No complaints from Millers

 The Millers held Boro for 50 minutes at the Riverside Stadium before falling to strikes from Lee Tomlin and Patrick Bamford. Emi Martinez’s late penalty save from Bamford ensured the damage was limited to 2-0.

 Evans said: “The performance was good in large parts. We had a fantastic shape and some good energy levels. We got into some good areas but we weren’t good enough in the final third.

“A couple of sloppy things cost goals, as happens at this level. If we had had a bit more dynamism further forward we might have got something but we can’t complain. Middlesbrough are a quality team and they’ve given themselves four games to be in the Premier League.”

 Defeat for Millwall and a draw for Wigan over the weekend means Rotherham remain seven points above the Championship safety line with four games to go. Those two play each other in London on Tuesday night, 24 hours before the Millers face Fulham at Craven Cottage.

 Evans added: “We can’t rely on others, we’ve got to look after ourselves. If we can stay in this division and establish ourselves we’ll get better, but this season is about survival now.”

He handed a start at the Riverside to central defender Richard Wood after recalling him from a loan spell at Crawley and praised him for the way he played. Wood stepped in for Farrend Rawson, the highly-rated teenager who has been taken back by parent club Derby County.

 “I’m disappointed with that,” said Evans, “I thought he was with us. He is the best defender we had at the football club and I hope to work with that young man in the future.”

 Millers: Martinez, Hunt, Lafferty, Wood, Broadfoot, Green (Sammon 76), Arnason (Frecklington 69), Smallwood, Hammill, Bowery, Derbyshire (Ward 59)

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos, Kalas, Friend, Gibson, Ayala (Woodgate 70), Forshaw, Clayton, Adomah, Thomlin, Bamford, Kiki

Referee: Iain Williamson

Attendance: 19,537 (963 visitors)

“There were a lot of plusses but not enough. Middlesbrough are a quality side, you can’t say anything else and if you give the ball away then they’re going to give it footballers who can hurt you. They’ve given themselves four games to be in the Premier League.”

“

Rawson...gone back to Derby. Only found out Thursday. I’m disappointed with that. I thought he was with us. I don’t think he will be back.

Richie Smallwood came back to the Riverside and showed he perhaps should never have left. Lee Frecklington came on and gave us a real surge of energy in the middle of the park.

“

Hammill had been fantastic in training, Ben Pringle put a huge amount of energy into Easter fixtures. He was tired in latter stages at Bright and his energy levels didn’t come back. Adam has given us a dilemma because he was excellent.

“We had a right go. We’ll prepare them and rest them up for the next one.

Pen save...”There’s no dispute it was a penalty.

Wood...”He was very good. He had one or two misplaced touches in the first half but he won his headers. It was a hell of a step up from League One playing against Kiki, Bamford and Tomlin but I thought he did really well and Kirk Broadfoot beside him was outstanding.

Hammill had a very good game and was driving at them

Although having to do most of the defending in the first half, the Millers were relatively comfortable and when Boro were allowed a clear sight of goal, Paul Green and Daniel Lafferty were on hand to block on the line.

Emi Martinez was equal to an overhead kick from Daniel Ayala and an Albert Adomah drive while the the recalled Adam Hammill flashed a curler just wide at the other end.

The good work was undone five minutes into the second half when Rotherham lost possession cheaply and Lee Tomlin cut in and fired in from just inside the penalty area.

Tomlin then turned provider for Boro’s next goal on 66 minutes, slipping Patrick Bamford in to roll past Martinez.