Destiny still at our feet even if we lose points, says Millers’ defiant boss Evans

A decision is likely to be reached after a three-man disciplinary commission met yesterday to discuss the fate of the Millers, charged by the Football League with fielding loanee Farrend Rawson in their 1-0 win over Brighton on Easter Monday.

The Millers fielded Rawson, who joined on a 28-day loan from Derby County on March 7, after his youth loan had expired, with the paperwork over an extension not dealt with correctly.

The league have indicated that the club will be open to the “full range of punishments”, including a three-point penalty, with AFC Wimbledon deducted that amount for a similar offence last season.

As it stands, fourth-from-bottom Millers – who hired top QC Jim Sturman to represent them – are four points above the team occupying the final relegation position, Millwall.

That gap will be cut to a single point if the Millers, who welcome promotion-chasing Norwich City tomorrow, are docked three points.

But Evans’s side do have a game in hand on Millwall and second-from-bottom Wigan Athletic, who are currently five points adrift of the Millers.

Evans, whose side are also at home on Tuesday against Reading before travelling to Leeds United for a Yorkshire derby on the final day of the season tomorrow week, said:

“Every team want to have their destiny at their own feet and it’s up to us.

“I have said to the players for some weeks to just forget about these whole circumstances and focus on your football.

“Whether we get a point off, three points off or no points off, it is going to mean no difference to what we do against Norwich.

“If we go and get some positive results over the seven days from Saturday, then we won’t need to worry what others do.

“If we can go and beat Norwich, it would go a long way to say we are going to be part of it next season.”

Evans described the failure to re-register Rawson after the completion of his first month as an “administrative” issue, but says that he holds no anger for anyone at the club for what he has labelled as a genuine error in not completing the paperwork to extend teenager Rawson’s loan with Derby.

Evans claimed after the win over Brighton that Rawson’s loan had been extended for the rest of the season, only to reveal that the player had been recalled after not being involved in the clash against Middlesbrough five days later.

The Millers’ chief said: “No, I don’t think angry is the word.

“For people who know me, there’s big things in my life and I can cope better than anger.

“You have to accept there has been an error. Certainly knowing people inside this football club, no one means to make an error.

“I am never one to cast judgment on people who make genuine mistakes.

“I have made enough of them and I have often said that in my career and I mean it.

“I just concentrate on the team and it is not whether someone says sorry or not.

“I don’t think it’s about me looking inward. We just have to hope the football disciplinary commission make an honest decision.

“I believe that, anyway, we have to hope that night follows day and that will happen.

“Whatever happens, the dressing room are on the back end of that and we have to take whatever decision is out of that and then deal with it.

“We have had to focus and put it out of our minds before and will do so on Saturday and then we’ll focus on Reading and then Leeds United.”

Millwall welcome Derby County tomorrow and Wigan host Wolves.