BRADFORD City boss Mark Hughes felt a late defeat at Colchester United was 'very harsh' on his side.

Tom Eastman's stoppage-time winner inflicted a 1-0 defeat on the Bantams, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Hughes felt Bradford were the better team, in the League Two clash.

And the former Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers boss said his players deserved more than they got.

Hughes said: “We’re disappointed and in fairness, I thought we played OK.

“I thought we were the better side clearly and the one side that wanted to play.

“Colchester had a five-minute spell at the end where they got brave enough to have a go.

“They weren’t prepared to do that for 85 minutes.

"They got their reward but it was very harsh on us but I thought the lads did OK and had plenty of chances.

Gazette:

"Sam (Hornby) in the opposition goal has done OK.

"He saved a couple; I think one hit him straight in the face and he didn't know much about that.

“You get those little breaks in games that today we haven’t had and that’s the disappointment.

"I was more than happy with how we went about our business.

"We kept the ball, asked questions of a decent team who just wanted to sit in and play counter attack football, as the home side.

"That's what we'll face time and time again, so we've just got to get the details right.

"We were the only team that wanted to win it and I thought three points was there for the taking.

"If we'd just got the one goal, we'd have seen the game out comfortably I think.

"It's harsh but we'll learn from it and we'll pick ourselves up again."

Gazette:

Colchester grabbed their winner when Eastman headed home Noah Chilvers' free-kick, in the seventh minute of stoppage-time.

Bradford hit a post seconds later through substitute Andy Cook, as the visitors were beaten.

Hughes said: "With the ball going into your box - listen, it's League Two football and you know that things can happen when that happens.

"We didn't get the marking right and unfortunately, it's got to the big lad (Tom Eastman) and he's dispatched it.

"But for the most part, we were clearly the better side but we've got to convert these chances in these games and make sure we pick points up.

"That's two games where we've conceded late goals and it's cost us too many points."

Bradford felt they should have been awarded a penalty shortly before Eastman's winner when substitute Lee Angol tumbled in the box following a challenge by Cameron Coxe.

However, referee Carl Brook waved away the visitors' claims.

Hughes added: “I asked the referee why he didn’t give it and he said he did not think it was a penalty.

“He also said he was going to book Lee (Angol) for diving and then decided against it.

“I’ve got to be careful what I say but I just felt there were a lot of decisions that went against us."