Steve Evans post Bradford City...
Manager Steve Evans beamed with pride at full-time after Rotherham United gave their 2,500 supporters some extended Christmas cheer, following a 1-0 victory at Bradford City.
In front of over 18,000 at Valley Parade the Millers secured maximum points thanks to a first-half strike from Newcastle loanee Haris Vuckic, who then had to be withdrawn at half-time through injury.
“Once again it was a thoroughly deserved victory,” Evans said at full-time.
“In the second half we might have embarrassed them, it could have been five or six. Their goalkeeper made two or three saves, and there were also two or three finishes which we might have looked back on and felt we could have done better. Despite the adversity when we lost Claude early following a blocked tackle, then we also lost Haris to a blocked tackle at half-time and obviously we didn’t have Nouha Dicko either.
For that group of players to go out there and produce that type of character in a packed stadium, with the Bradford fans who were tremendous and gave their team every chance, was fantastic. My boys stood up to the challenge and if we had gone away with any other than three points it would have been a sad day.”
The Millers hero was Vuckic who filled the goalscoring boots vacated by Dicko who was recalled just before Christmas by parent club Wigan.
“He does all these things in training,” added Evans after Vuckic curled in a tremendous winner in the first-half.
“We left it until 1pm today before deciding that we would play him because he looked tired after the hour against Wolves, and in training. If I am honest I went home thinking that he wasn’t going to play, but then I came in and maybe saw a little spark in him, I asked him how he felt and he said he felt great, if he feels great then he has to play doesn’t he because he is a top player. It was a goal worthy of winning any game.”