Rotherham United's struggles fuelling apathy as Exeter City draw fails to inspire hope of better days ahead

Promotion is not really a possibility for either side, nor is relegation a threat.

The importance of quality is heightened in the absence of jeopardy, yet there was painfully little on display in the 1-1 draw.

Flashes of entertainment were born out of lapses in concentration, rather than skill.

Exeter’s fans were loud, but the weariness of a long and ultimately unsuccessful season was etched upon the faces of the home faithful.

Grumbles and shouts of discontent form part of the football ground soundtrack, yet there are noticeably fewer of them in Rotherham these days.

Apathy is worse than anger and Rotherham’s meagre showings this season have created a worrying disconnect.

Even when Reece James fired the Millers into the lead, lashing home on the rebound after a Mallik Wilks effort was parried, celebrations were fairly muted.

Equally, there was little discernible anguish when the Grecians levelled through Alex Hartridge.

Rotherham did have chances to win the game but there was a glaring absence of a clinical edge, to Evans’ frustration.

He said: “We can’t miss the level of chances we’ve missed.

“We’re doing it consistently - because we did it at Wrexham last week too.

“I know their goalkeeper is making saves but he was making saves because the finishes weren't the best.”

Sam Nombe had a particularly wasteful afternoon, squandering more than one chance to notch against his former employers

"We don't name players and say he's the reason we didn't score,” said Evans. “But he's the reason why weren’t 3-0 up at half-time.”

There were also defensive issues and Evans conceded post-match that Exeter’s scorer, Hartidge, had an allocated marker who was nowhere to be seen.

Evans said: “He [the marker] comes out and says sorry afterwards. ‘Sorrys’ get you released from this football club, continually. They’re not acceptable.”

Positives were difficult to extract, but Hakeem Odoffin and Liam Kelly delivered assured performances.

The Millers are hoping to tie the former down to fresh terms and Evans reserved praise for the latter on his return to the starting XI.

He said: “I thought Liam was really good. We’ll have to be careful on Tuesday with Liam, of course.

“I thought he kept the ball, he switched the play, he was always an option. I thought he was good.”

10 games remain until the curtain comes down on Rotherham’s 2024/25 season.

Hopes of glory this term have long since faded and with the games remaining, the Millers must try to inspire some hope.

At the very least, they need to use their final fixtures to influence the series of huge summer decisions that must be made.

Rotherham United: Phillips, Rafferty, Humphreys, Odoffin, James; Kelly, McWilliams (Kayode 76), Mpanzu, Powell (Sibley 88); Wilks, Nombe.

Unused substitutes: Dawson, Duncan, Holmes, Green, Clarke-Harris.

Exeter City: Whitworth, Turns, Hartridge, MacDonald; McMillan, Trevitt, Francis (Watts 64), Colwill (Aitchison 79); Jones (Niskanen 64), Mitchell (Yogane 64), Magennis.

Unused substitutes: Woods, Cole, Cox.

Referee: Martin Coy (Durham)