Match Report 2002-2003

Saturday 18 January, 2003, Division One

Rotherham United away

There was something woefully naive about City in the 3-2 loss to Rotherham United.

Entering the game it was always easy to see what the visitor's threat was going to be. They stand like a team of giants and within ninety seconds a few big balls forward had shown their intentions. Rotherham was a team that play off for set pieces, Martin McIntosh rose after twenty minutes to get his head on one such set piece to equalise the game, but it was naivety of City's back line giving away fouls in dangerous positions time and time again that was most disturbing.

Claus Jorgensen had started the game in the best possible fashion. The Dane got under a Wayne Jacobs lob into the box to finish smartly after two minutes to give City a lead that Nicky Law wanted defending but on twenty minutes Law saw Jorgensen give away another silly free kick and the score levelled.

Law had already abandoned the impetus in the match after the early goal. Andy Gray, starting alongside the returning Ashley Ward up front, was moved to the right wing and City switched to 451. Why I could not say. A packed midfield was worthless against a team that launched the ball over the middle of the pitch. City could have had a second after ten minutes before Gray had moved back, the former Forest man getting behind the right back and firing a shot that was well saved by Mike Pollett. Ashley Ward could have done better with the rebound.

Nevertheless at the end of the half City had done well to get in level after giving Rotherham the ammunition for an aerial bombardment. A word or two on Rotherham and their boss Ronnie Moore. Moore has worked miracles in this tiny ground with tiny resources and when his best played player is on a tenth of what ours in you can see what he would be so angered by us. Something stops this manager from going onto bigger and better things. It is his style.

Moore's Rotherham are retro. They are Dave Bassett Wimbledon and the idea of a set of fan's brought up on passing, as most Premiership side would claim and the team that Moore thought wanted him Ipswich would certainly include with, would take to this kind of football is nonsense. In short, Ronnie Moore will do well to get higher than Rotherham because his football is untidy and ugly. This was an untidy and ugly game.

Untidy and ugly is perhaps the best was to describe Robert Molenaar's backside which Darren Garner hit a weak shot onto that had Aidan Davison wrong footed. It was unlucky on City. A craftless goal.

Ten minutes later and Darren Byfield went down over a Robert Molenaar leg after Peter Atherton had abandoned his defensive duties in favour of diving in to a tackle. Byfield scored the resultant penalty. Andy Gray pulled a penalty back for City after Ashley Ward was brought down in the box clear through on goal. How the offending defender Martin McIntosh did not get sent off is a mystery.

A mystery too is how Peter Atherton was red carded. Atherton was booked for a challenge for the ball which no man would call foul, particularly in such a physical game. He was sent off late in the game for what can only be described as a good tackle. Portsmouth's Paul Merson decribed the difference between the Premiership and the First Division as being in the officials. "They are just not up to it" the former Arsenal man said. I agree.

Claus Jorgensen lashed a shot wide in injury time but ultimately it was Rotherham's day. The rest of the foot of the division lost so City lose no ground but one hopes for better when the Bantams go to Grimsby for a six pointer next week.

Man of the Match

Andy Gray

The best thing about this season?

Bradford City Team