Rosler: Lessons for Fleetwood to learn but we still have a chance

Town are still in with a chance of reaching Wembley despite Rory McArdle’s 77th-minute header giving Stuart McCall’s side the advantage.

Town went down fighting at Valley Parade, where a crowd approaching 16,000 created a cauldron of noise.

Rosler praised his back five but said Town needed to take their chances after David Ball and Devante Cole wasted key opportunities.

He said: “We didn’t expect it any different. They played with enormous tempo and intensity first half but they got more quiet in the second half.

“We weathered the storm really well. I think the back five were tremendous.

“We had one situation where we had luck – they put the ball on the post – but they did not really have clear-cut chances in the first half. I don’t think our keeper needed to make a big save.

“They dropped their intensity and we got into the game better. First half we had a big chance for Bally, second half a really big chance for Devante.

“In a game like that you don’t get many and you need to score on at least one of those occasions.

“It’s a little bit of a pity we conceded from a corner. We are normally very good but they had many.

“We highlighted McArdle as a threat before the game but apart from that the players did tremendously well. They were very tenacious and gave it all in terms of effort, desire, organisation.

“That is a great lesson for our young players because in the first half I don’t think some of them had experienced that sort of tempo.”

Rosler admitted the odds are in Bradford’s favour now but said Town can hit back.

“They are in a better position than us,” he said. “The chances are now 60/40 Bradford but not better than that.

“We could have scored but they had the majority of the game.

“They are Bradford City and we are Fleetwood Town, but we did really well for Fleetwood. I’m really happy and we have a chance.”