Rotherham United 1 Walsall 1: Spirited Millers produce another late show

Frank Sinatra’s classic song in honour of the Big Apple, which has been Rotherham United’s signature tune since their move to the New York Stadium, says as much and on the football field there, even deep in the twilight of matches, you will find the Millers truly wide awake.

As they were on Saturday and woe betide any home supporter who headed for the exits early. They should have known better.

Substitute Nicky Adams’s 89th-minute leveller may have been dramatic, but as far as 2014 is concerned at the NYS, it was pretty much par for the course.

It represented the fifth occasion in which the never-say-die Millers have struck in the dying embers of games there so far this calendar year, with those goals helping to accrue Steve Evans’s side six points since January 25.

It is the sort of habit that serves any aspiring side well. Several years ago, the Millers’ near-neighbours Chesterfield used to take great delight in serenading them with a chorus of “You’ll never beat the Spireites” in recognition of their amazing Indian sign over them.

Expect an airing of “You’ll never beat the Millers” if what happened on Saturday is repeated, with Steve Evans’s side in possession of a 12-match unbeaten record which everyone connected with the club is proud of and determined to uphold.

A true test of such a run is when you are not at your best and yet you still find a way not to be beaten.

The Millers displayed that canny knack to nail any pretensions Walsall may have had of gatecrashing the play-offs and putting the squeeze on them.

Taking centre stage was January arrival Adams, who ensured the Millers pocketed something from Evans’s 99th game in charge with his first goal for the club.

His previous success in Rotherham saw him become the last visiting player to convert a penalty at the Millers’ former Millmoor home for his then club Bury in November 2007. The relief was palpable after his late intervention at the weekend.

Adams, who joined the Millers at the second time of asking earlier this year, after revealing that former boss Mark Robins tried to sign him several years ago, said: “It was nice to score and get off the mark and it was an important goal for us and it keeps that unbeaten run and momentum going.

“We have been playing well in recent weeks, but you aren’t going to play well every week. But we have a good set of players and never-say-die spirit and we keep going to the end.

“The one thing I have noticed since I have come here is that we always get chances at the end and we got one again and I was lucky enough to put it in.

“We finish strong at the end of games and you carry on to the final whistle. It’s not going to happen for you all of the time, but because we have scored a few late on, you have it in the back of your mind that we are going to get one. It becomes a habit.”

On having to bide his time to make an impact with the Millers, he added: “It’s one of those things. The lads are playing well and you can’t just change the team, it’s not fair on the lads who are playing ahead of me. It is difficult. I have gone from being the best player at another club (Crawley) to playing here. But there are that many good players here and when you get your chance, you have to take it. Look at the squad we have got. The bench says everything.”

For much of the 89 minutes before Adams cracked home the equaliser, it was an afternoon of frustration for the Millers.

More especially in the first half when the hosts failed to get out of first gear and several decisions from referee Andy Woolmer incurred their ire. The Northants official was unmoved after James Chambers’s early challenge on the fit-again Wes Thomas, a decision which set the tone.

Fielding a sound 4-2-3-1 system, with Adam Chambers and Sam Mantom effectively policing the area in front of the Saddlers’ back four, it was the visitors who controlled the first half with their reward arriving in the 19th minute. Neat work by Adam Chambers and Craig Westcarr set up Milan Lalkovic, who rifled in a rising shot past goalkeeper Adam Collin.

It was the main moment of action in a drab first half with the Millers improving on the restart with Kari Arnason soon heading over a good chance.

Romaine Sawyers saw a close-range effort blocked to potentially seal the deal for Walsall, but the Millers kept going.

Andy Taylor denied a goalbound shot from Haris Vuckic before Sheffield-born Ben Purkiss saw red on 73 minutes after bodychecking Ben Pringle, his second booking after being cautioned earlier for time-wasting.

Michael O’Connor’s resultant free-kick was saved before Saddlers substitute Paul Downing got in a timely challenge to thwart Alex Revell.

Adams then headed off target before Downing had a more fateful intervention, deflecting Adams’s fierce drive high past Richard O’Donnell after the Millers man was teed up by Kieran Agard.

Rotherham United: Collin, Brindley (Adams 77), Morgan, Arnason, Skarz; Agard, Frecklington, Smallwood (O’Connor 67), Pringle, Thomas (Vuckic 54), Revell. Unused substitutes: Shearer, Milsom, Addison, Hitchcock.

Walsall: O’Donnell, Purkiss, J Chambers, Butler, Taylor; A Chambers, Mantom; Brandy, Sawyers, Lalkovic (Downing 78); Westcarr (Ngoo 88). Unused substitutes: Roberts, Featherstone, Baxendale, Hewitt, McQuilken.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northants).