Carlisle 1 Rotherham 2: Millers respond in manner Evans required

But he felt his side should have been out of sight at half-time and when, instead, they went in level, he admitted he administered some harsh words.

Agard flicked home Alex Revell’s cross for his 16th goal of the season in the second minute of stoppage time.

Wes Thomas had rolled into an empty net after a defensive mix-up to put the visitors ahead before Lee Miller levelled on the stroke of half-time with an overhead kick.

Thomas shot straight at keeper Jordan Pickford’s legs before Agard pounced.

Evans said: “It’s always nice to score a winning goal, and it’s always nice in added time, of course. But we could have been four- or five-nil up at half-time. We should have been.

“Instead of that we turned level, and it’s fair to say that for one of the few times since probably October, November, I had to get into them [the players] a little bit. To be fair to the players, I said to them ‘go out and some of you prove me wrong’, and listen, if it had finished one-nil we’d have still been the dominant team.”

The Millers have now won six games out of seven, including four in a row, and sit in fifth place.

Carlisle United: Pickford, Chimbonda, O’Hanlon, Meppen-Walter, Robson, Noble (Byrne 68), Potts, Ekangamene, Redmond (Novo 79), Miller, Amoo. Unused substitutes: Chantler, Symington, Fleming, Brough, Guy.

Rotherham United: Collin, Tavernier, Arnason, Davis, Skarz, Agard (O’Connor 90), Frecklington, Smallwood, Pringle, Revell, Thomas (Adams 75).Unused substitutes: Shearer, Brindley, Addison, Vuckic, Hitchcock.

Referee: S Martin (Staffordshire).