Steve Evans post Cardiff City...
Rotherham United manager Steve Evans hailed his side’s performance in the wake of their first win of the Sky Bet Championship season after a 2-1 success over Cardiff City.
The Millers were in front thanks to Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe’s first goal for the club after he crashed home a spot kick following the dismissal of Bluebirds’ stopper David Marshall for an off the ball incident.
Peter Whittingham equalised after a foul by Ofoe on Fabio da Silva which brought about the second spot kick of the game, but the Millers won it at the death when Chris Maguire’s cross was turned into his own net by Cardiff defender Matthew Connolly.
“I thought that we were fantastic from start to finish,” Evans told www.themilers.co.uk
“It was a travesty that it went 1-1, but in the second half we have hit the woodwork, they have cleared it off the line, the goalkeeper has made a couple of good saves and you think it is not going to come. The boys had great patience and we played some of the best passing football we have played here in 15-18 months here. That led to the goal and it can’t come any later than that of course.”
Marshall’s sending off and the Bluebirds’ spot kick provided the two major talking points after the game, and Evans admitted that both decisions were called correctly by the match officials.
“We have had a look back at both incidents and obviously the lad Marshall has been a bit silly,” Evans added.
“It is a little tug (for the Cardiff penalty) and Vadis just pulls him back when he goes into the box on a little one-two and it is silly five or 10 minutes before the interval.
“The referee didn’t have a hard game today because it was defence against attack, and it was whether the attack could score a goal. Winning brings spirit and people smiling and makes everyone a little more relaxed for obvious reason because we were under a little bit of pressure before today.
“I am happy taking any kind of win but I thought the performance was stunning. I think we have given them an absolute battering.”