Rotherham United boss hails best player on pitch by a 'country distance' as Bradford City rival rues injury to Barnsley loanee
The only goal of the game arrived just five minutes in with McWilliams, one of six Millers’ changes from the side who were so poor in a 2-0 derby reverse at Barnsley last time out, headed in Joe Hungbo’s cross.
The luck on the night went to the Millers, with City hitting the post three times in the second half through substitutes Vadaine Oliver and Andy Cook and Jamie Walker.
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Hide AdEvans’s side have now topped the group in the process and will be afforded a home draw in the next round of the competition.


Evans said: “Some of the quality of the play, we identified a style to accompany Bradford and show the strengths that we have got. We did that quite comfortably in the first half and we had a great start and there was some great play from Joe and Shaun scores.
"In the second half, we said we wanted to be a bit more forceful in certain areas and some of the boys took that literally and we probably became a little bit disjointed.
"But to come away to Bradford and go away top of the group with home advantage in the next round, that’s what we have achieved and it’s a bit more money for the football club, which is not going to go amiss.
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“Graham (Alexander) made five changes and we had a number of changes and some players were obviously chasing minutes, but there were some good players chasing minutes.
"For me, the best player on the park was Shaun McWilliams, by a country distance.
"In the second half, it looks like there were one or two challenges on there where if it had been an EFL game, we might have expected a couple of Bradford players to be in the dressing room early, they were a couple of naughty challenges.
"They are not players that do that and are probably frustrated a little bit and I understand that part of it. We’ve come and won a game and it’s the second away win for probably two years.
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Hide Ad"We worked the boys really hard last week and I said to the supporters that they would be in working and it felt like hard work and we wanted to bring this group and have them work for a lot of minutes.
"Three or four in the group have approved a point and it’s been a good exercise and thanks to the Rotherham United supporters who stayed to the end.”
City counterpart Graham Alexander was pleased with how his side performed, but was left to rue another injury issue at the back when Jack Shepherd (hip) came off shortly before the break.
He continued: “He took a whack on a part of his body where he struggled when he took a whack on it earlier this season.
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Hide Ad"It’s around his hip area. He’s just got this sore point where if he gets a hit, it’s quite a painful one for him and debilitates his running action.
"He’s come back from it a couple of times this season. It just needs a few days to settle down so hopefully by the weekend it will do and he’ll be ready.
“With Lewis on Saturday, Tyreik (Wright) missing, Ciaran Kelly, it’s been a difficult few months for us.
“But Jack’s a tough boy and if it’s down to how he can manage the pain, from what I know of Jack he can do that.
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Hide Ad“He’s been doing it probably for the last two months. He never pulls out of training and he’s a proper player.
"I think he’ll be fine by the weekend. It was just disappointing to lose him at that stage because he was enjoying the game and he gives us a natural balance on that left-hand side.”
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