NPower League Two
Rotherham (3) 4 O'Connor 1, Evans 24, 86, Pringle 34
Bradford C (0) 0
Att: 11,199
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Stats: Rotherham - Bradford C
Possession: 50 - 50%
Shots on target: 6 - 2
Shots off target: 2 - 6
Fouls: 10 - 18
Corners: 5 - 4
Ref: Mark Brown (East Yorkshire)
Yellow cards:
Rotherham: Evans 54'.
Bradford C: Doyle 33', McArdle 41', Hines 45+2'
ROTHERHAM: 01 Shearer, 03 Wilson, 05 Sharps, 04 Arnason, 10 O'Connor (Taylor
- 84'), 11 Evans, 14 Bradley, 15 Pringle (Ainsworth - 87'), 19 Noble, 16
Odejayi, 17 Nardiello (Revell - 76').
SUBS: 21 Warrington, 06 Mullins, 25 Denton, 07 Ainsworth, 08 Taylor, 09
Revell, 22 Agard.
BRADFORD C: 12 Duke, 03 Meredith, 05 Davies, 06 Oliver, 23 McArdle, 07 Reid,
18 Jones, 24 Doyle (Thompson - 70'), 09 Hanson, 20 Hines (Atkinson - 46'),
21 Wells (Connell - 75').
SUBS: 01 McLaughlin, 02 Darby, 16 McHugh, 11 Thompson, 14 Atkinson, 10
Hannah, 17 Connell.
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Final whistle - match report
By Simon Parker (T&A)
For the second week running, a City league game was settled by half-time.
But the boot was very much on the other foot this time as Rotherham pocketed
the points with three goals in the first 35 minutes. They added a fourth in
the closing stages but the contest had been settled.
And to add salt to the wounds of the 2,000 travelling fans, two of those
goals came from former Bantam Gareth Evans .
Phil Parkinson's side arrived at the New York Stadium with confidence high
after three straight wins.
But they paid a heavy price for not closing down and giving Rotherham far
too much room in the first half.
City made the worst possible start as Rotherham grabbed the lead inside the
second minute. Michael O'Connor had time and space 30 yards out and his shot
flew past Matt Duke's right hand.
The visitors shook off the early blow to respond with some good pressure and
took the game to the Millers, looking to use Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines on
the flanks. Luke Oliver 's shot was saved and Nahki Wells drove over from a
James Hanson flick-on before they were further rocked by a second Rotherham
goal after 24 minutes.
Evans fired home against his old club and then celebrated in front of the
away end, jumping and punching the air to rub it in to the mass of
travelling fans.
Reid almost embarrassed Scott Shearer with a cross from a short corner that
the Rotherham keeper just managed to bundle clear. But City were far too
open at the other end and Kari Arnason headed wide from the home side's
first corner.
But a third Rotherham goal ten minutes before the break left City with a
mountain to climb. Ben Pringle picked up a loose ball in midfield, surged
into space and beat Duke via the post.
Wells thought he had clawed one back just before the break but was ruled
offside after Shearer had parried Nathan Doyle's initial effort into his
path.
Will Atkinson replaced Hines at half-time and Reid rattled an early shot not
too far wide. But Rotherham still threatened to score more and Gary Jones
nodded Kayode Odejayi's header off the line from a corner.
Evans blazed over from another good chance created by Daniel Nardiello.
Evans then almost caught City with a quick break but Oliver made a vital
lunging tackle in the box.
Alan Connell came on for Wells and created a couple of chances but there was
more danger at the other end as Duke saved from O'Connor.
And inevitably it was Evans who netted the only goal of the second half,
beating Duke at his near post with four minutes left.
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When the dust settled - match report
Another Evans wind-up caps a miserable day for Bantams
6:50am Monday 3rd September 2012
By Simon Parker
Rotherham 4, Bradford City 0
All the pre-match hype had been dominated by the name Evans.
In the eyes of the 2,200-strong travelling army from West Yorkshire, Steve Evans was the figure they were desperate to put one over.
Ninety minutes later, they were licking their wounds back up the M1 having been mugged by his namesake.
The controversial Millers boss may remain public enemy number one in these parts for his involvement in the Crawley fracas and alleged conduct
outside the dressing room afterwards.
But former Bantam Gareth Evans won't be expecting any Christmas cards from his former employers and followers after his pirouette in front of the
heaving away end.
As we know from his two years at Valley Parade , Evans on a good day can be an athletic, dangerous striker. When his head is up, he is a threat
to any defence at this level.
He didn't have too many of those good days towards the end of his time with the club. Then came the ankle ligament injury from that no-holds-
barred tackle by Michael Flynn last season.
So, for him, Saturday was some kind of football karma. For those of a claret and amber persuasion, it was pure agony.
It has become a depressing cliché in recent seasons that the bigger the away following, the worse the performance from City. Add this one to the
list.
Alicia Keys may have called New York the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. City's first jaunt to Rotherham's tidy new home quickly
unfolded into a nightmare with a goal from the home side's first attack.
The impressive discipline and well-drilled shape from the early games had been left on the team bus. City were wide open from the start, inviting
the Millers to find space and have a go – they filled their boots.
Few fans quibbled with Phil Parkinson's decision to stick with the same 11 that had destroyed Wimbledon. Play both wingers, attack the opposition
and let them worry about the consequences.
Except this was no Wimbledon ripe for the slaughter but a pumped-up Millers side still buzzing on adrenaline from their new surroundings and, no
doubt, wound up to the extreme by their gaffer.
Evans senior was, to be fair, more restrained than usual. There was the odd moan at the fourth official, the pumped fists to the home fans and a
Bantam-bating keepy-uppy demonstration before a late throw-in but generally he left assistant Paul Raynor to do all the gesticulating in the
technical area.
Both managers did keep their distance. There was still no post-match handshake with Parkinson, who had spent most of the game arms tightly
folded, pacing his own zone like an expectant father.
He had expected a lot better than this. While admitting that his team selection had been too open, he was right to question the laissez-faire
attitude of players who had done such a good job on shutting down Fleetwood, another fancied opponent, 11 days earlier.
He said: "We can't afford to take our eye off the ball as an individual player or as a team.
"It's a good lesson for us. We've had a good couple of wins and there has been a lot of positive energy around the club but this shows we've got
a lot of work to do.
"We had some great moments in the first half but we didn't produce our final pass in the last third and they did. It was a case of 'you attack,
we attack' but when they did they scored."
Rotherham's opening strike from Michael O'Connor was a belter. But the midfielder was given so much space to take aim – it was to be a recurring
theme.
City did respond to that early blow and for 20 minutes looked the most likely team to score next. Kyel Reid was a threat on the left flank and
James Hanson had plenty of joy in his aerial battle with Ian Sharps.
But Nahki Wells struggled alongside him and for all the build-up play, there was nothing incisive to really trouble Scott Shearer in the home
goal.
Inevitably, Rotherham showed how it should be done midway through the half. City failed to deal with a cross, which dropped to the unmarked
Evans, and his shot into the ground went through Duke.
Cue the madcap individual celebration, fury in the away end, and the feeling of inevitability that this was going to be a very bad day at the
office.
City had to regroup to see it through to half-time. Instead they shipped a third to the impressive Ben Pringle. His run and shot, via the inside
of the post, was excellent but again questions had to be asked about the lack of closing down.
Nathan Doyle, who looked a yard off the pace throughout, was too easily beaten in a challenge by Kayode Odejayi to allow Pringle to scamper away
unhindered with the loose ball.
Parkinson tightened up at the break and sacrificed Zavon Hines for Will Atkinson but the damage had been done by the 35th minute.
The second half was better but Rotherham still possessed that much sharper edge in attack. Gary Jones, City's best performer, headed off the line
and Duke made a couple of saves to keep the scoreline in some kind of proportion.
City improved marginally with the addition of Alan Connell for Wells, a swap you expect we will see from the start at Accrington in the next
game. But Rotherham – and that "other" Evans – had the last say with a drive that beat Duke at his near post.
Parkinson called it a "step back but only a step back". The optimism and growing belief from the previous games should not be blown away by one
awful result.
City's balloon will not be burst like all those that referee Mark Brown twice halted play to pop. They have a free week now to right those wrongs
in preparation for the uncompromising surrounds of the Crown Ground.
You can be sure it will be crammed full of away fans again. The display they witness will prove if this lesson has been properly digested.
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Drop your guard and you'll drop points in this league, says Bantams boss
7:00am Tuesday 4th September 2012
By Simon Parker
Phil Parkinson insists City's thrashing at Rotherham spelled out just how unforgiving League Two will be.
The squad face a video session in training this week to remind them exactly where they fell apart in Saturday's one-sided Yorkshire derby.
Parkinson's side face another away trip next at Accrington, who have won three of their first four games, and the City chief wants to make sure
there is no repeat of the lackadaisical display from the New York Stadium.
Parkinson felt the 4-0 loss to the bookies' favourites – coming on the back of three straight wins – underlined the size of the task if they are
going to mount a much-anticipated promotion challenge.
He said: "It's a very competitive division, more so than ever this year. We've got a decent side and a decent squad but what is clearly evident
already is that no team is much better than anyone else.
"There is no club that stands out. If you drop down ten per cent and the other team are on their game, you will get beaten.
"It's not like you're Manchester City and can afford to be below that level and still have that quality to fall back on. Their star players will
still produce something even when the team are not playing well.
"We've had three really good games leading up to this one and it was a real wake-up call. But if you aren't right at the races in all
departments, you won't win a football game."
Parkinson will not be too harsh on his players for one bad day, given their previous form against Fleetwood, Wimbledon and Watford in the Capital
One Cup. But there were too many areas where City came up short in the Yorkshire derby – errors that will be illustrated on the TV screen.
He added: "I've had to watch the video and I'll make sure they see exactly where we did things wrong. The video doesn't lie.
"They were great strikes from Rotherham but equally we've got to be better than that.
"Look at the previous three games, Fleetwood in particular, and the way we went about our jobs in terms of taking responsibility on the pitch was
top class. But we didn't get anywhere near those standards."
Parkinson's claims about the tight nature of the division are backed up by Accrington's last two results, a stunning 3-0 win at last season's
play-off finalists Cheltenham on Saturday having lost by the same score at home to Exeter a week earlier.
He said: "We know it's going to be tough again because Accrington is a really difficult place to go. I'm concentrating on making sure we are
properly prepared to produce a performance of discipline and character."
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Evans defends goal celebration after incensing Bantams fans
7:30am Monday 3rd September 2012
By Simon Parker
Gareth Evans revealed his taunting goal celebration which incensed the City fans was payback for getting crocked at Valley Parade last season.
The Bantams were today dusting themselves off from a 4-0 thumping at the New York Stadium in front of 2,200 travelling supporters.
Evans scored twice against his old club – and marked the first by leaping in the air right beneath the away end.
There were unconfirmed reports that the police were considering talking to Rotherham about his actions, which provoked a livid response from the
away crowd.
But for Evans, it was sweet revenge after he was forced off injured the last time he faced City following a crunching tackle from Michael Flynn .
Evans, who was released by City 16 months ago, said: "The (first) goal did mean a lot to me. I don't really want to say too much but, as everyone
knows, it was my old club and I had a bad time in my second year there.
"To score was enjoyable, as I felt like I was singled out when we went to Valley Parade last season. I ended up being out for three or four
months after that game.
"I only lasted about five minutes so I was keen to start (against Bradford this season). Thankfully, the gaffer gave me that opportunity and to
score made it even better.
"The goals dried up for me after I got injured at Bradford so that was all the more reason why I enjoyed the goal more."
City were behind from the first minute and skipper Gary Jones felt the performance was unacceptable for the massive following.
Jones admitted: "I apologise to our supporters for that. It wasn't good enough. In all departments, we were second best and got what we deserved.
"The first goal came as a massive shock. And after that, we ended up chasing the game for 90 minutes.
"We didn't need to do that because there was so long left. They hit us on the counter-attack twice in the first half."
Phil Parkinson had named the same side that crushed Wimbledon and played both wingers. He conceded afterwards that City had been "too open".
"I've got to take responsibility for that because I picked the team. But it was the same team that put in a very disciplined performance in a
tight game against Fleetwood, albeit at home.
"I thought we did okay up to the second goal but after that we left ourselves too vulnerable."
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Bradford City plot brighter future after avoiding 'Armageddon'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19160132
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From the Official BCFC Website…
ACCRINGTON TICKET UPDATE
The football club would like to inform supporters of a relevant development
in regards to match tickets for this Saturday's (8 September 2012) npower
League 2 fixture at Accrington Stanley.
After selling out of its initial allocation, the club have been in touch
with Accrington officials to secure more spaces for City supporters for this
weekend's fixture.
The Bantams now have both standing AND seating tickets on sale for City's
trip to the Crown Ground as a result.
City have 1,000 standing spaces and around 100 seats available at Accrington
for the match.
Due to a system failure currently affecting Accrington's Ticket Office,
however, any further tickets sold from the Bantams Ticket Office for this
Saturday's match will be printed off on BRADFORD CITY tickets.
It has been confirmed by officials at Accrington that despite these match
tickets being printed on Bradford City ticket stock, they WILL still be
valid for Saturday.
Accrington match tickets are currently priced at:
Adults: £15.00
Senior Citizens over 65's: £10.00
Students with valid ID: £5.00
Juniors under 17's: £5.00
Accompanied under 12's: £1.00
Subject to availability, tickets will be on sale on the day from Accrington
for this Saturday's match.
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