Phil Parkinson admits City must not be deflected from their push for safety by the “surreal” midweek scenes.

The Bantams boss has found it hard to switch off from the brawl after the Crawley game.

As well as the Football Association’s charge for failing to control their players and the club’s own inquiry, television pictures of the fighting have been shown regularly.

It is a side-show that Parkinson did not want as he tries to inch City towards League Two security.

He said: “It’s hanging over us and you can’t hide away from it. There’s been a lot of spotlight with all the media attention, which makes it difficult.

“It was a surreal situation. To lose a game is always tough and then the aftermath was hard to take. It felt as if it wasn’t real.

“Unfortunately it’s happened and we’ve got to deal with it. We’ve got no choice.

“Tuesday was a sleepless night for everybody connected with the club – but we’ve got to get going again.

“The only way we lift the mood is to go to Plymouth today and get a result. That is all we are concentrating on.”

While Andrew Davies faces up to a lengthy ban after a third red card of the season, Luke Oliver and Jon McLaughlin are out for the next three games.

Parkinson was as shocked as the fans to see them go wading in to the skirmish which followed Davies’ spat with Crawley substitute Claude Davis.

He said: “Andrew had been provoked to do what he did but he knows he shouldn’t have reacted. It was the same with the other two “Luke and Jon are two of the quietest and most respected players in the camp. They have acted completely out of character.

“Both know they shouldn’t have done it. When we complete our internal review of the situation and listen to what the FA have got to say, those players will pay the consequences.

“And then we’ll try to move on with them because they are good lads.”

City have until Tuesday to respond to the FA’s charge, for which the punishment is likely to be a fine.

Pablo Mills and Claude Davis, the two Crawley players sent off, yesterday apologised for their actions.