DAVID Hopkin admitted it was tough to take after City’s late collapse saw them beaten 3-2 at Blackpool.

The Bantams were heading for victory in his first game as head coach after goals from Eoin Doyle and Jack Payne.

But Blackpool stormed back to score three times in the last 10 minutes to snatch the points.

Hopkin said: “l asked for a performance from the players and they gave me everything. It’s been three mistakes in 10 minutes that have undone us.

“Richard (O’Donnell) had one save at 2-0 and Anthony O’Connor has cleared one off the line. But other than that, we’d dealt with everything and I thought we would see the game out.

“I’m bitterly disappointed with the result but the performance gave me encouragement for going forward.”

Blackpool’s first two goals both came from Jay Spearing penalties, the home skipper converting the first and then following up after O'Donnell initially blocked the second, and Hopkin felt City were hard done by with the equaliser.

“The second penalty was soft to say the least,” he said. “The ref couldn’t wait to give it.

“That gives them the momentum but we should see the game out.

“But sometimes that comes from having four 19-year-olds on the pitch. It’s always difficult but I can’t fault the players.

“Even at 2-2, I’d have been disappointed with a point."