Bradford boss Graham Alexander felt the officials did not give his side a fair crack of the whip in their 2-1 League Two defeat at Walsall.
Saddlers substitute Danny Johnson’s 88th-minute winner settled a pulsating affair in which each side enjoyed dominant spells but spurned multiple chances.
“It’s difficult to digest that we didn’t come out with a point because I felt we deserved that over the whole game,” said Alexander, after a second defeat in three.
“Walsall were the better team in the first 20 minutes and put us under a lot of pressure – they caused us problems because their front two were allowed to compete.
“We got nothing from the (referee for) 50-50 duels – both teams had a big striker, one was allowed to compete, one wasn’t.
“At 1-1 we bring on a bit of extra firepower to try to win the game but unfortunately Vadaine wasn’t allowed to compete at the same level as [Walsall’s] Jamille Matt.
“We lost two centre-halves [to injury] and had to change shape but I thought the team was excellent in the way they approached the second half. It was constant pressure from us.
“With everything that went against us, we were still trying to get the winner and their second goal is a sucker punch.”
Walsall sit fourth after a fourth win in six games, earned through Johnson’s late header from fellow sub Albert Adomah’s cross.
They ended their penalty curse – having missed three spot-kicks already this season – when Taylor Allen tucked home after Richie Smallwood’s foul on Charlie Lakin.
But Bradford punished one-on-one misses from Walsall strikers Nathan Lowe and Matt when Olly Sanderson levelled.
Bradford’s Clarke Oduor missed a sitter from six yards as the Bantams bossed the second half before Johnson rewarded a late Walsall rally with the winner.
“After 35 minutes we could have been three or four up, I thought we were absolutely brilliant,” said Walsall boss Mat Sadler.
“The threat we posed was evident, we had worked on how we wanted to hurt them and we were doing that over and over again.
“We had to show a different side in the second half – there was clearly a 10-minute spell where they were on top and we had to defend for our lives in the penalty area, and we did that.
“But we thoroughly deserved the win, we had to win in loads of different ways and that’s what makes me most proud.
“When you score late goals like we did today and like we have done in other games already, it shows the energy in the team and the willingness to keep running.
“Danny had three chances on goal after coming on and that shows our willingness to be on the front foot.”
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