Hull City and Rotherham United both need more after 0-0 draw which leaves Millers the merrier

It can be no great surprise a match with just one shot on target left you wanting more from both sides but context was important too.

The Tigers were much the better team, yet coach Liam Rosenior's frustration verged on anger.

The proud songs of 2,000 away fans after Rotherham clung to a point despite Domingos Quina’s red card for a professional foul contrasted with the flatness everywhere else.

The relegation-threatened Millers managed one shot in each of their two-and-a-half games before the international break, and in East Yorkshire not even that. They only had four efforts full stop, despite the game being 11 v 11 for 79 minutes.

Clinging on for dear life and hoping the opposition lack the ruthlessness to put you away will only take you so far, especially with former Miller Neil Warnock starting to get a tune out of Huddersfield Town.

But away from home against a Hull side whose big failing is exactly that, it was enough.

Worse than wondering if you have the God-given talent to meet your ambitions is knowing you are, and still seeing them dashed. Like Hull.

If the Championship was just about ability, they would be far higher than 17th and Rotherham might well be lower than 20th. That is an indictment of the toothless Tigers, credit to their obstinate opponents.

One exquisite turn and slide-rule pass by Jean Michael Seri to release Adama Traore, who himself turned well before being clattered by Cameron Humphreys, was worthy of Hull’s biggest crowd since the Premier League days, but rare.

Early in the second half Ozan Tufan came on as a split striker – Traore was pushed forward as the other – and played some lovely passes, including the ball which forced Quina to take one for the team.

When he spread the play to the eye-catching Malcolm Ebiowei and Lewie Coyle played it back in, his shot hit the crossbar.

"Top players score those chances," said Rosenior.

Capped 65 times by Turkey, Tufan is far too good to be a substitute for England’s 37th-best team yet he has started eight of Rosenior's 21 Championship games as his coach.

He sums up his team.

Ryan Longman did well at centre-forward in the absence of the injured Benjamin Tetteh, Aaron Connolly and Oscar Estupinan – expected back on Good Friday.

Longman dropped off and linked play, as in the 28th minute when he exchanged a one-two with Traore. But as he opened up his body, Viktor Johansson read it and saved.

When Hull picked the late-arriving Alfie Jones out in the penalty area in stoppage time he blazed over. Scoring is not the centre-back's job.

Outplaying teams and allowing them points is a habit which could cost Hull players their jobs.

"For our control and our dominance we have to score more," said Rosenior, who has inherited the league’s worst defence and coaxed out nine clean sheets and 10 draws.

"We're not here to get a pat on the back for drawing, we're here to win games of football and score goals.

"That's something I have to address either by working with the players on the training pitch or looking at recruitment in the summer.

"We should have so many more points but for a ruthless edge."

Conor Washington dragged wide seconds after Jones' shot but Rotherham do not miss many chances because they do not create many.

Injuries to Ollie Rathbone and Ben Wiles and the sale of Dan Barlaser have taken a lot of creativity out of a midfield which stopped Seri strutting his stuff but could not offer much positive.

If Tufan is Hull's maverick, Quina has the potential to be Rotherham's but 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute, he had little choice but to bring Traore down.

Referee David Webb was probably right to say it was a fraction outside the area – no prizes for guessing where each manager thought it was.

So for the last 18 minutes (with stoppage time), Rotherham had an excuse for lacking ambition.

"It could easily have ended in heartbreak but the effort the players put in deserved something from the game," said Taylor. “That was hopefully a catalyst for what's next.”

Even with better opposition to come there must be a "next" for both teams.

Hull City: Darlow; Coyle, A Jones, McLoughlin, Greaves; Seri, Slater; Ebiowei, Traore, Sayyadmanesh; Longman (Tufan 53). Unused substitutes: Ingram, Elder, Docherty, Vaughan, Woods, Simons.

Rotherham United: Johansson; Peltier (Harding 69), Wright, Humphreys, Bramall; Lindsay (Odoffin 90), Coventry, Fosu; Ogbene (Washington 90), Hugill (Hjelde 84), Ferguson (Quina 69). Unused substitutes: Kelly, Vickers.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham).