Millwall 1, Bradford City 0: Referees watch out. Nicky Law is on the warpath again.

The City boss left the New Den spitting feathers at Paul Danson's match-turning decision to send off Wayne Jacobs.

Jacobs became the fourth Bantam this season to see red when he was given his marching orders on the hour following a second foul on Millwall's slippery right winger Paul Ifill.

But Law and City were incensed that play was allowed to continue as far as the lunge from Jacobs, claiming that the ball had already gone out for a goal-kick.

Law has tried to bite his lip over what he sees as the deterioration of First Division officials. But this was one card too far.

Law said: "The ball has gone out but the linesman has failed to see it from five yards away. There's me standing about 60 away and I can see it's out.

"If the linesman gets the decision right then Wayne Jacobs doesn't get sent off. It's as simple as that.

"But these blokes get it wrong week after week after week. They say that the standard is getting better but I don't see that, I think it's on the decrease.

"Every time the crowd so much as yelped the referee gave the decision for them."

Jacobs tried to be more diplomatic but still felt that Paul Danson and his assistant had made a blunder.

"The other players said you could see grass between the ball and the byline," he said. "Paul Reid was sat in the stand right by the incident and he was convinced it was out.

"I was sure it had gone and just decided to have a little slide. I thought he was bound to give a goal-kick.

"But getting sent off after 60 minutes left the lads with a mammoth task. We had frustrated Millwall so much and worked so hard to condense the pitch that we deserved to get something.

"I'm really fed up about what's happened, although people that work with teams tell you to try and forget the results if you can. If you are doing the right things enough times then your fortunes will change and that's definitely the case.

"There were plenty of good aspects coming out from the game even if the result went against us again."

For those tea-leaf readers looking for omens, there was two facts to cling to in this inhospitable corner of south-east London. Unfortunately one of those was the presence of Danson, who had officiated at the Norwich game which was City's last win a dim and distant five weeks ago.

The other, according to Millwall's programme, was that the Lions had never managed to win on St Andrew's Day.

So much for Mystic Meg!

And yet, as Jacobs rightly pointed out, this latest defeat was packed with pluses. Everything seemed to go to plan - except the final score.

In came the old guard as Law had promised, with Peter Atherton and, most surprisingly, Jamie Lawrence leading the cavalry. The pair of spoilers - neither of whom had played a game of any sort for at least two months - went to work in central midfield. Pitted against Dennis Wise and David Livermore, probably the division's prickliest pair, they stood their ground magnificently.

It wasn't flash, it wasn't brash, but it was supremely effective. And with such a solid core, the team responded to the challenge.

Sadly, all the good work disappeared in a depressingly familiar way. One rush of blood and the point that seemed so safely banked had been pick-pocketed.

Steven Reid floated a deep pass to the edge of the City box and substitute Neil Harris chased, more in hope than expectation. Those sort of balls had been picked off by City's back four all day.

But instead it was keeper Boaz Myhill who charged out to try and claim. He didn't get there and instead Harris was handed one of the easiest goals he will get this season, running it into the unprotected net off his chest.

If Myhill had stayed on his line, it could have been dealt with by Andy Myers or Robert Molenaar, whose partnership in the centre of defence sucked the life out of most of Millwall's attacking ambitions.

It was a tough lesson for the England under-20 international and his team-mates were quick to rally round afterwards. Aidan Davison knows how he feels and was the first to rush to his side - although he is set to replace him against Gillingham on Saturday.

But apart from Gus Uhlenbeek, who starts his three-match ban, the rest of the side should pick itself. Same again lads, and possibly Ashley Ward back in there as well. It might sound like the party line but there is no need to panic. The teams below City are not gaining ground and the side that scrapped for every ball at The New Den are good enough to pull clear of the relegation trap-door.

They just need to find that one result to stop the rot and for long periods at the weekend, this looked just the game to do it.

City had worked hard on the training ground to defend and attack as a unit. Millwall, for all their possession, could rarely breach the Claret and Amber ranks drawn up in two lines of four.

It was City who had the best chance of the first half after only four minutes and amazingly it came from a corner.

City's powder-puff ratio from deadballs has become one of the Law's biggest bug-bears. But he had no complaints as Myers rose to power Simon Francis' kick beyond Millwall keeper Tony Warner.

Unfortunately his header could not beat his former Chelsea colleague Dennis Wise who hooked it clear off the line.

Wise has been the driving force behind Millwall's revival and he had scored in the two previous home games. But he was off beam with a free-kick of his own and Millwall were nearly caught by another City defender as Molenaar went close.

The home fans clearly expected a comfortable win against opponents on such a wretched run and their impatience was growing.

Andy Gray worried Millwall as he started to stretch his legs and Delroy Facey, having by far his most influential game for City, set off on a sensational run only to shank the shot from 15 yards.

Even with ten men, a City away win looked a strong possibility. But then the self-destruct button hovered once more into view.

Myhill had not inspired confidence generally. He had slipped over twice while taking goal-kicks - much to the amusement of the lovable locals - and looked a little nervous.

He will be beating himself up over the error of judgement that let in Harris. But after the disappointment, City can look back on a display which suggests they have turned the corner.