Blackpool boss Paul Ince says football is becoming too soft after seeing Barry Ferguson sent off in the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Matt Phillips' 85th-minute goal earned three crucial points for the Seasiders, moving them three points clear of the drop zone, but they had to do it the hard way.
Ferguson was sent off on 41 minutes after collecting his second yellow card in 10 minutes.
The first was for a challenge on Kagisho Dikgacoi and the second for body-checking Yannick Bolasie as Palace counter-attacked.
Ince said: "You start to think whether it's going to be our day with Barry being sent off. It's the last thing we needed against a very good Crystal Palace side.
"I felt it was a harsh decision. I felt the first yellow card was right but the second one, Bolasie has knocked it 20 yards past him and is never going to get it.
"He made a meal of it. You need to show some common sense. The game's getting too soft. I felt the referee got that badly wrong.
"We've got a great bunch of lads and they dug in and got their just deserts as far as I'm concerned.
"It was important we stayed disciplined. The counter-attacking worked a treat. I'm so pleased for Phillips. I was the happiest man in the stadium when he scored that and he deserves it.
"I don't think I can actually find the words to say how happy I am over that performance."
United were given a flying start when on-loan Notts County midfielder Joss Labadie drilled the ball home from 12 yards in the third minute.
The Gulls' joy was short-lived though as Rory McArdle met skipper Gary Jones' free-kick with a header four minutes later.
City went ahead in the 18th minute as home goalkeeper Michael Poke failed to clear well from Nahki Wells and Garry Thompson crashed in a thumping right-foot shot from the edge of the box. And Poke was replaced by substitute keeper Martin Rice two minutes later.
United central defender Brian Saah had an opportunity to level on the half hour mark but he drove over from 12 yards as the ball dropped to him from a scrambled free-kick clearance.
Bradford increased their lead with a textbook goal three minutes after the break, centre forward James Hanson heading in at the far post from Thompson's deep cross from the right wing.
