Three-goal Rotherham blitz sends Bradford City crashing to defeat

But the only similarity with the Don Valley and London 2012 is the running track.

With its 1970s East German clock looming over the vast swathe of empty seating, there cannot be a less inviting arena to watch sport. It’s got a good view of the hills surrounding Sheffield but that’s about it.

No wonder Rotherham cannot get out quick enough.

Forget the countdown to the summer games, the Millers are ticking off the hours until they can pitch up in New York – their new home which is due to open for next season.

But until yesterday, the Don Valley had been a happy hunting ground for the Bantams. Trips to this wide-open bowl had usually been worth the trouble.

That all changed in 11 nightmarish minutes midway through the second half.

For just over an hour, City seemed to be cruising towards a second successive goalless away draw with Rotherham to go with two earlier wins.

Then, like a runner suddenly hitting the wall, Phil Parkinson’s men were brushed aside as a quickfire treble blast put paid to the unbeaten run.

Parkinson had been forced to break up the back four that had done such an impressive recent job after Simon Ramsden broke a toe courtesy of the late lunge by Shrewsbury full back Joe Jacobson on Saturday.

Marcel Seip switched sides and Robbie Threlfall returned for his first start since getting injured at Macclesfield in October.

Leeds loan signing Charlie Taylor also came straight in for Jack Compton and Ricky Ravenhill was back from suspension. Alongside him, David Syers kept his place ahead of the club’s appeal over his hotly-disputed Shrewsbury red card.

For a Yorkshire derby, the game started off in a very flat atmosphere – in Olympic terms, more the first qualifying round of the archery than the 100 metres final.

You sense Man United and Man City would have struggled to generate much better at a venue that is so far removed from the crowd it feels like playing on the moon.

But City were once again backed in good numbers, making up a third of the 5,368 crowd, and all confident of seeing their recent good form continue.

The visitors looked comfortable in the opening exchanges, enjoying plenty of the ball, although little was happening.

James Hanson, trying to extend his hot streak, was the first to offer a shot in anger as he warmed the hands of Rhys Taylor after chasing Luke Oliver’s clearance.

The Rotherham keeper, one of three Taylors in action, had only joined hours earlier on loan from Chelsea.

It was stop-start stuff, with the ball spending a fair chunk of the time out of play. A lack of ball boys just added to the delays.

As the game struggled to find a rhythm, Ravenhill needed treatment after a clash of heads with Danny Harrison. The break briefly roused the home side and Jason Taylor found room for a shot over the bar.

Hanson and Nahki Wells were asking questions of the Rotherham back four without creating anything. Charlie Taylor had a good chance to cross for Hanson but lingered in possession and the opportunity was lost.

After a tepid half hour, the away fans tried to rouse proceedings by upping the volume. There was no noise from the home supporters in their soulless environment – the day they move into a ground they can call their own cannot come soon enough.

An ugly long-range drive from Harrison drew an ironic cheer as it bounced across the running track behind Jon McLaughlin’s goal.

City had a sniff after 36 minutes from their second corner. Craig Fagan’s deep kick picked out the flying Hanson but the striker could not get a decent contact on the ball.

There wasn’t the snap in the passes from Saturday and it looked like a second game in three days. But City had not been remotely troubled as half-time approached.

Syers won another corner and the keeper got in trouble as he came for it through a ruck of players. The ball bobbled around invitingly before referee Robert Madley dug Rotherham out of the hole by giving a free-kick for a push.

But City had a scare just before the break when they failed to close down Lewis Grabban outside the penalty area. He slid a pass through to Danny Schofield, whose cross-shot did not miss the far post by much as McLaughlin looked on anxiously.

At least it did trigger a little flurry of action in the two added minutes.

Wells tried to burrow his way into the Rotherham box but the ball wouldn’t come down for him. Rotherham went straight up the other end to win a corner but Andrew Davies blocked the header and then cleared out any danger.

City were attacking towards the corner segment of their fans for the second half. But Rotherham had the first chance when Oliver leaned all over Chris Holroyd, Sam Wood wasting the free-kick from 25 yards out.

Syers had been quieter than Saturday but a bursting run into the box almost set up Wells, who just failed to control the ball in his stride. Rotherham responded with a corner but Johnny Mullins nodded off course.

The City keeper was called upon after a loose pass from Oliver was picked off on the halfway line. Wood found Schofield, whose well-struck drive was palmed away – McLaughlin’s first save of the afternoon.

Parkinson introduced Ross Hannah’s fresh legs on the hour for Wells as he looked to liven things up. But Rotherham had shown more conviction since the break – and made the breakthrough in the 63rd minute.

Oliver was again punished for a foul and City failed to deal with the free-kick when it was hoisted into the mix. McLaughlin tried to claim in the scrum but the ball popped up loose and Grabban forced home as the visitors claimed in vain for a push on the keeper.

It got worse for McLaughlin four minutes later as Wood burst clear to his left. The City keeper went to challenge with his feet and claimed he played the ball onto the full back as he tumbled, but instead of awarding a goal-kick, referee Madley pointed to the spot.

Protests once again fell on deaf ears and Grabban sent McLaughlin the wrong way to double Rotherham’s advantage.

City had paid a heavy price for not coming out of the traps for the second half – just as they had done at Valley Parade in November.

For McLaughlin, the agony was not finished. Brett Williams had only been on for three minutes when he chanced his arm with an outrageous attempt from the touchline 25 yards out.

The keeper was left back-pedalling as he tried to deal with the flying effort but the momentum took him into the net with the ball.

Parkinson opted to rest Syers by bringing on Lee Bullock and Mark Stewart also got a run-out, nearly pulling one back with a header that bounced off the post.

But the contest was finished and the majority of travelling supporters had headed for the exit long before the final whistle.