BRADFORD CITY AFC

Thursday 26 December 2013
Sky Bet League 1
Bradford City 0
Rotherham United 1 (Vuckic 20)
Kick Off: 3.00pm
at the Coral Windows Stadium

Attendance: 18,218 (2,501 visitors)
Pictures kindly provided by Claire Epton

The Bantams tasted defeat in their Boxing Day clash with Yorkshire neighbours Rotherham United thanks to a single first half strike from Millers loanee Haris Vuckic.

Vuckic, who Rotherham are currently borrowing from Premier League side Newcastle United, curled a fine effort into the top corner from just inside the area in the twentieth minute to condemn City to another loss against the South Yorkshire side.

City's best chance of the half came when Garry Thompson forced a smart save from Rotherham 'keeper Adam Collin ten minutes before the interval as Steve Evans' side edged a tight and keenly-fought opening period.

Without the injured James Hanson, the Bantams' efforts to mount a come back in the second period looked severely limited, allowing Rotherham to ease over the line for their sixth successive victory over Phil Parkinson's side.

With Peterborough goalscorer Andy Gray also sidelined along with Hanson, Parkinson opted to give seventeen-year-old forward Oliver McBurnie his first senior start in attack.

McBurnie was joined in City's starting eleven by the returning Carl McHugh, who replaced the suspended Rory McArdle in central defence for his first league start of the campaign.

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FT: Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 1
90+3min: SUB - The Millers bring on Pablo Mills for Revell.
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
87min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Luke Oliver for McHugh. With City now electing to play three at the back, Oliver will go up front to give City more aerial presence in attack.
76min: YELLOW CARD - Carl McHugh is booked for knocking into Revell as the pair challenge for the ball by the near touchline.
75min: YELLOW CARD - Rotherham's Milsom is booked for a late challenge on Connell by City's left flank.
73min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Alan Connell for McBurnie.
69min: A flick on from Alex Revell sees Agard clear in space down City's left flank and the visitors with a three-on-two counter-attack situation. Instead of passing to waiting team-mates Revell and Pringle though, Agard elects to shoot from inside the area and his shot is blocked behind by the diving frame of Bates.
66min: Frecklington arrives on the ball inside the area before firing in a low drive from a tight angle that whistles across goal before narrowly rolling past the far post.
65min: Running at a retreating Bates, Tavarnier takes aim from just inside the area following a swift Rotherham forward. Tavarnier strikes for the bottom corner but his low angled strike is pushed around the post by McLaughlin.
64min: YELLOW CARD - Pringle is booked for dragging down McBurnie out on City's right flank.
62min: Seconds later, James Tavarnier finds himself in space inside the area but the Newcastle loanee snatches at the chance from around fourteen yards out and fires over the bar.
62min: Wells fires for goal from just inside the area but the strike is straight at Collin.
60min: SUB - Thompson is taken off and replaced by Mark Yeates for City.
55min: YELLOW CARD - Frecklington is booked for crashing into Thompson midway into Rotherham's half as the Bantams winger looked to lay the ball off to Jones.
49min: Tavarnier's effort from the resulting free-kick is well-struck but it is also pushed away by a diving McLaughlin.
48min: YELLOW CARD - Stephen Darby is booked for bundling over Agard from behind as the Rotherham attacker looks to stride towards City's penalty box.
47min: Frecklington tries an optimistic strike on the half-volley from distance as the ball lands in his path but his snap shot is comfortably saved by McLaughlin.
46min: The Millers restart the match.
HT SUB - Rotherham bring on Joe Skarz for Vuckic before the start of the second period.
HT: Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 1
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
43min: Matthew Bates flings himself at a Jones corner but fails to get a clear connection the ball. The delivery instead hits Bradley before dropping down loose in the area. The Rotherham right back is able to kick the loose ball behind for another corner, however, before a City attacker can look to pounce.
38min: YELLOW CARD - Vuckic is booked for a challenge from behind on Reid midway into City's half.
35min: McBurnie's lay-off inside the area finds Thompson but his fierce angled drive is pushed behind by Collin.
33min: James Meredith's cross from a quick Kyel Reid throw-in is attacked by both Oliver McBurnie and Thompson. The ball loops up towards goal but Adam Collin is comfortably able to step back and cling onto the ball before it can drop under the crossbar.
28min: Ben Pringle's flighted far post delivery from a Rotherham corner finds the unmarked Agard lurking but, luckily for City, the attacker doesn't seem to be expecting the cross to reach him and the ball bounces off him and out for a goal-kick.
24min: SUB - Davis is brought off by Rotherham for Rob Milsom.
24min: Kieran Agard's low drive from just outside the area following a swift attack forward by the Millers is easily gathered up by McLaughlin.
20min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 1 - The visitors take the lead through Haris Vuckic. Following a surging run forward by Lee Frecklington, the ball eventually falls into Vuckic's path and the Newcastle United loanee curls a delightful effort from just inside the area into the far top corner.
19min: YELLOW CARD - Mark Bradley is booked for a late challenge on Nathan Doyle inside City's half.
17min: After latching onto a Garry Thompson flick-on from a big Jon McLaughlin kick forward, Nahki Wells turns away from Claude Davis inside the area before firing in a low drive that bounces a yard or so wide of goal.
11min: Gary Jones' teasing delivery from a wide free-kick whistles across goal, narrowly missing everyone in the middle, before going out for a goal-kick.
0min: With the Coral Windows Stadium bouncing thanks to a bumper Boxing Day crowd, the Bantams kick off the match.

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BRADFORD CITY LINE UP
McLaughlin, Darby, Bates, McHugh, Meredith, Thompson, Doyle, Jones, Reid, McBurnie, Wells

Subs: Ripley, Ravenhill, Oliver, Kennedy, Yeates, Taylor, Connell

Bradford City changes:
Yeates for Thompson (60), Connell for McBurnie (73), Oliver for McHugh (87)

Bradford City cautions:
Darby (48), McHugh (76)

ROTHERHAM UNITED LINE UP
Collin, Bradley, Morgan, Davis, Tavarnier, Agard, Frecklington, Arnason, Pringle, Vuckic, Revell

Subs: Shearer, Brindley, Skarz, Mills, O'Connor, Milsom, Tidser

Rotherham United changes:
Milsom for Davis (24), Skarz for Vuckic (46), Mills for Revell (90+3)

Rotherham United cautions:
Bradley (19), Vuckic (38), Frecklington (55), Pringle (64), Milsom (75)

MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: D Bond
Assistant Referee: S Clayton
Assistant Referee: S Hudson
Fourth Official: S Meredith