Rotherham United 'lay siege' against Bristol Rovers but finishing leaves Steve Evans disappointed

The blend of boos and applause created something rather tepid, which cannot be said of the action that unfolded.

Adjectives such as ‘pretty’ and ‘stylish’ do not come to mind either. Rotherham subjected Taylor’s Bristol Rovers to a barrage of attacks, only for each wave to end in disappointment.

When the final whistle signalled the end of the Millers onslaught, the Rotherham shot count stood at 20. Bristol Rovers had mustered five.

Rotherham pushed forward with force rather than intricacy, with directness rather than patience.

Sam Nombe occupied defenders effectively, while midfielders buzzed around to move Rotherham on to the front foot. It was fast and furious and could have caused a landslide had the Millers sharpened their clinical edge.

“I’ve just said to the players, we’ve produced another really good performance,” Millers boss Steve Evans said. “I thought we played through the lines really well today, we put them under enormous pressure.

"You have to take chances to win football matches. If we’re being honest, I’m disappointed it’s not three or four at half-time.”

Chances in the 0-0 draw were not reserved for Rotherham’s front two of Nombe and Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Sign up to our new Sports Editor’s TeamTalk newsletter available this week

Players all over the pitch were trying their luck, only to be denied by the agile Josh Griffiths between the Gas sticks.

“The quality of finishing wasn’t quite there,” Evans conceded. “It continued in the second half, we’ve laid siege to their goal. But if you don’t take chances, ultimately it costs you.”

The result was made a more bitter pill to swallow by the eerie resemblances to the side’s opening two fixtures.

Rotherham were wasteful on the opening weekend of the League One season, when they were edged out by Exeter City.

The Millers then defeated Crewe Alexandra 2-1 in the Carabao Cup - but had a staggering 27 shots.

“I was lower than the floor after Exeter,” Evans said. “That was well-documented. I got a lot wrong, the boys didn't help me, they got a lot wrong.

“We had a meeting, we cleared things up on how we're going to play. I took responsibility for Exeter. I'll take the responsibility for Crewe and today.

“I think Millers fans are honest people, they're here until the 97th-minute today expecting a goal, because they're thinking 'we can't have all these chances, all this pressure and not score'. But sometimes that happens.”

Rotherham supporters can perhaps take comfort in the overriding feeling of there being more to come.

Bristol Rovers were carved open time and time again by a side with a largely functional midfield.

It was comprised of four central players, with Joe Powell the only one considered outwardly attack-minded. The remaining three - Liam Kelly, Hakeem Odoffin and Christ Tiehi - have pragmatic tendencies.

Some width and flair will only make the Millers more dangerous and that itself is an exciting prospect for supporters, even those worn down by the opening week of the campaign.

There is also the lingering issue of fitness, with some members of the squad having enjoyed more complete pre-seasons than others.

Solace can be taken in the potentially short-term nature of these issues, as Rotherham look to hit their stride and compete at the division’s summit.

“We’ve got one or two players that are still catching up,” Evans explained. “We can see Jonson is still fighting [for] that little bit of sharpness.

“We bring Mallik [Wilks] in, even in that cameo, you can see there’s a real player in there. But again, he needs that fitness, those match minutes, that sharpness. He’ll give our supporters many a great day and many a great evening here, that’s for sure.”

Rotherham United: Phillips, MacDonald, Humphreys, McCart, James; Tiehi (McWilliams 74), Kelly (Wilks 74), Odoffin, Powell; Clarke-Harris (Hugill 84), Nombe (Osong 84).

Unused substitutes: Dawson, Bramall, Holmes.

Bristol Rovers: Griffiths, Moore, Wilson, Mola; Thomas, Conteh, Ward (Lindsay 67), Bilongo (Taylor 67), Sotiriou (McCormick 49), Hutchinson (Sinclair 57), Omochere (Martin 57).

Unused substitutes: Senior, Garrett.

Referee: Neil Hair (Huntingdonshire)