Rotherham United: Millers had to batten down the hatches: Evans

A solitary strike from Matt Derbyshire after just eight minutes proved to be enough as the Millers also ended a morle-sapping sequence of three consecutive home losses.

The win moved United seven points clear of the drop zone with their result consigning Blackpool to relegation.

Evans, whose side repelled Brighton’s efforts to get back into the game on the restart, said: “We had to batten down the hatches, get a result and we’ve done that.

“I think we can take consolation that my goalkeeper has not had a save to make apart from one from distance. Unless it was from an individual error I didn’t see us conceding.

“We’re unfortunate that it’s not more than one but we would have taken a 5-4. We made some good chances and would expect to take some of them.”

He added: “In terms of match pressure it was up there with the play-offs. This was an important win.

“Had Brighton equalised, then I think the supporters would have gone out disappointed, but knowing that they had had a proper return from their players.

“There’s a real cause and a real togetherness among our supporters.

“Our supporters demand that we give everything we’ve got and that’s what we do.”