Rotherham United boss Steve Evans happy but grounded after Bolton Wanderers clash

ROTHERHAM UNITED boss Steve Evans was determined to not get “too carried away” after seeing his team pile the pressure on under-fire Bolton Wanderers boss, Ian Evatt.

The 3-1 win was fully deserved for the Millers, with away fans chanting for Evatt to be sacked after the final whistle.

After a stuttering start to the campaign, the Millers are now unbeaten in four and moved up to 13th in the table and within 10 points of the top six.

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The clash at the New York Stadium was the only League One clash to survive freezing and snowy weather.

Evans’s team are back ion action again on Tuesday night when they make the short trip to Chesterfield in the third round of the EFL Trophy.

“We spoke to the group about making incremental steps forward on the pitch,” said Evans.

“Ian is a good manager and he’s got a good squad of players, but I felt they got us in a frame of mind that we wanted to play.

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"You get wins if you get the right performances and we said that after we won at Lincoln. But 3-1 doesn’t do this justice today – it could have been a lot more.

ON TARGET: Rotherham United's Sam Nombe scored the Millers' third goal in their home win over Bolton Wanderers. Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeON TARGET: Rotherham United's Sam Nombe scored the Millers' third goal in their home win over Bolton Wanderers. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
ON TARGET: Rotherham United's Sam Nombe scored the Millers' third goal in their home win over Bolton Wanderers. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

"The boys have got lots of energy, put lots of hours in on the training ground and lots of hard work and if you do that, you get your rewards.

"And that has been our message to them for the last three or four weeks. We pressed, we showed some real high intensity and that creates the chances.

“But we don’t get carried away, it’s a big week ahead.”

The Millers went ahead in the 34th minute from the penalty spot.

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Mallik Wilks had been causing problems for Bolton’s Ricardo Santos and won a penalty when he again snuck by the defender and was hauled down when through on goal, the Millers wide man stepping up himself to strike home nonchalantly from 12 yards.

Rotherham netted their second on the stroke of half-time when Reece James smashed in.

The calls for Evatt’s dismissal intensified in the second half as Dion Charles missed a glaring chance to get Bolton back into the game.

The visiting faithful’s misery was compounded when Sam Nombe tapped in the third after Wilks’ shot had been palmed into his path.

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John McAtee netted a consolation four minutes from time after being slipped in by Charles.

“I don’t send my players out to show that lack of courage, fight and energy,” said a frustrated Evatt. “It’s about time that maybe I called them out, because it’s me that gets it all.

“I’m okay to take it all, but sooner or later they have got to take responsibility.

“The first place I look is in the mirror, at myself, but some of them need to look at themselves too because that, for this club, isn’t good enough.

“We were second best all over the pitch.”

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Rotherham United: Phillips, Rafferty, Odofin, Jules, James, Humphreys, Powell, Wilks, MacDonald (Bramall 67), McWilliams, Nombe. Unused substitutes: Dawson, Kelly, Green, Holmes, Clarke-Harris, Hugill.

Bolton Wanderers: Baxter, Forrester, Santos, Johnston, Morley, Williams (Dacres-Cogley 60), Randall, Thomason (Charles 60), Schon, Collins, McAtee.

Unused substitutes: Jones, Osei-Tutu, Matete, Lolos, Adeboyejo.

Referee: Alan Young (Cambridgeshire).

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