Rotherham United boss Steve Evans eyes end to Nottingham Forest hoodoo

Rotherham boss Steve Evans wants to continue his role as hoodoo breaker when he takes his side to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Evans has overseen a plethora of landmark wins while at the helm at New York, notably ending long winless streaks against Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Blackburn and Gillingham.

One hoodoo that Evans has not yet been able to end is Rotherham’s shocking record against Nottingham Forest.

The Millers have not beaten their East Midlands rivals since 1965 and have only ever won at the City Ground once, 12 months earlier in 1955.

They were beaten 2-0 at the City Ground last season as two goals in two minutes just before the half-time break proved enough for the hosts.

With Forest losing their first two games of the season – at Brighton in the league and against Walsall in the Capital One Cup at the weekend – this Saturday proves a reasonable opportunity to rewrite the history books.

“It was a good performance, we were on top, we had a little mistake by Adam (Collin) that cost us a goal and then we let (Michail) Antonio run 60 yards before half-time,” Evans said of last season’s meeting in March.

“I thought that was harsh on us because we could have been a couple up ourselves.

“It’s a great place to play football and watch football, you think of the history and tradition at that football club.

“The supporters will turn up in their numbers and they’re under pressure to get a result. They will see us coming as an opportunity to win.

“I don’t want our supporters to think we are going to go and play the team that played Walsall because they made seven changes to their starting line-up and only brought on Antonio and he almost saved the cup tie in his own right.

“It will be a strong side, (Henri) Lansbury will play if he has not been sold, I take it Antonio and (Jamie) Ward will play so it is a dynamic team going forward.

“We respect them but we don’t fear them, we are capable of going there and putting in a performance.

“We have not won there since 1955, we have broken a lot of records in three years, we’d like to break this one.”

The key to the Millers prevailing by the Trent will be keeping former Wednesday winger Antonio quiet.

The 25-year-old has been the subject of interest from Premier League West Brom, who saw a bid rejected for him.

“He has got better (since leaving Sheffield Wednesday), but dare I say it, he is playing with better players than perhaps he was at Wednesday.

“But even at Wednesday he was always the one player that could turn a game on its head.

“He has got sheer strength, brutality and pace that kills defenders and midfielders that he just leaves in his wake.

“He is a top player, clubs in the Premier League don’t come and bid £4million for you unless you’ve got a lot of ability.”

Evans could hand a debut to left-back Joe Mattock after he returned to full training following an ankle injury suffered in pre-season.

If Mattock does make it then that could see Joe Newell pushed into an attacking role while Lewis Buxton came through the first 70 minutes of his Millers career in midweek and is set to retain his place at right-back.