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Sky Bet Championship: Steve Evans slams Rotherham pair after 1-1 draw with Blackpool

Rotherham manager Steve Evans during the Sky Bet Championship match at the New York Stadium, Rotherham
Image: Steve Evans: Slammed defensive mistake

Steve Evans slammed the defensive mistake which cost Rotherham victory against Blackpool on Saturday and said he wanted "winners" in his side.

Evans believed his side deserved to beat rock-bottom Blackpool by a "country distance" before Adam Collin's mistake handed Blackpool a 1-1 draw.

Substitute Steve Davies capitalised on goalkeper Collin's huge misjudgement to tap in a leveller with just five minutes to go.

Jordan Bowery had come off the bench himself to put Rotherham ahead on 78 minutes but Collin's error cost them the three points in the basement battle.

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A late howler from Rotherham goalkeeper Adam Collin earned Blackpool a 1-1 draw at the New York Stadium

Rotherham exited the relegation places but Evans claimed that they should have won the game against the league's bottom team.

Of the calamitous goal, Evans was critical of his captain Craig Morgan as well as the keeper.

He said: "It's just a hoof, Craig slips and then Adam comes out. A 10-year-old should deal with it. He's a lovely kid but I don't want lovely kids, I want winners. He should hit it away, it's a huge error.

"The ball shouldn't get to him because our captain should deal with it. He slipped last week which led to a Birmingham goal and he slipped today so we've told him to sort his footwear out.

A 10-year-old should deal with it. He's a lovely kid but I don't want lovely kids, I want winners. He should hit it away, it's a huge error.
Steve Evans on Adam Collin

"Blackpool were never going to score. I don't think they had a chance from open play in the first half.

"In the first 25 minutes we blew them away. I think it's the most exciting I've seen us play and we just didn't get the goal. If the goal would have come we could have laid them to bed by half time - I think we were that good.

"By a country distance we deserved to win but if you make cardinal sins you get punished."

Blackpool manager Lee Clark accepts his side are going to have to start picking up wins soon if they are to lift themselves off the bottom of the table.

"You think it's gone when they score that late but we still thought we'd get a couple of chances," said Clark.

"We obviously got a bit of luck with the goal but I felt at the time we were probably the team on the front foot. We were keeping good possession of the ball and creating one or two opportunities.

"The goal is really poor from our point of view. We don't touch the ball until they score so we have got to learn to get pressure on the ball somewhere before the move starts taking shape - so we're disappointed with that but we are delighted with the character of the players.

"Since the international break I've been encouraged by the last two performances. We have taken a couple of points from those and want to go on from there if we can.

"We need to change one point into three. That's the key for us and the quicker we start doing that the better."

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