City reserves 0, Rotherham United reserves 4

Steve Williams made his first appearance in City colours in over 14 months as a youthful reserve side lost heavily to their Rotherham counterparts in the Central League Division One East.

Williams, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Scotland, had previously been sidelined for the Bantams after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

The central defender managed 45 minutes against the Millers at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds before being substituted.

Along with Williams, City gave playing time to as many as four trialists during their first reserve fixture of the new calendar year.

Louie Swain twice went close to scoring for the Bantams during the early exchanges but it was Rotherham who broke the deadlock after half an hour through Kieran Agard.

Daniel Kearns doubled the lead barely a minute later before Scott Brown forced a great save by the United keeper and then hit the bar early in the second half.

But City’s hopes of a comeback were ended on the hour mark as Kearns added his second goal, with Daniel Rowe later rubbing salt into their wounds after Swain had gone close again.

City reserves: Senior, Hiza, Villermann, Williams (Bott), Arundel, Lee (Stevenson), Brown, Erangey, Bass, Swain, Bower (McBurnie).