CITY 0 DONCASTER 1

PAUL Weller hit the nail squarely on the head about City’s season.

“We don’t have to take this cr*p” boomed out over the speakers for the benefit of Valley Parade’s early arrivals.

As he sung defiantly about walls coming tumbling down, Weller echoed the thoughts of pretty much every Bantams fan who has had to suffer these last eight months – and more.

Sadly, they must continue to take everything thrown at them as the inevitable demise into League Two goes on.

Another opportunity gone and the end is surely nigh.

True, City did not deserve to suffer a fifth successive loss against a Doncaster side whose performance hardly suggested their billing as serious play-off contenders.

But all the usual ingredients were there; woodwork frustration, failure to test the keeper when on top and the standard momentary lapse in concentration inevitably leading to the decisive moment.

A fourth 1-0 defeat in the current run suggested the thin margin between success and failure. But City have fallen the wrong side of that line too often now to be viewed as unfortunate.

For those looking for some bright hints amid the seemingly permanent gloom, there was the way young Paudie O’Connor refused to budge an inch against one of the division’s deadliest marksmen.

John Marquis is a handful for any defender as his 23-goal haul will testify. But the play-acting and petulance towards referee Dean Whitestone summed up his growing frustration at getting so little change from his raw Irish shadow.

O’Connor has already hinted he would be open to a second loan stint from Leeds next term if the chance came up. On the evidence of Saturday, and a solid outing the previous week at Charlton, that might not be a bad shout if it happens.

Sean Scannell’s return from long-term casualty offers another optimistic straw to cling to.

The winger many expected not to see again this season eased through his 20-minute comeback from a half-year absence.

Understandably rusty, summed up by a wayward cross into the Kop when City were looking to apply some late pressure, but still offering a threat if they can get him up to speed and quickly.

It smacks of too little, too late, however bullish the post-match comments about the escape bid still being on, but City fans deserve the smallest hint of hope after so much suffering.

Gary Bowyer made a point of applauding every stand after the final whistle to show his gratitude that the crowd stuck with the team. There were none of the boos that had punctuated the games against Blackpool and Charlton.

The cause may be lost but the fans showed they are prepared to go down fighting. City could not have asked for more fervent backing in their ultimately fruitless second-half push for that elusive breakthrough goal.

Tying down Bowyer, at least, has indicated the club have put some kind of plan in place for if and when the worst happens. The seemingly inevitable relegation and its consequences will be met with eyes wide open.

Each reference to the hectic summer ahead demonstrates that City are well aware of the massive change of culture, philosophy and personnel needed for a proper rebuild.

In the meantime, we still have five more games. Fifteen points to play for, half of which would be needed just to erase the current deficit to fifth bottom.

The equation is leaning from improbable towards impossible but the supporters should, at the very least, demand their team give it a go.

Bowyer may have driven home over the Pennines on Saturday night moping about what should have been. But by this morning, he has given his head a shake to focus on watching City’s next opponents Bristol Rovers at Coventry.

He expects that attitude to be replicated in the dressing room; this is not the time for “woe is me”, however high the odds are now stacked against them.

Stuck at the bottom, it’s easy to accept that the world is ganging up on you.

That felt like the case when Eoin Doyle’s early header bounced back into play off the woodwork.

Doncaster keeper Marko Marosi knew nothing about it as Doyle flicked on Billy Clarke’s cross – until the rebound pinged back past him via the inside of his left post.

Rovers may have gone on to take more of a grip on a scratchy first half but with Marquis kept on the tightest lead by O’Connor and the recalled Nathaniel Knight-Percival, they failed to test Richard O’Donnell.

David Ball, whose go-forward intentions could not be faulted, whizzed a shot just past the post soon after the restart.

Then Jermaine Anderson emerged from a lumbering display to almost convert Doyle’s low jab into the six-yard box.

But as Scannell prepared to strip for action, belief that City were building a head of steam was suddenly dashed by familiar slackness.

They were attacking the right side of Doncaster’s box when Lewis O’Brien’s cross was blocked.

It flew out to Ali Crawford on the edge of the area and the Rovers captain whisked it forward and into the rampaging path of Mallik Wilks.

The Leeds team-mate of O’Connor had previously seen little of the ball against a diligent Adam Chicksen. But suddenly given room to advance, he ran at Knight-Percival and then let fly early from 20 yards.

It caught out O’Donnell as the ball flew under his body for a goal that the City stopper will not want to see again. One shot on target – that was all Doncaster needed.

A goal behind and, sadly, we all knew the score.

The one sniff of an equaliser fell at the wrong feet – Chicksen, who scorned an inviting shooting chance after popping up in the box, and O’Connor, where he sent the pass instead.

Home defeat number 12 was confirmed; the highest since City were relegated from the second tier during administration 15 years ago.

The only lottery for the hard-bitten faithful is predicting at which point the axe will drop over the coming weeks.

And then the hard work kicks in to ensure that army of followers don’t have to be put through more of the same.