oth 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.
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.
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.
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.