GARY Bowyer was delighted to see City rediscover their fighting spirit in last night's 1-1 draw with Cheltenham.

Jamie Devitt’s red card meant they had to play the second half at Valley Parade with 10 men.

The Bantams also lost defender Kelvin Mellor with a hamstring injury.

But Bowyer was pleased at how his team responded after the dreadful display against Mansfield at the weekend.

He said: “There was going to be a reaction from them. They are an honest bunch, they care and they are fighting like mad.

“They know what they want, why they are doing it and who they are doing it for.

“We’ve said to them, we have to build on that now. It’s a 16-game season.”

Clayton Donaldson captained a team minus James Vaughan and Eoin Doyle, who were both left out of the squad.

The club revealed before the game that they have now received offers for the strikers with Vaughan set for a loan move to Tranmere and Doyle wanted permanently by Swindon.

But Bowyer said: “There is speculation with them but having just taken the game there is no other update from me at this moment. I just concentrate on the ones that are here.

“You have to make footballing decisions at times. You see the togetherness, the spirit and the character from these lads.

“If ever there was a performance to say your team-mates have got your back, that was it.”

Donaldson, starting his first game for three months after toe surgery, scored City’s goal with a penalty after Shay McCartan was fouled in the box.

Bowyer added: “I can’t speak highly enough of him and the way he goes about it, how he looks after himself and the shape he is in.

“He was only looking at doing half an hour but I surprised him and said we needed him for an hour. It epitomises the character that he is and it rubs off on all the other lads.

“When you see your front two pressing as hard as they were, in the first half in particular, it gives you that boost.

“I thought the organisation, character, shape and willingness to run epitomised what this group is about.

“It’s hard to pick out an individual but Dylan Connolly has never really played in midfield before and I thought he was excellent in his energy. Again, that fed off on the other players.”

But Bowyer was unhappy with referee Seb Stockbridge and felt Devitt’s dismissal for two bookable offences was harsh. He thought the official was fooled by defender Charlie Raglan staying down after the foul.

“Every challenge we made was a yellow card but everyone they made when there was contact, they didn’t seem to get the same.

“You see a lad catch the ball on the pitch with two hands and run with it. The rugby league season hasn’t started yet.

“Then the ball hits Dylan on the arm and he gets booked. That was another thing the lads had to overcome.

“The lesson (for Devitt) is once you’ve made that first challenge, you can’t give him the opportunity (to make the most of a challenge).

“A big centre half like that rolling around did well to get back up if there was that much contact.”