Rotherham boss in axe threat after Colchester stalemate

The Millers may have extended their unbeaten League One streak to 10 matches, but Evans was scathing of his side’s first-half display and has promised changes for their next game on Tuesday evening at Oldham Athletic.

Despite heading into the game on the back of a 6-0 thrashing of sorry Notts County, the fifth-placed Millers produced a strangely-inhibited opening 45 minutes and regardless of their dominant second-half showing, Evans was more concerned with what happened before that.

Evans, whose side would have moved within six points of second-placed Leyton Orient with victory, said: “We didn’t play in the first half and lacked that yard of fight and spirit that we have got and I thought we were off the pace really.

“I had strong words with them. We should be down as that’s not us and was not a good performance from us and was not an acceptable performance from some individuals.

“Some will pay the price and go out – simple as that.

“You have to deliver week-in, week-out and unless you do that, then you go out. It’s harsh words, but meaningful ones. Maybe one or two just think they are in the team now; I don’t know.

“We have good standards and we fell below them in the first half and lacked being on the front foot and being willing to run that extra yard for each other.

“You have to earn the right to win the ball and to win football matches.”

Evans admitted that his side weren’t helped by a hugely difficult surface at Colchester, while also being mystified at the failure to award a penalty deep in stoppage-time in the first half when Kieran Agard went down under pressure from home defender Magnus Okuonghae.

Evans, whose says Lee Freckington’s eye-socket injury isn’t serious, said: “We should have been awarded a penalty.”