Evans’s presence in the dugout met by first away victory of season

Goals from on-loan debutant Lee Frecklington, Bob Harris and Alex Revell ensured a comfortable win, a first on the road this season for the Millers.

Evans was understandably delighted having been able to mark his return in such a way, although he reserved his highest praise for Frecklington, who only arrived on loan from Championship strugglers Peterborough United on Friday.

“He is a Championship player and he played like a Championship player,” added Evans.

“His forward runs are why we signed him. He should have probably put us in front before he got the goal, it was a good chance and he would have been disappointed.

“He got his goal, then in the second half he has produced a piece of magic, side-stepped everyone but the goalkeeper has made a good save. Overall, I was delighted with him.”

The home side had gone into the game on the back of a six-match losing run and regularly looked vulnerable at the back.

Numerous chances came and went, one seeing Lionel supply a teasing cross only for Daniel Nardiello just fail to connect at the near post, while Frecklington was a whisker away from poking the ball into the net at the far post.

But the goal that had been threatening to come for a while finally arrived in the 33rd minute.

Nardiello found Ben Pringle on the left and he beat Ben Herd before supplying a centre which was headed out by Aaron Morris to the edge of the area.

It dropped to Frecklington who teed it up first and then struck a right-foot half-volley which curled beyond the goalkeeper’s outstretched left hand and into the net.

Minutes later Rotherham should really have had another one when Nardiello’s effort just went wide. Josh Payne then cleared off the line from Kari Arnason’s flick but a second did not arrive before the break.

It did, though, 12 minutes into the second half, Robert Harris striking a superb 25-yard free-kick after Frecklington had been hauled down.

Seven minutes from time Rotherham wrapped up victory, when Alex Revell prodded home a rebound.

Aldershot: Young, Herd, Brown, Lancashire, A Morris, Rodman (Mekki 60), Payne (Vincenti 59), Rose, Reid, Rankine (Tonkin 76), Hylton. Unused substitutes: G Morris, Branston, Bradley, Munns.

Rotherham United: Warrington, Tonge, Sharps, Morgan, Harris, Ainsworth, Arnason (Taylor 85), Pringle, Frecklington (Bradley 89), Revell, Nardiello (Agard 76). Unused substitutes: Thompson, O’Connor, Evans, Odejayi.

Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire).

Millers man-of-the-match: L Frecklington.