Rotherham United manager Steve Evans blasts 'shocking' defending against Shrewsbury Town

All the action took place in the second half, with visitors Shrewsbury Town twice taking the lead and then defiantly hanging onto it.

Taylor Perry put them in front when he poked in after John Marquis’s shot had been parried by Dillon Phillips.

Rotherham levelled through Hakeem Odoffin’s powerful header but their celebrations were cut short when Perry rampaged down the left from the restart and crossed for Marquis to smash in.

“I think we knew how the game was going to pan out,” said Evans.

“There’s going to be no tempo to the game. Everything takes five minutes, throw-ins, goal-kicks and they just play on the counter. Obviously they have got two goals from this.

“We gave them an opportunity to score through bad defending and then it’s bad defending from two or three players collectively which leads to them getting the winner.

“The second was a shocking goal with shocking bad defending. Then we huffed and puffed and did everything but score.

“The boys gave everything for the cause but it wasn’t to be.”

Both managers praised Shrewsbury goalkeeper Jamal Blackman for denying Jordan Hugill with a stunning save at 1-0.

Evans said: “We were unlucky not to score. It’s a fantastic save.”

Shrewsbury head coach Gareth Ainsworth added: “That is one of the best saves you’ll see this season, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Rotherham United: Phillips, Rafferty, Odofin, Jules, James, Mpanzu, Humphreys, Green (Hugill 46), Sibley (Holmes 63), Powell, Nombe. Unused substitutes: Dawson, Kelly, Raggett, Hatton.

Shrewsbury Town: Blackman, M Feeney, J Feeney, Pierre, Hoole, Gape, Gilliead (Biggins 72), Benning, Perry (Ojo 88), Marquis, Lloyd (Oliver 79). Unused substitutes: Savin, Nurse, Stewart, Shipley.

Referee: D Baines (Merseyside).