Players are proud to wear Rotherham United shirt, says Paul Warne

Paul Warne was much happier with his Rotherham United side after they responded to a woeful performance against Cardiff City.

Warne said: “I was very proud of my team because the previous week at Cardiff we were abysmal.

“I watched Brentford in midweek and they played Sheffield Wednesday off the park so I was fearful, but I’ve been trying to be positive with them all week.

“In the second half, we were the better side and were more of a goal threat. I always felt we would score from set-pieces.”

But he was disappointed to see it slide late on, adding: “When we got to 2-2 that didn’t flatter us at all, so to concede in the 92nd minute was very disappointing.

“I thought it was a penalty, but it was unlucky – we must have run over a cat with the team bus.

“I was pleased with how we played and the character we showed because as a group they are used to losing, but on Saturday) they showed they were proud to wear the Rotherham shirt and give it their all.”

He insisted the Millers will not give up the fight for Championship survival.

“Until it’s mathematically impossible, we will keep fighting,” he said. “It’s a difficult league for us and the first few months were tough so perhaps it’s been difficult to shake off the mental scarring.

“But after (Satruday) I’m not at all embarrassed with the way my team played because they played to their max and scored two goals and that is something positive to build on.”

Despite dominating the first 45 minutes, Bees chief Smith was disappointed his side had failed to turn their superiority into goals.

In the end it took two goals from Jota in the last four minutes of stoppage-time to seal the points and ensure the gutsy Millers’ dismal away run continued.

The Spaniard’s hat-trick, along with Nico Yennaris’s strike, gave the Bees the points, overshadowing goals from Aymen Belaid and Anthony Forde that looked like earning the Millers a point.

“Jota has saved it for us late on,” said Smith. “He is a terrific player and I have not worked with a player with such good balance.”

Brentford: Bentley, Colin, Egan, Bjelland, Henry, Kerschbaumer (Shaibu 77), Woods, Yennaris, Jota, Sawyers, Jozefzoon (Canos 71). Unused substitutes: Bonham, Clarke, Barbet, Field, Cole.

Rotherham United: Price, Kelly, Ajayi, Belaid (Mattock 83), Purrington, Taylor, Smallwood (Blackstock 86), Vaulks, Newell (Forde 60), Adeyemi, Ward. Unused substitutes: Bray, Yates, Warren.

Referee: A Davies (Hampshire).