City: Simonsen, Thomas, Taggart, Duberry, Hill, Harper, Brammer (Henry, 88), Russell, Clarke (Neal, 45), Noel-Williams, Ricketts (Asaba, 57). Subs (not used): De Goey, Buxton.

Rotherham: Pollitt, Scott, Swailes, McIntosh, Hurst, Mullin, McLaren, Keane (Barker, 66), Campbell-Ryce, Butler, Thorpe (Hoskins, 88).Subs (not used): Montgomery, Warne, Vernazza.

For the second match in succession, last-minute drama scuppered City as they succumbed to relegation-bound Rotherham after conceding a goal with less than sixty seconds to go.

After going behind in a sub-standard first half performance, they appeared to have salvaged a point with a Gifton Noel-Williams header after eighty-four minutes, but the unfortunate striker later found himself on the opposition score-sheet when, deep into injury-time, Steve Simonsen's block from a Martin McIntosh shot rebounded from his shin into the net.

To compound the City misery, Michael Duberry had just been sent off in what was by any standards a mediocre match.

City went into the game against bottom-of-the table Millers knowing that nothing less than three points would be acceptable, but in front of a big crowd and in conditions ideal for good football, the game proved to be a huge anti-climax.

After six minutes, Noel-Williams headed down a Clive Clarke cross into the path of Michael Ricketts, but a last-ditch block from Chris Swailes prevented the City striker from opening his City account.  This proved to be City's last chance for almost thirty minutes.

On a warm afternoon, they stuttered and spluttered along like a badly-tuned car on a cold morning.

The visitors almost took the lead after eleven minutes when Paul McLaren was given the space to hammer a right-footed shot goalwards from twenty yards.  Fortunately for City, Steve Simonsen continued his recent good form and palmed the ball round the post.

Another long shot, this time from Michael Keane straight at Simonsen, showed City that they could take nothing for granted against opponents who came into the match with only four wins behind them all season but who clearly were not going to roll over.  The writing was on the wall.

City's game went flat as the fans' early optimism evaporated in the spring sunshine and after twenty-two minutes they went behind.

When Michael Keane's shot was blocked by Michael Duberry, the ball was returned into the goal area from the right and Martin Butler easily headed the ball past Simonsen.  The Potters defenders were angry that the referee had waved play on when the ball appeared to be handled by Butler but to go a goal down was no more or less than their play deserved.

City's frustration began to show, and slack marking from the Millers' second corner of the game allowed centre-back Martin McIntosh to head the ball against the crossbar.

City responded with a break down the left, but when Clarke's cross came over, Ricketts headed over the bar from close range, yet for most of the half the Potters failed to stretch the Millers' defence enough to give them any real hope of equalising.

It was six minutes before half-time when City won their first corner as passes consistently failed to find their target against quick-tackling opponents.  The side was clearly short of ideas and inspiration with too many balls played without any real conviction or thought.

A fatal combination of lack of ideas and lack of control brought the inevitable consequence of no real chances until just before half-time when Harper lashed the ball over the bar from a narrow angle after some scrappy head-tennis in the penalty area which summed up City's untidy first-half play.

A big improvement was needed in the second half.  Lewis Neal replaced the injured Clive Clarke on the left of midfield, and after ten minutes of more inconsequential play, the substitute almost scored from the best move of the game so far.

Harper, at last seeing more of the ball after being starved of possession in the first half, jinked past his man on the right to send over a tantalising cross which Neal headed down at the far post, where 'keeper Mike Pollitt and right-back Rob Scott managed to scramble the ball away.

City now at last had some spring in their step to give the fans some real hope of a goal.  Carl Asaba replaced Ricketts and after sixty-three minutes his head-on was taken on by Noel-Williams, whose strength enabled him to hold off his marker to send in a twenty-yarder just wide of the right-hand post.

Harper offered City's best hope of a goal, which should have come after seventy-four minutes when Noel-Williams was brought down in the penalty area as he turned his defender, but the referee waved play on.  It was one of a series of perplexing decisions, but in truth it was City  who were responsible for the result, not the official.

Rotherham scarcely looked a threat, but a series of City crosses and set-pieces failed to find their man until with just four minutes to go a deep cross from Neal was headed back by Noel-Williams across Pollitt and into the net for his twelfth goal of the season.

The stage was now set for a grandstand finish. City came forward in numbers but almost inevitably the final ball was never good enough.

Then came the final twist to the sorry tale.  Duberry was sent off for a second yellow card after a reckless challenge in a rare Millers attack and then, with just seconds left of the five minutes added on, Noel-Williams' bad luck gave Rotherham their first win on a Saturday during the whole season.

Quite simply, this was a game that should have been won, but City have no-one to blame but themselves.  Too many players had a bad day.

Bob James