Rotherham boss Neil Redfearn reflected on his side's 2-2 draw at Cardiff with a tinge of disappointment, feeling they could have returned home with all three points.
After going behind early on through Anthony Pilkington's cool finish, the Millers turned it around in south Wales as Joe Newell and Pilkington's own goal either side of half-time gave them a 2-1 lead.
That was short-lived, though, as Pilkington got back to doing the business at the right end but firing in an equaliser.
The Millers more than held their own and boss Redfearn felt they could have won it.
After going behind early on through Anthony Pilkington's cool finish, the Millers turned it around in south Wales as Joe Newell and Pilkington's own goal either side of half-time gave them a 2-1 lead.
That was short-lived, though, as Pilkington got back to doing the business at the right end but firing in an equaliser.
The Millers more than held their own and boss Redfearn felt they could have won it.
"I’m really pleased with the performance," he said. "To come away with something when you visit Cardiff is no mean feat.
"Perhaps the only disappointment is that we should have won with the way we got ourselves in front and how we played second half.
"It was a good football game, although it took a while to come to life. We started slow and they got their goal which was disappointing.
“It was a real effort by the
whole team because this is not an easy place to come to.
“What pleased me more than
anything - I know we had that battling, fighting spirit again - was that we
passed the ball really well.
“Some of our passages of play
were excellent - how we got Grant Ward on the ball between the lines, how we
broke. We got Newelly in, particularly for his goal. It was a good all-round
display.”
"We are not going to have too many more opportunities like that before the season ends and of course that is very frustrating.
Cardiff boss Russell Slade also felt his side should have been celebrating the win and played down the Millers' impact in the game.Cardiff v Rotherham: https://t.co/tfX84hPmzy via @YouTube— Rotherham United (@OfficialRUFC) January 24, 2016
“Of course it’s frustrating,
we’ve not lost any ground but it could have been so much better," the former Leyton Orient boss said.
"We created enough
chances to win the game.
“Rotherham did not offer too
many threats in the first period and I was disappointed to go in 1-1.
"The opposition
have not been a fantastic threat and you simply cannot waste situations like that,
that's a problem.
"We are not going to have too many more opportunities like that before the season ends and of course that is very frustrating.
"Rotherham always fight
and scrap, that’s the kind of team they are, but we had more quality in my
opinion than they had."
