Bradford City 1 Doncaster Rovers 2: No perfect ten for Bantams - but a near-perfect away day for Rovers

Leading 2-0 thanks to a seventh goal of the campaign from the game’s class act in Luke Molyneux and Billy Sharp’s fifth of the season to crown a second half spell when City were firmly on the ropes, the hosts belatedly made the game a contest when Andy Cook reduced the arrears with a classic header.

City - who made five changes in the 73th minute in an indicator of just how second best they were until that point - set up a lively finale and made it more nervy than it should have been for Rovers, but they was no doubting of the merit of victory for the visitors who outsmarted and outclassed the hosts, who were seeking to extend their unbeaten home sequence to ten matches stretching back to March, for fair spells.

In a game putting together two form horses, it was Rovers who managed to provide the first-half poise and polish as their 3-4-1-2 system, with Kyle Hurst operating just behind Sharp and Molyneux as the ‘ten’ working smoothly, with the visitors getting between the lines on a number of occasions and stretching the hosts for fair periods of the half.

The meaty chances were all Rovers ones, with City restricted to a header on the stroke of half-time from Cook, which was held by Teddy Sharman-Lowe and a low shot from the recalled Tyler Smith, which flew wide.

The start was even and encouraging from both sides' perspective amid a super atmosphere, with Rovers fans housed in the top tier of the Bradford End alongside a third of the Midland Road stand.

But it was Rovers who proceeded to take control, with Molyneux posing issues alongside the wily Sharp, with the visitors looking the part on the counter and unhinging City, who made three changes with Jay Benn, Smith and Tyreik Wright returning to the side.

Rovers gave a sign of things to come with a rapid break ending with Hurst testing Sam Walker at his near post before Sharp beat Niall Byrne in the air in centre field before slotting in danger man Molyneux, who cut inside on the right in a threatening position before seeing his low shot grasped at full-stretch by Walker.

More cultured play down the left created space for Hurst, whose curler flashed just wide before City were indebted to a key touch from Byrne to divert Owen Bailey’s goalbound drive.

Walker then claimed another effort from Hurst, before the Rovers attacker, one of four changes with James Maxwell, Jack Senior and George Broadbent also recalled along with Sharp, was put in the clear by a delightful pass from Sharp, only for Cheick Diabate to save the day with a fantastic last-ditch challenge.

Fortunately, the referee did not quite take centre stage like in March, although Ruebyn Ricardo was a touch pedantic in a half which saw five bookings in a derby which never boiled over.

It was Rovers half, though and the interval came at a timely juncture for City, in truth.

The hosts, whose two ‘eights’ in Jamie Walker and Pointon switched sides for the second half, provided home followers with encouragement early in the second half with Sharman-Lowe forced into his first real work in keeping out Cook’s volley before City’s top-gun headed agonisingly wide from Shepherd’s centre from the left.

Soon after, Rovers scored the goal they had been threatening on the counter for a good while.

Smallwood’s cross was blocked and Doncaster surged upfield, ably led by Molyneux.

With City down on numbers, the winger found Hurst who returned the favour with Rovers class act firing confidently past Walker.

The busy City keeper then kept out a drive from Molyneux, clearly with the taste for it, before the visitors doubled the tally with Hurst again the creater with his centre dispatched close in by Sharp from just his sort of range.

The Bantams backline was starting to look ragged, Hurst and Broadbent went close with deflected shots before McGrath planted a free header over the top.

Rovers were starting to slicing through City like a knife through hot butter, with only last-ditch defending denying Molyneux.

City hung in and Rovers’ inability to get a third was entitled to keep them interested.

Cook made it very interesting when a trademark header from a cross from Lewis Richards, who worked it well down the left with a fellow replacement in Calum Kavanagh.

It set up a grandstand finale, with Rovers rocking all of a sudden and home supporters providing the petrol in an 18,269 crowd. But victory belonged to Rovers, deservedly.

Bradford City: S Walker; Diabate (Halliday 73), Byrne, Shepherd; Benn (Evans 74), Smallwood, J Walker (Oliver 74), Pointon, Wright (Richards 73); Smith (Kavanagh 73), Cook. Substitutes unused: Doyle, Huntington.

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe; Olowu, McGrath, Senior (Clifton 82); Sterry, Bailey, Broadbent, Maxwell (Fleming 81); Molyneux, Sharp (Ironside 89), Hurst (P Kelly 90). Substitutes unused: Lawlor, Gibson, Close.

Referee: R Ricardo (Leics).

Attendance: 18,269 (1,587 Doncaster fans).