Hatters boss Challinor angry at 'inexcusable' goal

Dave Challinor has led Stockport County from the National League to League One

Stockport County boss Dave Challinor said his side "shot themselves in the foot" after letting a half-time lead slip to lose at home to Bradford City.

The Hatters had dominated the first half and led through Owen Moxon's strike but efforts from Will Swan and Antoni Sarcevic saw them fall to a first defeat this season.

Challinor was especially aggrieved at the nature of Swan's goal, which he felt was a "carbon copy" of the one scored by Leyton Orient in the second leg of the play-off semi-final in May that the O's ultimately won on penalties.

"What we've done is absolutely shot ourselves in the foot by another lack of concentration from the same person that cost us the same goal in a play-off semi-final," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"For it to happen is inexcusable. That then changed the momentum and we never really wrestled it back until the last 10 minutes.

"It's the cheapest goal... If it hadn't happened previously in a moment that hurts us here in a play-off game, then you maybe go ok but for it to be almost a carbon-copy is nowhere near acceptable and can't happen."

He added: "If it is a concentration thing then ultimately it will cost people their position in the team, maybe the squad and ultimately the club."

Tuesday's defeat by the unbeaten Bantams was the second time this week that Challinor's side have failed to win having been leading at the break after Leyton Orient came from 2-0 down to draw on Saturday.

Despite his frustration, he is not worried that it is a pattern that will continue.

"You look at the last seven games of last season, we conceded the first goal and didn't lose one of them," he said.

"I think last season we started in a similar ilk to this. There were things where we put ourselves in leading positions and didn't go about it in the right way.

"I wouldn't say we did that tonight. We put ourselves in a leading position and then not done our jobs. That's a big frustration and it will change."