MATCH REPORT: Millers pipped by Bradford

ROTHERHAM United suffered their first League One defeat in four at the hands of Bradford City in a feisty Yorkshire derby.
Richie Towell gets a shot away.Richie Towell gets a shot away.
Richie Towell gets a shot away.

Romain Vincelot’s first-half goal separated two evenly matched teams and Paul Warne’s side finished with ten men after Joe Mattock picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time.

It was the Bantams’ first win over the Millers in eight attempts.

The first half was a feisty, stop-start affair but there was plenty to entertain the near 21,000 strong crowd in between the stoppages.

It took two timely clearances by Joe Mattock to snuff out a couple of dangerous Bradford raids but the Millers’ defence went AWOL for the hosts’ opener on 21 minutes. Tony McMahon crossed and an unmarked Vincelot was allowed time and space to head home.

Rotherham were left wondering how they didn’t score five minutes later. Jon Taylor, freed in the area, had his effort blocked by Colin Doyle and Kieffer Moore’s follow-up was miraculously cleared off the line by Matt Kilgallon.

Although the Millers got on top up to half time, it took smart work from young goalkeeper Marek Rodak, dashing out to block from Dominic Poleon, to deny the Bantams a second goal.

The action was just as frantic in the second half between two evenly matched sides. Doyle showed good reflexes when Moore deflected a drive from Richie Towell and the Brighton loanee also had another effort beaten out by the Bradford stopper, with Nathaniel Knight-Percival blocking Lee Frecklington’s follow-up.

The Bantams still carried a threat of their own and Rodak, making only his third start on loan from Fulham, excelled in another one-on-one to foil Nicky Law.

Despite Rotherham’s pressing and the introduction of the fresh legs of Anthony Forde, Joe Newell and Jonson Clarke-Harris, the final ball was often missing.

Mattock’s second yellow and dismissal for a foul as City launched a counter-attack capped a frustrating afternoon.

Bradford: Doyle, Chicksen, Reeves, Kilgallon, Vincelot (c), Law, Wyke, Poleon, Gilliead, Knight-Percival, McMahon

Millers: Rodak; Vaulks, Wood, Ihiekwe, Mattock; Williams, Potter, Frecklington, Towell, Taylor; Moore

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Attendance: 20,881 (1,642 visitors)