Phil Parkinson has put City into quarantine after their sickness-hit side were held by struggling Notts County.

The players have been given an extra day off in a bid to clear out the germs – and the Apperley Bridge training ground is also being flushed clean.

The Bantams bossed last night’s Valley Parade clash but were grateful for a second-half equaliser by substitute Mark Yeates.

The basement side had striker Marcus Haber sent off late on but hung on for a 1-1 draw – their first point under new boss Shaun Derry.

It is now four home games without a win for City, who had enough chances to have sent the visitors to their ninth loss in ten.

But Parkinson thought it was a resilient effort considering the stomach bug that has been affecting the squad since the weekend.

Kyel Reid, Nahki Wells and Alan Connell had all missed training the day before, while James Hanson and Rory McArdle were starting to feel the effects.

Parkinson said: “Five or six by the end had sickness and diarrhoea but everyone wanted to play – even Matty Taylor but he was in such a bad state we had to send him home.

“There were key players affected and it was a case of wondering if we should leave a few of them out. Four or five of them yesterday morning weren’t going to play and the doctor had been in to see a couple.

“But I don’t want to make that a big thing because we’ve had enough chances to have won the game. You can’t fault the lads.”

Notts County stunned Valley Parade by taking the lead just before half-time through defender Gary Liddle. It stemmed from a broken-down City attack when Kyel Reid and James Meredith left the ball for each other on the edge of the visiting box.

Parkinson said: “It was a breakdown of a communication between them. It was disappointing because the ball still had to travel a long way before we conceded the goal.

“We weren’t quite as positive in the first half as we normally are. We played backwards and didn’t have as much brightness on the ball as we usually do.

“But I felt second half we were great. We started off terrifically well and had them on the rack.

“When you get a team bottom of the league scrapping for everything and they score, you could see the spirit grow.

“But we did everything we could to win it. If we’d scored early in the half, I think we’d have gone on to get three or four.

“The way we passed it to get back in the game was great. We had that mixture in our play.

“Jon (McLaughlin) has not really had a save to make and we’ve had enough chances to come away with three points.”

Yeates scored within four minutes of coming on – and will be hoping he has done enough to earn another starting chance at Oldham on Sunday.

Parkinson said: “It was a terrific finish by Mark. We know he can score goals.

“He has come off the bench for the last three games now and looked bright. That’s good for us because we know he can produce in that final third.

“You can’t do any more than come off the bench and score.”