Rotherham United 3 Bradford City 0: Parkinson fuming as City go down at Millers

Lewis Grabban took his tally to 15 for the season when he struck twice in four minutes before substitute Brett Williams left goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin red faced after catching him off his line with an audacious effort from 40 yards out.

Parkinson blasted the officials over a disputed penalty that gave Rotherham the second goal.

He said: “I thought the first half was even but in the second half a couple of decisions have cost us.

“It was never a free kick that led to the first goal but the penalty decision was a joke.

“The linesman didn’t get involved and he was 10 yards away from it.

“I could see it wasn’t a penalty and the clues were nobody appealed, none of the players appealed, the crowd didn’t even appeal and the ball has ricocheted off the player and out for a goal kick.

“It was never a penalty. The referee has made a mistake but he has got other officials around him and the referee has been let down by his linesman.The third goal was poor from our point of view.”

Delighted Rotherham manager Andy Scott said: “It’s a fantastic start to the year for us. I wouldn’t have been saying that after the first half – it was dire. We needed a spark it looked like we were waiting for them to do something and we couldn’t let that happen.

“In the second half we were a completely different side we dominated the whole game, we looked like a completely different side and we could have scored more goals.”

City could have been in front when James Hanson twice went close in a grim first half, but then Grabban struck after 63 minutes when he rifled in a shot after a scramble in the goalmouth.

Sam Wood went down under McLaughlin’s challenge in the box four minutes later and Grabban converted from the spot before, in the 74th minute, Williams flighted an ambitious shot that beat the ill-placed McLaughlin.

Rotherham United: Taylor; Tonge, Raynes, Mullins, Wood; Grabban, Taylor, Harrison (Harley 45), Schofield; Revell, Holroyd (Williams 71). Unused substitutes: Warrington, Bradley, Brown.

Bradford City: McLaughlin; Seip, Davies, Oliver, Threlfall; Fagan, Syers (Bullock 77), Ravenhill, Taylor (Stewart 77); Wells (Hannah 58), Hanson. Unused substitutes: Michael, Duke.

Referee: R Madley (West Yorkshire).