Rotherham United 0 Swindon Town 4: We will take it on the chin and come back fighting, vows Evans

Bradley finds himself outnumbered by the Swindon defence

The Millers have been flying this season, but this home defeat to the Robins stunned Evans and the New York Stadium faithful who have seen their side lose back-to-back home games.

The Millers players have been told their places are not safe ahead of a behind-closed-doors friendly at Leeds United tomorrow.

“Swindon scored with a great free-kick and then had a very lucky deflection right on half-time, it was a very unjust scoreline at the break,” reflected Evans.

“However, despite the two second-half goals being offside it was a performance that was not acceptable.

“We lacked the key ingredients to have a chance in any football match – desire, passion, tenacity – and a vast number of players got worse as the match went on.

“That is a performance that these players will not be pleased about and, believe me, everyone is hurting.

“The only answer is hard work and response. We will take this on the chin, feel smashed around the face, take the criticism that will come, but these lads will react positively through hard graft.

“We apologise, but now we move on and focus on MK Dons next week.”

Evans had warned against the threat of Swindon’s on-loan Tottenham influence and it was Spurs midfielder Alex Pritchard who scored against the run of play with a free-kick.

But in the second half, Swindon showed a clinical edge to inflict Rotherham’s biggest defeat of the season.

Pritchard netted from 25 yards to put the visitors in front.

A fortunate deflection helped Massimo Luongo double the lead for Mark Cooper’s side, before Nicky Ajose knocked in Pritchard’s cross to make it 3-0.

Substitute Dany N’Guessan, whom Evans first brought to English football while at Boston, rubbed salt in his old manager’s wounds with a fourth goal.

Recalled Pablo Mills was denied by a combination of Wes Foderingham and the crossbar while at 0-0 and the Millers – missing Kari Arnason on international duty with Iceland – will wonder how they failed to score in the first half.

“If it was a book I was reading then the first three chapters out of nine would not have given you any clues as to what the end story would tell,” said Evans. “There is no doubt we started the game exceptionally well, perhaps as good as we have played this season.

“We created chance after chance and it could all have been a very different story, but goals change and win football matches.

“One really poor 45 minutes does not make us a bad unit.”

Rotherham United: Shearer, Bradley, Morgan, Mills, Skarz, Agard, Frecklington, Milsom (Tidser 62), Pringle, Revell, Nardiello (Tubbs 56). Unused substitutes: Brindley, O’Connor, Hylton, Collin, Rowe.

Swindon Town: Foderingham, Nathan Thompson, Hall, Ward, McEveley, Luongo, Pritchard, Kasim, Ajose (N’Guessan 75), Ranger (Louis Thompson 87), Byrne. Unused substitutes: Barthram, Cox, Belford, Branco, El-Gabbas.

Referee: A Haines (Tyne & Wear).

Man of the match: Alex Pritchard.