Notts County 0 Rotherham United 1: Evans left pleased with ‘emphatic’ Rotherham

Notts County took Liverpool to extra-time before succumbing, but their league struggles continued as Rotherham produced what manager Steve Evans described as an “emphatic” 1-0 victory.

Ben Pringle had spurned an opportunity when firing over before the Millers deservedly went in front on 37 minutes, Agard hammering the ball in from Michael O’Connor’s free-kick.

Visiting goalkeeper Scott Shearer thwarted midfielder David Bell to deny the home side a way back in and Rotherham should have made it 2-0, but Agard missed an easy header and was also denied by County goalkeeper Bart Bialkowski.

Rotherham are in fifth place while Notts were left without a league win and are second from bottom with just one point.

“Notts County are not a bad team and they showed that against Liverpool last Tuesday but we dominated the match completely,” Evans told the Millers’ official website.

“We needed that second goal to go in to kill the match but no matter how hard the lads worked it would just not happen for us – but we are on the right track.

“This is a great squad we have but there is a lot of hard work still to be put in.”

Evans added: “These lads want to work, they want to win and everyone of them is pulling in the same direction.

“Slowly but surely those not pulling with us are found out and we move them out of this group.”

On the injury front, David Noble is expected to return to training this week but Mitch Rose will be sidelined because of the need for minor knee surgery.

Evans said David Worrall will not be back available for first-team selection for two weeks but Claude Davis’s return to training is imminent following an illness.

Notts County: Bialkowski, Dumbuya, Liddle, Leacock, Stevens, Campbell-Ryce (Coombes 25), Labadie (Murray 87), Bell, McGregor, Fotheringham (Boucaud 59), Arquin. Unused substitutes: Smith,Thompson,Spiess,Nangle.

Rotherham United: Shearer, Bradley (Brindley 67), Morgan, Arnason (Mills 79), Skarz, O’Connor, Milsom, Agard, Frecklington, Pringle (Tidser 90), Revell. Unused substitutes: Hylton, Tubbs, Nardiello, Collin.

Referee: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).