Tuesday 7 November 2017
Checkatrade Trophy Northern Group F - Match 3
Bradford City 0
Rotherham United 3 (Yates 17, Clarke-Harris pen 31, Towell 45)
Kick Off: 7:30pm
at the Northern Commercials Stadium
Attendance: 931 (48 visitors)
An experimental City side lost their final group game of this season's Checkatrade Trophy at the hands of Rotherham United thanks to a three-goal burst from the visitors in the opening period.
With City fielding an untried defensive unit for the game, the Bantams conceded goals from Jerry Yates, Jonson Clarke-Harris from the penalty spot and a Richie Towell effort on the stroke of half time to give the Millers a strong interval advantage.
Jordan Gibson twice came close to netting an eye-catching goal for City, with one positive dribble and shot in each half from the former Rangers attacker.
Gibson's first half opening was particularly impressive, with the young winger turning away from three Rotherham players before seeing a shot from inside the box parried behind by visiting 'keeper Lewis Price.
The second period saw the introduction of 16 year-old Jake Maltby and 15 year-old Reece Staunton off the bench for City.
With Staunton not due to turn 16 until next month, the defender's involvement in the game made him the youngest ever player in the club's history to represent the Bantams in a first team fixture.
Although City are already through to the knock-out stages of the Checkatrade Trophy, the Bantams must now wait until the result of the Chesterfield-Manchester City U21s match towards the end of this month to see whether they will finish top of Group F and secure a home game in the next round.
FT: Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 3
90min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
89min: Gibson moves away from two challenges before curling a low strike from just outside the box narrowly past the post.
86min: Sattelmaier races out of his box to prevent Towell from reaching a loose ball. The German goalkeeper eventually ends up midway into his own half with the ball at his feet before kicking clear up-field.
82min: SUB - Jake Maltby eventually replaces Dieng to bring City back up to their full compliment of players. Thompson takes over the captain's armband.
81min: Dieng has walked off the pitch, presumably with an injury, leaving City temporarily down to ten men.
81min: SUB - Rotherham bring on Reece McGinley for Forde.
80min: Kayode goes for goal from outside the box and the curling effort is gathered up by Sattelmaier.
74min: SUB - Rotherham bring on Joshua Kayode for Clarke-Harris.
74min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Reece Staunton for Poleon. With Staunton not 16 years-old until next month, the defender becomes the youngest player to represent Bradford City in a first team match.
70min: Forde fires well wide of Sattelmaier's far post with a rising drive from just outside the box.
70min: McCartan takes aim from distance but fires comfortably over with a rising left-footed strike.
64min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Ellis Hudson for Patrick.
62min: SUB - Rotherham bring on Alex Bray for Taylor.
52min: Gibson's corner delivery into the box is met by Omari Patrick but the attacker's header loops up into the night's sky before eventually dropping onto the roof of the net.
46min: Taylor surges into City's penalty area after skipping past Devine and proceeds to curl a low bouncing effort narrowly past Sattelmaier's far post.
46min: The Bantams restart the match.
HT: Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 3
45+2min: Poleon flicks just past the near post following Gibson's low cross into the middle from City's right flank.
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
45min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 3 - The Millers increase their lead even further when Towell fires low into the bottom corner with a side-footed strike from just outside the box after being teed up by Yates.
43min: YELLOW CARD - Richie Towell is booked during a break in play after a number of earlier fouls in the half.
41min: From Gibson's near-post corner delivery, Timothee Dieng flicks on and the ball hits off Clarke-Harris behind him, with Price needing to make a diving save on the line to prevent a possible own goal.
31min - GOAL - Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 2 - Clarke-Harris makes no mistake with the resulting penalty, finding the bottom corner with a firmly-struck effort despite Sattelmaier guessing the right way.
31min: PENALTY TO ROTHERHAM - The Millers awarded a spot-kick when Devine is penalised for a foul on Clarke-Harris as Taylor's wide free-kick delivery bounced around the Bantams box.
26min: Jordan Gibson denied a superb goal! The right winger dribbles into Rotherham's penalty area, turning away from three players in the process, before seeing a low drive pushed around the post by an alert save from Price.
23min: Forde's shot from distance on his left foot is gathered up by Sattelmaier.
23min: Anthony Forde's low cross into the box lands at the feet of Yates but the striker's goal-bound shot from deep inside the area is blocked out by the body of Alex Laird.
17min: GOAL - Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 1 - The visitors take the lead through Yates. Clarke-Harris' centre eventually drops into the path of Yates, who shows good composure to turn into shooting space before firing past Sattelmaier from close range.
13min: Yates glances a header comfortably wide of goal following Jon Taylor's curling cross from Rotherham's left flank towards the far post.
10min: Sattlemaier's long kick forward from a free-kick is flicked on by Timothee Dieng into the Rotherham penalty area. Dominic Poleon looks to latch onto the bouncing ball to give himself a clear sight of goal but Rotherham 'keeper Lewis Price is out quickly to push away rather unconvincingly.
7min: After receiving the ball in the box from Jerry Yates, Jonson Clarke-Harris moves away from Adam Thompson but Rouven Sattelmaier is out quickly to close down the angle and smother the striker's shot behind for a corner.
0min: Rotherham United kick off the match. The Bantams will attack towards the T L Dallas Stand in the first period.
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:
Sattelmaier, Devine, Thompson, Laird, Robinson, Patrick, Dieng, Pybus, Gibson, McCartan, Poleon
Subs: Raeder, Hudson, Hefele, Staunton, Maltby, Powell, Kirkpatrick
Bradford City substitutions:
Hudson for Patrick (64), Staunton for Poleon (74), Maltby for Dieng (82)
ROTHERHAM UNITED LINE UP:
Price, Emmanuel, Mattock, Onariase, Wiles, Hinds, Towell, Forde, Taylor, Clarke-Harris, Yates
Subs: O'Donnell, Ajayi, Bray, Warren, Francis, Kayode, McGinley
Rotherham United substitutions:
Bray for Taylor (62), Kayode for Clarke-Harris (74), McGinley for Forde (81)
Rotherham United cautions:
Towell (43)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Robert Lewis
Assistant Referee: Richard Wild
Assistant Referee: Simon Clayton
Fourth Official: David Webb