Bradford City Vs Rotherham: Hamshaw confident of turning things around after Valley Parade defeat
The midweek meeting of bradford city vs rotherham ended in a 1-0 victory for Bradford at Valley Parade, a result that deepens pressure on Rotherham manager Matt Hamshaw while underlining Bradford’s strength at home. The game matters now because it left Rotherham adrift in the bottom of League One and gave the Bantams another boost as they look to respond to recent setbacks.
Hamshaw accepts responsibility but insists he can control the controllables
Rotherham manager Matt Hamshaw described the situation as out of his hands and said: "That's totally out of my hands. All I can do is control the controllables, as I keep saying. " He added that he is "fighting, I'm scrapping, we're getting the best out of the group at this moment in time" and that "we're in a scrap; we're in a fight. " Hamshaw acknowledged that some fans may not favour him right now but pointed to the reception the team received at the end of the match as evidence people are seeing what the club is trying to do. He said he thought Rotherham "limited them to not a lot of chances" but conceded his team "switched off at a crucial part" when Brandon Cover turned his back and Bradford scored, and that the team should be doing better in the final third. Hamshaw also said he felt the side had a good reaction during the game but that losing again was his frustration.
Matthew Pennington header gives Bradford another home victory and lifts them in the table
Matthew Pennington scored with a 10th-minute thumping header after Tyreik Wright's cross, which came after Brandon Cover left Wright unmarked. That strike clinched a fourth home win in a row for the Bantams and, in one account of events, moved Bradford up to fourth. The same match left Bradford described elsewhere as sitting fifth in the table after 32 league matches, a detail present in the preview material.
Bradford team news, squad availability and late coach arrival
Bradford returned to Valley Parade determined to rectify a poor display against Wimbledon. The preview notes the match at Valley Parade on Tuesday night began half an hour late because the Bantams team coach was delayed. Skipper Max Power is available again after serving a two-game ban and may return to the starting XI, and one possible change under consideration was Kayden Jackson replacing Stephen Humphrys following Humphrys' goal off the bench. The preview also states Bradford have no fresh injury concerns after the Wimbledon defeat, while Graham Alexander had made five changes at Plough Lane the previous weekend and the starting line-up was likely to revert to a more familiar look.
Rotherham form, league position and a debut in goal
The Millers were described as remaining 23rd in League One after the 1-0 loss at Valley Parade and were variously reported as suffering a fourth straight defeat and as arriving on the back of a third successive loss. Sports preview figures list Rotherham with 31 points from 31 games, having won eight, drawn seven and lost 16, leaving them five points adrift of safety. Rotherham gave a league debut to goalkeeper Ted Cann; Cann was grateful for the woodwork when Jenson Metcalfe's free-kick clipped the bar, and although the Millers failed to register an effort on target Cann came close with a header from a corner in added time.
Recent results, head-to-head and voices from both dugouts
Rotherham's recent sequence before the latest defeats included a draw with Wimbledon, a 2-1 win over Northampton Town and a 4-0 away victory over Exeter City. The Yorkshire sides had met earlier in the season in a 2-2 draw in October. Bradford manager Graham Alexander described the match as "gritty" and a local derby between two teams needing points for different reasons; he said both teams competed at a high level but that Bradford had the better chances and "obviously scored the goal, " calling Pennington's effort "an absolutely, unbelievable header" and noting that if Jenson Metcalfe's free-kick had produced a second goal it would have made the game more comfortable. Matt Pennington said City have "earned the weight of expectation" at Valley Parade, that "people are looking at us to go and take the game to teams and that's what we want to do, " and pointed to the fans' support—"Having 20, 000 there the other night was amazing"—as a boost to the team. Pennington also admitted concern over the contrast between recent home performances and being bullied by Wimbledon, noting Saturday's defeat was their sixth in seven away games.
Bradford City Vs Rotherham: decisions to watch and unfinished notes on Rotherham plans
The preview flagged potential selection moves, the return from suspension of Max Power and the prospect of Kayden Jackson starting up front, while Rotherham were said to have no additional injury concerns. It was also noted that Hamshaw may look to make changes in a bid to turn their for—unclear in the provided context—leaving precise planned changes by Rotherham unresolved in the material provided.
