A frank admission from Rotherham United boss Matt Taylor - and a message to his players

The Millers looked like rescuing a point when Tyler Blackett’s maiden goal for the club – and first senior strike in English football – put the Millers on terms in the 86th minute after substitute Tommy Conway’s cracking opener five minutes earlier, shortly after coming on.

But in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Conway provided a killer encore to win the game for City and break Millers’ hearts.

In all competitions, it represented Rotherham’s seventh defeat in nine matches, with the loss made all the more cruel with Blackett off the field in the final couple of minutes of stoppage time due to a hamstring issue, with the hosts having already used all their subs.

Despite a hard luck story in that regard, Taylor admits he is wise to the numbers game, with the Millers poor streak of results putting him under pressure.

He said: “You can't afford to keep getting beat. The manner of tonight's defeat, if you are going to get beat, get beat by giving it everything and showing you are good enough to compete at the level.

"There have been a few away games where we have not shown enough of that, which is frustrating. But you have to believe that A) you are good enough as a manager and B) your players are good enough.

"But when your best players aren't available, it is an incredible job and incredible task. It has got an awful lot harder on the back of tonight. Like I keep saying to the players, you can't lose heart, confidence and will.

"If the supporters do, that's down to them. I understand that to a certain extent, but if there is anything this club is about it's about standing up and showing a bit of character and fight and sticking together as well.

"It's understanding that Championship-level football for Rotherham is a hell of an achievement. It was a hell of an achievement last season staying up and what we are up against is an absolute beast. It keeps on taking big chunks out of us.

"But we are still alive. We are 10 games in and still showing signs of brightness in certain moments.”