Rotherham United Matt Taylor sees positives in 0-0 draw but it leaves him wanting more

The Millers were much the better side after the break, but Blackpool could say they were the stronger before it.

As it was, they had to settle for a point each in a 0-0 draw.

The Millers could claim the better chances, Ollie Rathbone forcing a good save from Chris Maxwell, Cohen Bramall clipping the post from a free-kick and Chiedozie Ogbene hitting the crossbar with one of the last kicks of a game which was low on goalmouth drama.

"(I've got) mixed emotions," said manager Taylor afterwards. "I was disappointed at half-time. I thought they affected us in terms of the way we used the ball.

"They were up and at us, quite direct and physical with their play and any ball use we had turned into too many errors and too many turnovers but we were much improved in the second half – hence the chances we created.

"But for a crossbar, a post and a good goalkeeper's save, we could have won it."

Although Rotherham need to be more creative in future, they are certainly built on solid foundations, and Taylor was delighted with the defensive side of their game, particularly with centre-back Grant Hall playing 90 minutes for the first time since November. He gave Jerry Yates a sniff of goal with a short backpass late on, but it was a rare blemish.

"There was only one short backpass at the end where Vik (Johansson) made a save, they've not created too much," said Taylor. "That's four games where we've only conceded one goal (in total) so defensively we look really solid.

"Every manager always wants more and I just thought too many players are better players than they showed in the first half and got affected by the game.

"In the second half we had more control and some really good breakaways without being clinical or putting the ball exactly where we needed it in the second half.

"It's a very difficult place to come. I was here on Tuesday and Huddersfield will testify to that. It was an uncomfortable game.

"We could have made it more comfortable in terms of our play but the team has got a foundation at the moment competing and matching the opposition and putting their bodies on the line.

"I'll ask for more and more as we progress."

With Huddersfield Town losing at Wigan Athletic, Blackpool replaced their Lancashire rivals at the bottom of the Championship, but at the same time cut the gap to safety to a point.

Their manager, Mick McCarthy was looking on the bright side of that equation.

"It was a war of attrition," he said. "I expected it and it didn't disappoint me. Maybe we just edged it but I can't stand here and say we deserved three points.

"We are in a better position points-wise. Bottom goes down, (but) so does second and third bottom. It doesn't really matter now.

"All we can do is keep pecking away and picking up points and do our best. It may be May 8 (that safety is secured).

"If we can get out on May 8 then that would be brilliant. That is what we must aim at.

"Just because we've gone bottom it's not over. We are closer to getting out than we were before."