Played on the 4G pitch next to the Keepmoat Stadium, the Bantams were dominant for the vast majority of the 90 minutes and had several players who performed well - in particular first-year professional Olivier Sukiennicki who pulled the strings from midfield and was an absolute joy to watch (even if he was afforded too much time and space) along with Bobby Pointon who bagged two goals.
Rovers' collective performance fell short of the standard required for Youth Alliance level. It was littered with errors, packed with naivety - especially up to half-time, blighted by poor decision-making and there was a lack of courageousness on too many occasions.
There were some bits of positive play during a decent quarter-hour period of pressure early in the second half when the lads actually got on the front foot, probed and applied themselves in a meaningful fashion by wanting the ball and wanting to make something happen. Nevertheless, that spell petered out and in any case the damage was already done given the scoreline at that stage.
Although injuries can be blamed (the extent of those absent meant only one substitute could be named), it doesn't hide the fact the lads went 2-0 down for the seventh successive game - something which makes it nigh on impossible to achieve positive results when it's happening on a regular basis.
The lads just didn’t do themselves any justice individually or collectively with their own performance. They are a lot better than what was shown over the course of this 90 minutes and a big improvement is needed, going forward, even though they were playing against a really good team.
Bradford were deserved winners and could have bagged a lot more than the three goals they actually scored. On another day, the scoreline might have been 6-0 or upwards and it wouldn't have flattered them given what they showed, how they controlled things, their dominance and how they moved the ball around to pick Rovers apart.
Jack Wilson pounced on a trio of mistakes within Rovers' defence in very quick succession to put the visitors ahead on 20 minutes. Then, just moments after Jak Whiting produced a goal-line clearance, Bradford bagged again from the resulting corner when Sukiennicki and Pointon combined; the latter hitting a low ball through a crowded area which found its way into the net.
Bobby Faulkner went closest for Rovers in between those goals with a powerful header following a corner which required a solid save, but much more of the play was up at the other end of the pitch and a combination of one or two saves from Luke Chadwick, some poor finishing, efforts being deflected over and sometimes just 'bad luck' meant the Bantams only held a 2-0 lead at the interval.
Rovers' second half showing, on the back of a half-time dressing down, initially showed signs of improvement as centre-backs Faulkner and Dan Wilds - both from headers, forward Jack Goodman and right-back Alex Fletcher went close with separate attempts within a 10-minute spell leading up to the hour mark.
Nevertheless, a third goal for Bradford (and Pointon's second of the game), on the back of a well-worked move put paid to any hopes of an unlikely comeback and killed the head of steam which Gary McSheffrey's team were trying to build up.
A fourth goal for the team wearing claret and amber now looked more likely than a consolation for Doncaster and only a series of saves by Chadwick, who did well to palm away two decent shots by Pointon and also one from the right-back (all from just outside the area), prevented the scoreline going from bad to worse when really it ought to have done.
Somehow or another, there was almost a bizarre late twist in the tale as Rovers rallied and pulled a goal back when Goodman slipped a ball through to Hollings who slammed a shot into the top corner to provide a glimmer of hope. Goodman was given the opportunity to reduce arrears further when he was fouled inside the penalty area only a few minutes later but his subsequent spot-kick - low to the 'keeper's right-hand side, was well-saved.
That proved to be that and, overall, there's plenty of pondering and reflection needed on a showing which offered little inspiration.
Rovers' midfield performance was poor, at times non-existent, and this allowed Bradford to dominate. The visitors often had so much time and space on the ball - worryingly in dangerous areas high up the pitch which resulted in shots (many from the edge of the box). There appeared to be a lack of desire for anyone in a DRFC shirt to put their foot in and make a tackle when it was needed.
The area where Rovers did enjoy quite a lot of success was at set-plays. Pretty much every time the ball was played towards the back-post area from a corner (of which there were six or seven), either Dan Wilds or Bobby Faulkner got to it first and made a headed connection - this happened on five occasions at least and two resulted in saves, two headers went over and the other was scrambled away to safety. It was the area where Bradford appeared to be most vulnerable; everywhere else they looked dominant, commanding and assured.
Although the benefit of a first-year professional playing what is essentially youth team football is questionable (for instance, would the lad benefit more from a loan spell in men's football where their capabilities will really be tested), Sukiennicki deserves a special mention for an excellent performance. He was 'Man Of The Match' by far, caused mayhem with his movement and always seemed to find space - no doubt partly due to his superior football intelligence (which was obvious) and partly due to those in red and white shirts allowing him to find that space and then give him time on the ball. Sukiennicki's passing was exceptional (in particular, there was one through ball to Pointon which culminated in a shot being saved just before he was substituted).
On the whole, it was the best performance I've seen from an opposing player in a Youth Alliance fixture so far this season - the only other one which comes close is Jaz Goundry's performance for Grimsby Town in the defeat to them in August. Fair play to him, the quality is there in his display and it was a pleasure to watch.
Bobby Pointon also did really well for Bradford as did the No.11 (blonde hair) and the No.6 (centre-back with a ponytail) - whose names I haven't been able to find out. Sorry lads!
Rovers' best performer was Luke Chadwick because without his saves the scoreline could have been more embarrassing. Bobby Faulkner made a couple of blocks - a vital one the half-hour mark where the ball ricocheted off him and actually nearly ended up going into the net and he didn't perform badly. Further up the pitch Will Hollings tried to make a positive contribution and the goal (finished very well) will give him a bit of confidence, whilst Jack Goodman showed bits and pieces of good play - being more impressive than last week. The penalty miss is a frustrating learning curve but ultimately one of those things; the more noticeable problems lay elsewhere.
If any of the lads are reading this then you never know who is going to turn up and watch your games, who you could impress or what good performances could lead to. Last week in the defeat at Mansfield, a well-travelled long-term assistant-manager to someone at a League One club was watching on the sidelines. Today, a defender who made over 350 EFL appearances was watching too. It proves that you are being watched by serious and experienced football people who know the drill and are investing their time to see what you can offer.
Sadly, the individual performances (at least from those in DRFC shirts) over the past two games won't have impressed anyone but it's done with now. Every player has earned a scholarship through hard work, graft and commitment. Yes, the injury situation makes things challenging, but everything from commitment to desire to willingness to bravery (in wanting the ball at 0-0) and being 'on it' needs to be shown a lot more in every game going forward because you never know who you could impress or where it could lead.
The performance, in every way, has to be better, cuter and tidier next week against Oldham Athletic in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup. Things have gone backwards from the standard which was set in pre-season (where some performances weren't bad) and in some of the early-season games against Lincoln City or Scunthorpe United. The decline in performances isn't just solely down to injuries either - it can be taken into consideration, but the fight, desire and willingness should always be of a high standard and the annoying statistic of consistently falling two goals behind needs to be put to bed.
Well done to Bradford City on this win and good luck to them in the coming weeks.
Team: Luke Chadwick, Alex Fletcher, Michael Nesbitt (Charlie Petch), Dan Wilds (C), Bobby Faulkner, Jak Whiting, Corie Cole, Jack Raper, Tom Parkinson, Will Hollings, Jack Goodman.
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