Rotherham United boss Steve Evans was pleased with the character his side showed after rounding off 2012 with a 4-1 victory at home to Accrington Stanley.
The Millers were pegged back by a Craig Lindfield strike after a Tom Eckersley own goal had put them ahead; but a double strike from substitute Daniel Nardiello and a goal late in the game by Michael O’Connor was enough to ensure the Millers saw out the calendar year with three points.
“I thought we started the game very well. We were quite fortunate with the goal of course but their goal led a charmed life because it should have been six or seven. I think Kieran Agard had three one-on-ones with the goalkeeper and will be disappointed not to finish how he can finish. When that happens you’re always subject to them having a strike at goal and he’s scored a wonder goal to be fair. To be fair we lost our way a bit for the remainder of the first-half.”
Evans made two changes in the second-half introducing Kayode Odejayi and Daniel Nardiello, and it was the impact of those two that especially pleased the Millers boss.
“I think the substitutes came on and did marvellous. Aside from the two goals I thought Nardiello was marvellous, and Odejayi was always a threat. Nardiello didn’t look hungry in training and that’s why he didn’t play. I thought the spark wasn’t quite there in the game at Port Vale but we’ve seen it and I watched for it in training but didn’t quite see it. Over the 90 minutes we’ve won by four and it could probably have been nine or 10.”