Bradford City 0 Rotherham United 1: Happy Valley once more for relieved Steve Evans as Bantams curse their luck

ON his previous visits to Valley Parade, certainly in his capacity as Rotherham United manager at any rate, Steve Evans has been afforded memories to savour.

A late-season victory in the Millers’ promotion campaign of 2012-13 - in Evans’ maiden spell at the club - put the South Yorkshire outfit in the box seat for a top-three finish in League Two and ended City’s own automatic hopes in the process.

Then on Boxing Day 2013, the Millers secured a sixth win on the spin against the Bantams, prompting a chorus of ‘You’ll never beat the Millers’ from the big away following at the final whistle.

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Playing the Bantams often brings out the best in Rotherham, who had triumphed in eight of their past 10 meetings, home or away - losing just once - ahead of Tuesday night’s latest meeting.

Valley Parade,, home of Bradford City AFC. Picture: Tony Johnson.Valley Parade,, home of Bradford City AFC. Picture: Tony Johnson.
Valley Parade,, home of Bradford City AFC. Picture: Tony Johnson.

Compared to some earlier contests, this was one rather more low-key, definitely in terms of the attendance on a bitter November night, but it still mattered for Evans and also to his counterpart Graham Alexander.

Granted, both their respective sides were safely through to the knock-out stages of this particular competition with the only ‘live’ issue being who would top Group H of the northern section and be afforded home advantage next month.

Given recent events, an uplifting win would have been gladly taken by either, especially Evans.

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The Millers had their victory at least and given the fact that they have been as rare as hen’s teeth on their travels for the past few seasons, you take anything you can get.

More especially when you head into this particular game on the back of an atrocious derby performance at Oakwell, which saw Evans and his players run the gauntlet with furious fans as they left the field back on November 8. And then there was the anger of chairman Tony Stewart.

At the start of a potentially season-defining juncture in their season, a win is a win and Evans needs several more of those to restore some faith .

The luck all went with the Millers, who led thanks to Shaun McWlliams’ early goal.

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City substitutions Vadaine Oliver and Andy Cook hit the post for City in the second half as did Jamie Walker with the final kick of the game, but the fortune belonged to the Millers for once at a benign venue over the years.

Both managers made six changes apiece, with Paul Huntington making his first start for City, while Ben Hatton was given a chance to shine in the Millers’ midfield.

Intriguingly, City operated with inverted wing-backs, with captain-for-the-night Brad Halliday starting on the left with Clarke Oduor on the opposite flank.

After applying themselves pretty well in the opening 10 minutes at Oakwell, Rotherham quickly became abject. Here in another part of Yorkshire, by contrast, they had a confidence rush and something to show for their early enterprise.

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A corner from Joe Hungbo on the left wasn’t cleared, with the winger regaining possession and waltzing effortlessly past Jack Shepherd to tee up a close range header on a plate for McWilliams.

It was a welcome fillip for the Millers amid troubled times.

City weren’t fazed and reacted well enough, while Hungbo remained an outlet on the left for the visitors.

Tyler Smith flicked wide after Huntington won the initial contact as the hosts sought to warm up the home contingent on a Baltic night.

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City enjoyed plenty of territory in the first period and were reasonably bright, while the Millers had an outlet in Hungbo.

The half’s other main development for the hosts was one they could also plainly have done without with left-sided centre defender Shepherd coming off with what appeared to be a hamstring issue which required attention late on, an unwanted continuation to the disruption Alexander has experienced within his backline in the first half of 2024-25.

More especially on the left-hand side with Ciaran Kelly and Lewis Richards also being sidelined.

The half ended with Dillon Phillips holding an acrobatic shot from Oduor, while Colin Doyle prevented the visitors from adding a second early in the second half when he tipped over Jordan Hugill’s header in the nick of time following a probing cross from Hakeem Odoffin.

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A Hungbo free-kick had Doyle scampering across goal, while City, who brought on Oliver for Smith at the start of the half, waited for that telling moment.

Walker fired a free-kick just wide of the goal at the deserted Kop end, with Phillips still being relatively underemployed.

Soon after, he was when he parried Oliver’s powerful goalbound header from Bobby Pointon’s choice centre on the left. Oliver was first to the loose ball and his rebound hit the far post before McWilliams managed to somehow clear.

It was the bit of respite that the Millers craved, less so Bradford, reinforced when Cook drilled a shot against the post in the final quarter before Walker did the same at the death.

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Bradford City: Doyle; Diabate (Benn 70), Huntington, Shepherd (Byrne 40); Halliday, Evans (Smallwood 70), J Walker, Pointon, Oduor; Sanderson (Cook 76), Smith (Oliver 46). Substitutes unused: S Walker, Ibbotson.

Rotherham United: Phillips; Odoffin, Jules, Humphreys, James; Hatton (Nombe 72), Kelly, McWilliams; Holmes (Powell 83), Hugill, Hungbo (Hull 90+3). Substitutes unused: Dawson, Raggett, Tiehi, McGuckin

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