Dear Santa, any chance of a goal or two for Christmas?

Without any success so far on the loan front, it seems that City might need a bit of help from other quarters to end the current drought.

Four straight defeats and no goals scored is the deeply-disturbing equation that Bryan Robson and his players must solve fast.

While the teams around them are picking up points, City are being cut adrift with Wimbledon.

Everyone thinks the Dons are doomed - so where does that leave Robson's men?

The goals have completely dried up since the second-half blitz that sunk Millwall on Robson's debut. No wonder Robson's finger must be sore from dialling telephone numbers hoping to persuade some other manager to part with a hitman on loan.

Danny Cadamarteri, heralded by the new boss as the potential saviour after that dream start, has not kicked a ball since. How City need him back and firing.

Inevitably the longer these barren runs continue, the more itchy players become in front of goal.

Opportunities don't knock any louder than the one that presented itself to Michael Branch five minutes into the second half.

Tom Kearney won the ball on the left, checked back on to his right foot and gift-wrapped a goal for City's joint top scorer with an inviting angled cross.

It just needed Branch to throw himself at the ball eight yards out and keeper Mike Pollitt stood no chance.

But Branch, typifying City's current anxiety in scoring positions, flicked half-heartedly at thin air and the pass sailed harmlessly wide for a goal-kick.

"It was an absolute sitter and he missed the ball," said an angry Bryan Robson. "You can't get a better chance than that in the middle of the goal.

"Maybe it is a confidence thing because a few times when we tried to hit shots, we miskicked the ball. But we've got to rectify it quickly and be clinical or we will struggle all season."

Pollitt got away scot free, as he did virtually all day. Then again, Mark Paston had nothing to do in City's net other than retrieve Rotherham's two goals.

Pollitt's hairiest moment was a scrappy scramble in the box midway through the second half which ended with Branch squirting a shot wide.

Other than that, his only proper save was to beat out a cross-shot from Nicky Summerbee which fizzed towards the near post.

Summerbee was the spark in the opening stages which proved City's best period of the match.

Sadly he had to quit after half an hour with a groin strain. Ben Muirhead looked a straight replacement but was unable to carry anywhere near the same threat and he, too, was subbed before the end.

Summerbee is struggling to make Boxing Day's game at the Stadium of Light. If he doesn't, his absence will hit City hard on the evidence of Saturday.

Robson said: "A lot of our play was coming from Nicky. He was excellent, and losing him took away a bit of our balance and forward play.

"But those things happen in football and the other players have got to respond. It's up to them to take on that responsibility as well."

Andy Gray had linked well with the winger to produce a few attacking flurries, although Robson was unhappy with the quality of crossing.

Gray sent one ball over the head of the incoming Michael Standing and then failed to pick out Branch with a pass along the six-yard box.

When Standing sent Branch away on the left to return the compliment, Gray was only able to toe it wide as he stretched desperately.

By that point Rotherham had been handed an early Christmas pressie by Jason Gavin.

The south Yorkshire side had spent the first 15 minutes on the back foot and there looked no danger when they won a throw ten yards into City's half.

But Gavin switched off and allowed Martin Butler to slip past him and collect Shaun Barker's long throw-in. Realising his error, the centre half tried to adjust himself and make the block but bundled Butler to the ground.

Darren Byfield, who had not touched the ball up to that point, casually stroked home the penalty as Paston dived the wrong way.

The mood of the home fans did not improve when referee Paul Robinson did not level up the spot-kick count after Branch fell down underneath Chris Swailes.

Rotherham's back four were missing skipper Martin McIntosh but Swailes and the recalled Guy Branston mopped up every high ball City sent forward. The most effective attacking route was on the floor but the final pass or cross never stuck.

A subdued crowd hoped for a second-half onslaught but it never materialised. Rotherham stuck men behind the ball and coped comfortably while always threatening on the break through the speed of Byfield.

One burst from the Jamaican international drilled a hole in City's defence and threatened to catch Paston in no man's land. The keeper was out of his area and had to keep coming.

Fortunately, the ball took a bobble as Byfield tried to get it under control 25 yards out and Paston was able to slide in with a tackle that any defender would have been proud of.

With 20 minutes left Danny Forrest came on for Standing, who had enjoyed sporadic moments in his first start since the Sunderland debacle in August. But the addition of a third striker did little to rock Rotherham's unshakeable rearguard.

Paul Heckingbottom, who did most things right at left back, went close with a free-kick but Pollitt's goal remained untroubled.

A 13th one-goal defeat beckoned but Rotherham threw salt into the wounds in the final minute of stoppage time. Kearney pushed Butler and man-of-the-match John Mullin got the goal he deserved with a thundering free-kick which flew in off the wall.

That was too much for the punters as Robson's side got booed off at the final whistle. So much for the season of goodwill.

One fan took it too far and tried to run on the pitch but was restrained by a group of stewards behind the goal before he could get into further trouble. Like City, he did not get within threatening distance of Pollitt either.