Bantams will miss out on play-offs, says Evans

ROTHERHAM UNITED manager Steve Evans has indulged in a spot of mind games with Bradford City counterpart Phil Parkinson – by suggesting his Bantams side will miss out on the League Two play-off spots.
Ben Pringle and Kieran Agard celebrateBen Pringle and Kieran Agard celebrate
Ben Pringle and Kieran Agard celebrate

Evans’s words come hot on the heels of his side’s priceless, if controversial, 2-0 derby victory at Valley Parade, which moved the Millers up to third place – just two wins away from promotion back to League One, a level they have not played at since 2006-07.

Evans’s troops could go up this weekend if they win and Burton Albion, the side they leapfrogged into third on Tuesday night and Cheltenham Town both lose.

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Intriguingly, Albion visit Bradford on Saturday and while mindful that the Bantams could do them a big favour by beating Gary Rowett’s outfit, Evans – in what some might deem a psychological ploy – says he expects Parkinson’s side, currently occupying the final play-off position, to be defeated.

Evans added in a little caveat that he does not expect Parkinson, subject of plenty of job speculation in recent months, to be at Bradford next season.

For his part, Parkinson, perhaps mindful that the Yorkshire combatants could still meet in the play-offs, is keeping his counsel and not reacting to Evans’s comments – instead focusing all his energies on his side’s tough final two matches of the regular season against Burton and Cheltenham.

Evans, who enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying first return to Bradford – 13 months on from members of his Crawley Town side being involved in an ugly post-match brawl with their Bradford counterparts that resulted in five players being shown the red card – said: “It (Bradford) is a big club and they had a great cup run. But I think this might not be their year because I think Burton will come here and win on Saturday.

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“From all the hype before the (Tuesday) game that Bradford might go up automatically, I am not even so sure they will make the play-offs.

“They will not affect what we can do and I don’t think they can beat Burton – and I don’t think they can beat Cheltenham (either) and they are not going to be in the play-offs.”

Evans, found guilty of using “abusive and insulting words and behaviour with a reference to gender towards a female member of Bradford City’s staff” during Crawley’s clash there in March 2012 – which resulted in a £3,000 fine and a six-game stadium ban – added: “I’ve got no malice against Bradford City. Their fans gave me stick (on Tuesday), but some came and asked me to sign their programme before the game.

“I think people at Bradford City know what went on here last year, don’t they? I held my head high last year and can hold it there this year.

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“It is a Bradford side I think highly of and Phil Parkinson has made some great signings. But I don’t think he will be at Bradford City next year...”

For his part, Parkinson’s main beef remains with West Yorkshire-based referee Mark Haywood for his hugely controversial decision to award a game-turning penalty to the Millers on Tuesday when the score was deadlocked at 0-0, with Lee Frecklington tucking away the spot-kick after the hosts were penalised for handball.

The furious City manager labelled the decision as “beyond a joke” and “incredible”, with centre-back Michael Nelson, on the receiving end of the contested award, also similarly aghast.

He said: “I think we were cheated out of it, if I am honest.

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“As clear as day, I got hit in the back and was falling down and put my arm out to try and save myself and the ball hit me on the way down. If it was anything, it was a foul on me.

“But you cannot say anything in the press about referees because they get protected.

“I was talking to him on the way off. I have known him a long time and he has refereed loads of games I have been involved in. I tried talking to him and wasn’t screaming or shouting and he wouldn’t speak to me.

“He had a big sticker on the side of his shirt saying: ‘Respect.’ But he would not give me the time of day or common courtesy and has not explained or spoken to me about why he gave it and what it was for.

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“I was just asking him. I was not being nasty or swearing and was just trying to talk.

“You hear all about this Respect campaign, but it goes two ways,” said Nelson.

“Whether he was a little embarrassed or what, I don’t know. But nothing will come of it and he will be refereeing another game on Saturday, no doubt. But you get on with it and move on.

“You hope you get a fair go in every game. We thought we were on the wrong end of a decision on Saturday as well and it just hasn’t gone for us again.

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“We must just dig in and if you work hard enough, the results and decisions will come your way.

“Things are still in our hands and we have a massive home game on Saturday, which the boys will be ready for and hopefully, we will get a fair crack of the whip. If we do, I am sure we will be able to do the business.”

Meanwhile, Parkinson is adamant that the decision to send his No 2 Steve Parkin to the stands just before half-time on Tuesday – after comments he made to fourth official Alf Greenwood following a brief flare-up between both benches – was unwarranted.

He said: “It was just a very slight altercation and nothing more than you get any other game.

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“I said to the fourth official afterwards ‘Did you come here with predetermined thoughts that there might be some trouble on the touchline?’

“With what gets said throughout the course of the season, it was minimal to say the least.”