Rotherham United 2 Fleetwood Town 1: Valley Parade derby is massive, claims Evans

Both sides are in the play-off places but Rotherham are still aiming for automatic promotion and Evans said: “We know what we have to do – win our last three games.

“That makes Tuesday’s visit to Bradford a massive game. We can’t affect what Port Vale and Cheltenham and the others do, but Tuesday’s game has everything and Bradford have some unbelievable players. I said early in the season they were a title threat.

“We know if we win on Tuesday we go third and we are playing our best football of the season. In the last couple of games, the players have shown they have got some steel and some fight.

“We now have two away games, but our only focus at the moment is Bradford, but that has been a battle against a good team with a good manager,” added Evans, who again watched from the directors’ box, where he had watched the action on Tuesday while serving a one-match touch-line ban.

Rotherham moved into fifth place and all but ended the Cod Army’s play-off hopes.

Daniel Nardiello put the hosts ahead after just three minutes when a clearance from goalkeeper Scott Davies fell to the forward to tuck away his 20th goal of the campaign. He soon had to limp off injured.

The visitors pulled level when Junior Brown’s scuffed effort was turned in by David Ball. Rotherham pressed and struck when Kieran Agard fired home after Ben Pringle’s shot had been blocked.

Rotherham United: Shearer, Mullins, Arnason, Craig Morgan, Skarz, Agard (Ainsworth 84), O’Connor, Noble, Pringle, Revell (Odejayi 90), Nardiello (Frecklington 8). Unused substitutes: Warrington, Tonge, Davis, Ridehalgh.

Fleetwood Town: Davies, Beeley (Nicholson 83), Edwards , Brown, Goodall, McLaughlin, McGuire (Fontaine 90), Evans (Mangan 76), McKenna, Matt, Ball. Unused substitutes: Lucas, Barry, Crowther, Atkinson.

Referee: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Kari Arnason.