No survival lift for Millers ... on-the-whistle report: Bradford City 1 Rotherham United 0
A FOURTH straight defeat left Rotherham United marooned in the drop zone as their fight against League One relegation took another turn for the worse tonight.
Defeat at promotion-chasing Bradford City saw them fail to close the five-point gap between them and safety on a night when most other sides in the division weren't playing.
Matt Hamshaw's men acquitted themselves well in West Yorkshire but couldn't find a response to falling behind early on and remain next to bottom in the table.
More questions will be asked about the boss's future in the hot-seat following 11 losses in the last 14 third-tier matches.
An even opening brought no real chances and the only effort on goal was a long-range attempt from Josh Benson that flew wide.
The home side took the lead with their first opportunity as the leaping Matt Pennington met Tyreik Wright's cross and powered a 10th-minute header beyond Ted Cann.
It was a baptism of fire for Cann who was making his first-ever league start.
Two minutes later, Harry Gray was kicking an advertising hoarding in frustration after seeing his goalbound shot deflected wide when a quickfire equaliser looked to be on the cards.
Rotherham were in desperate need of points in their fight to beat the drop but were up against tough opponents whose excellent home record had propelled them into the play-off spots.
The Millers stayed in the contest without being a threat to City goalkeeper Sam Walker as they played the game in hand they had on the teams above them.
Rotherham keeper Cameron Dawson had paid the price for his goal-costing derby-day error against Doncaster Rovers four days earlier and lost his ever-present league record this term as he was replaced by summer signing Cann.
There were two other changes to the starting 11, with Dru Yearwood and Brandon Cover coming in and Duncan Watmore and Shaun McWilliams dropping out.
The talented Watmore was on the bench, ready for second-half action, while in the Bantams line-up was Millers old boy Curtis Tilt.
The visitors were already without seven players through injury and another one departed early, Dru Yearwood hobbling off eight minutes after the restart to be replaced by Liam Kelly who came on for his first action in a month.
Little was happening in the second period until Jenson Metcalfe whipped a shot wide for the home team.
The Millers remained competitive but still couldn't create any danger in the opposition box until Kelly looped a 67th-minute effort over the bar.
They survived a scare when Bobby Pointon rattled the bar with a late free-kick and, despite Watmore’s presence, could fashion no further chances of their own until Cann appeared in the Bradford box for a stoppage-time corner and put a header the wrong side of the post.
What a story a goal then for the keeper would have been. It wasn’t to be and the final whistle sounded a minute later.
Rotherham’s performance had been better than recent ones yet the outcome was depressingly familiar.
Bradford (3-4-2-1): Sam Walker; Matt Pennington, Aden Baldwin, Curtis Tilt; Josh Neufville, Jenson Metcalfe, Max Power, Tyreik Wright; Bobby Pointon (Joe Wright 90+5), Antoni Sarcevic; Kayden Jackson (Ethan Wheatley 24, Stephen Humphrys 74). Subs not used: Joe Hilton, Ibou Touray, Lee Evans, Paul Mullin.
Rotherham (3-5-2): Ted Cann; Joe Rafferty, Emmanuel Adegboyega (Lenny Agbaire 87), Jamal Baptiste; Brandon Cover (Ar'Jany Martha 74), Kian Spence (Duncan Watmore H-T), Dru Yearwood (Liam Kelly 54), Josh Benson (Gabriele Biancheri 87), Reece James; Sam Nombe, Harry Gray. Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Lino Sousa.
Goals: Pennington 10 (Bradford)
Referee: Martin Woods