City suffered more league frustration after falling a narrow home defeat at the hands of high-flying Gillingham.
Despite the visitors not offering limit as an attacking force for large parts, they still managed to engineer the only goal of the game when Cody McDonald raced onto a looping through ball from strike partner Deon Burton before rounding Matt Duke and tapping home into an unguarded goal.
McDonald's goal just after the hour mark sent City crashing to a harsh defeat, especially after Phil Parkinson's side had dominated the first half at the Coral Windows Stadium.
Although chances were relatively limited in the opening period, City were clearly the sharper of the two teams and looked on the front-foot for most of the half.
Gills 'keeper Stuart Nelson produced a fine double save to deny Gary Jones and Nahki Wells, while James Hanson headed narrowly over from a teasing Kyel Reid cross.
After being second best for most of the first half, Gillingham did improve as offensively after the restart and took the lead after 64 minutes when Burton's hanging ball over the top led to some hesitancy in the City defence.
Matt Duke didn't seem quite sure whether to come and deal with the ball or stand his ground and this allowed McDonald to nip in and tap home for the game's decisive goal.
City frantically went about getting their hands on an equaliser soon after but their efforts to trouble Nelson in the Gillingham goal seemed to lack the structure and composure of the first half.
Hanson did miss a great chance to level things up when he sent a free header narrowly past the post from another Reid centre twelve minutes from the end, but City couldn't find a way past Gillingham's well-marshalled defence.
FT: Bradford City 0 Gillingham 1
90+4min: With Duke up for a late City corner which is cleared, Weston tries to fire into the empty City net with a drive from just inside the Bantams' own half. Luckily for City though, the effort sails high and wide of the target.
90+4min: Thompson hanging cross into the area is headed down into the mix by Nelson before Andrew Frampton sticks out a leg to deflect the ball narrowly past his own goal.
90+3min: Wells sees a free-kick from the very edge of Gillingham's penalty box deflect wide of goal.
90min: There will be four minutes added on at the end of the match.
86min: Burton turns away from Nelson before firing narrowly over the bar with a drive from just outside the area.
81min: SUB - City respond by bringing on Alan Connell for Naylor. The Bantams are now lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Connell just behind Wells and Hanson.
79min: SUB - Gillingham bring on Charlie Lee for McDonald. Now leaving just Burton up front with Weston supporting him, the Gills look like they are wanting to try and sit in now and see this one out.
78min: Hanson misses a great chance for the Bantams! Charging onto a clipped ball into the box by Reid, the striker powers a free header past a rooted Nelson - only to see the effort flash wide of goal as well.
73min: SUBS - City bring on Garry Thompson and Ryan Dickson for Good and Hines respectively.
73min: Picking up the ball around 25 yards from goal, Nathan Doyle elects not to cross, despite being in a decent position to so, and instead fires wide of goal with a loose effort.
70min: Whelpdale fires narrowly wide of Duke's far post from around fourteen yards out after the winger had seen his first effort blocked by the diving frame of Nelson.
64min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Gillingham 1 - City fall behind when they fail to deal with a looping ball forward from Burton. Cody McDonald races onto the ball over the top, narrowly beating Duke to the forward pass, before rounding the 'keeper and tapping into an unguarded goal.
61min: With seemingly limited options ahead of him, Stephen Darby lines up for a strike but his effort from around 30 yards out sails harmlessly into the crowd behind Nelson's goal.
59min: A long kick forward from Duke eventually bounces all the way through to Wells but the Bermudian's first time effort from just outside the effort isn't cleanly struck and Nelson can comfortably save.
59min: Anton Robinson is given the time to turn and shoot but his effort from distance is slashed well wide of goal.
55min: SUB - Allen, who had been struggling since early into the second half with an apparent knock, is replaced by the pacey Myles Weston.
52min: Hanson races onto a hanging cross from Reid before heading for the corner of the goal. The effort lacks the power to trouble Nelson, however, who gathers with relative ease.
52min: Chris Whelpdale's low strike from outside the area is well held by a diving Duke.
49min: Deon Burton's low driven free-kick from around 30 yards out flies not too far off target before crashing into the sponsor-boards behind Duke's goal.
46min: Gillingham restart the match.
HT: Bradford City 0 Gillingham 0
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
44min: Reid's teasing low ball into the box is vitally cut out by Adam Barrett before Hanson can look to pounce from close range at the far post.
36min: Nelson makes a vital double save to deny the Bantams! The Gills shot-stopper is first called into action to palm away a drive from outside the area by Jones before the 'keeper is up to tip-over Wells' follow-up header from the rebound.
34min: Wells races onto a Hanson flicked header forward just outside the area but, despite being in a good position to threaten, Wells' strike for goal on the turn actually ends up clearing the T.L Dallas Stand behind Nelson's goal.
29min: Wells flicks a looping header goalwards from a wide free-kick by Gary Jones but the effort lacks the pace and direction to trouble Nelson, who gathers easily.
26min: Hanson rises up to met a teasing centre from Reid before heading narrowly over Nelson's bar.
17min: Nahki Wells is first to a low Reid cross but his volley from around twelve yards out isn't sweetly struck and trickles out harmlessly for a goal-kick.
8min: Cutting inside from Gillingham's left flank, full back Joe Martin drives for goal but his low strike from just outside the area on his weaker right foot is simple enough for Matt Duke.
2min: Kyel Reid's teasing delivery from the resulting corner narrowly misses the lurking Michael Nelson and Tom Naylor near the far post before going out of play for a goal-kick to Gillingham.
1min: Zavon Hines beats Joe Martin to a neat flick forward from James Hanson but, from a tight angle by the byline, Gills 'keeper Stuart Nelson comes out and smothers behind Hines' close range cross-come-shot.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match. They will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first half.