GARY Bowyer admitted City’s first league loss in six games came as an unexpected shock tonight.

Will Atkinson shot down his old club with an added-time winner as Port Vale clinched a 2-1 success at Valley Parade.

It was their first away win of the season and came after the Bantams had dominated the second half.

James Vaughan’s penalty right on half-time, awarded after a push on Danny Devine, had cancelled out David Worrall’s opener for Vale.

Bowyer said: “I would have been disappointed to be talking about how we hadn’t won it, never mind drawing it.

“We were a yard off it all over the pitch in the first half and didn’t really get going until after they scored.

“Then we got the penalty and some people will says it’s soft. But Danny Devine’s the most honest player we have at the club – he’s probably not learned the dark side of the game.

“To be fair to the lads at half-time, even before I got in there I could hear them saying that it wasn’t good enough.

“They certainly put that right second half. I think we’ve had 20 attempts at goal, corners and you look at two outstanding saves that their goalie has pulled off from Hope Akpan and Zeli (Ismail).

“Remi (Oteh) should score from Danny Devine’s cross and then Kelvin (Mellor) gets one cleared off the line.

“Even after the sucker punch of their second goal, we put Paudie (O’Connor) on up front and he has a great chance. We’ve seen him score those already this season.”

Harry Pritchard and Dylan Connolly were both absent for City – but the changes to the squad did not include a first appearance for Chris Taylor.

Bowyer added: “He’s not far away now. He’s getting there and certainly pushing for contention.

“We’re just waiting to put him in at the right time.

“It was a sharp reminder that everybody is competitive in this league. When your chances come along, you’ve got to take them – and you’ve got to defend a bit better than we did.

“We had numerous attempts to clear it before the second goal and we didn’t.”