DEREK Adams felt City were responsible for their own downfall at Tranmere.

The Bantams blew a first-half lead through Levi Sutton to slump to a 2-1 loss at Prenton Park last night.

And Adams admitted his players gave the home side a helping hand with their lack of care with the ball.

“We did really well in the first period of the game to keep Tranmere quiet and played a number of times on the counter-attack,” he said.

“We got a good goal through Levi Sutton that was well worked.

“The only problem we were having in the first half was when we gave the ball away and it enabled Tranmere to get an opportunity. It was down to our fault.

“There were a number of players in the first half that gave the ball away, who should have either hooked it on or played it into an area that wasn’t going to cause us trouble.

“I said that to them at half-time. The only problem was individually we were making mistakes to give them opportunities – and then they got to 1-1 because of that.

“Elliot Watt gave the ball away and they got that opportunity.

“Then the ball goes down the side and we don’t deal well with it. The runner gets past, the ball goes into the box and it’s 2-1.

“I didn’t see Tranmere creating a lot of opportunities. To be one ahead and then 2-1 down so early in the second half wasn’t good enough.”

Tranmere struck twice soon after the break through Kieron Morris and Paul Glatzel to turn it round – and Adams was annoyed with City’s lack of response to going behind.

He added: “We didn’t create enough in the last period of the game to get us back in it. That’s disappointing because we have shown a resilience in games that wasn’t there tonight.”

City will also have to assess strikers Lee Angol and Caolan Lavery as well as Charles Vernam after all three were subbed with injuries. Adams admitted they are all “worries” for the weekend trip to bottom club Scunthorpe.