@bcafcwin: Don’t want to hear any halfarsed words from the manager or players. Turn up and actually look like you give a shit. Embarrassing yourselves and the football club. Every single one of them involved tonight.
@BcfcDresser: Have they stopped playing for him or something? This doesn’t just look like a blip, we could have conceded 12 in the last two games. Totally fallen off a cliff. All eyes on the boardroom because they cannot afford to cheap their way out of this before the deadline. Shambolic.
@IanLabour: That was FAR worse than a defeat: it was a capitulation. Lincoln had forty five touches in our box to our five touches in theirs. They had eighteen shots with eight on target. We had two shots with one on target. Our xG in the first half was 0.00%. CAPITULATION. Gutless. Useless.
@BaconBantam: Losing is fine, teams lose all the time but there has been zero fight on these last few games and players who would run through walls for the club have been let go with nothing of note coming in.
@ste_rugbyleague: What will ‘improve us as a team’ would be to revert to how we played earlier, ball on the floor, fast moving football with ball played to feet instead of this constant hoofball rubbish. The downward spiral is on Rupp Sparks and Alexander. #bcafc
@manlik3padzz: I was surprised by how poor you were. Although your support was large in numbers it was one of the quietest away from ends in recent weeks. Having said that you didn’t have a lot to cheer
Back home. Dreadful. Perhaps a little more effort than Sat. but no quality. Too easy for Lincoln, they didn’t get out of 2nd gear. Seems the club have accepted mediocrity this season and will settle for a lower table finish. Lovely gesture from Lincoln pre match. #bcafc pic.twitter.com/4RRtlm4sFI
— Labeeb Aslam (@nottmbantam) January 27, 2026
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