ANALYSIS: Respect but no reward for Warne's men

IT'S all or nothing with Rotherham United at the moment.
Close call...after Jon Taylor is denied by a goal-line clearance. Pictures: STEVE METTAMClose call...after Jon Taylor is denied by a goal-line clearance. Pictures: STEVE METTAM
Close call...after Jon Taylor is denied by a goal-line clearance. Pictures: STEVE METTAM

Four wins, four defeats and plenty of goals at both ends, it's been a lively start and the supporters are getting their money's worth.

While Paul Warne's hunch that his side might might be on the verge of great things could yet turn out to be true, they're still feeling their way.

The Millers have blasted one or two teams off the park and carry plenty of poke. It's the muckier, grittier one-pointers and three-pointers they need to start collecting.

Bradford City's win on Saturday wasn't swathed in style but it was the type that delights football managers. They got a lead and defended it with their lives and as Stuart McCall commented afterwards: "There are lots of different ways to win football matches."

Joe Mattock sees red in Saturday's defeat at Bradford.

Rotherham were still worth a point. They had twice as many shots and forced goalmouth scrambles and panic in the home ranks. What Warne's men missed was that quality and guile when it mattered, not to mention a lucky bounce.

Opponents seemed to have found the team's soft centre, namely their weakness to defending crosses.

Despite work on the training ground, it was their undoing again when Romain Vincelot was allowed to steal in and head the only goal of the game from Tony McMahon's centre.

As far as matches at Valley Parade go, it wasn't dissimilar to previous visits.

The crowd (a whopping 20,881) were as raucous and partisan as ever and the match was physical and often niggly, with seven yellow cards flashed as well as the red to Joe Mattock.

In between the stoppages there was still plenty to excite.

The Bradford players owe Matt Kilgallon one for his miraculous hook off the line from Jon Taylor and Nathaniel Knight-Percival for a good a terrific block to deny Lee Frecklington as Rotherham pressed City back in the second half.

Both goalkeepers did well being hard pressed back lines. Colin Doyle showed good reflexes and ability to thwart Taylor (again) and the lively Richie Towell. At the opposite end, young Marek Rodak made himself big when it counted to foil both Dominic Poleon and Nicky Law one-on-one.

The presence of Kieffer Moore after some fitness concerns was a boost but Bradford had strength in numbers at the back to keep him in check.

Joe Mattock's dismissal for a needless back at Alex Gillead in stoppage time, his second yellow of the afternoon, was probably borne out of frustration Warne felt it too. "I thought we were more than good enough for a point," he said while opposite number McCall lapped up "a fantastic three points against a really strong team."

The Millers came home empty-handed but with plenty of respect.

PLAYER RATINGS

Marek Rodak 7, Will Vaulks 5, Joe Mattock 5, Michael Ihiekwe 6, Richard Wood 6, Darren Potter 6, Ryan Williams 6, Richie Towell 7, Lee Frecklington 6, Jon Taylor 6, Kieffer Moore 6

Subs: Joe Newell for Williams (62) 6, Anthony Forde for Taylor (71), Jonson Clarke-Harris for Towell (80). Not used: Richard O'Donnell, Semi Ajayi, Ben Purrington, Jerry Yates