Rotherham United boss Paul Warne was left wishing his side had displayed a more clinical edge as they were held to a goalless draw by Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.
The Millers played their final game in-hand of a chaotic fixture schedule caused by two outbreaks of Covid-19 in Luton in midweek, knowing that whatever the result, their Sky Bet Championship fate would not be decided until the final day.
Matt Crooks came the closest for the visitors and with everyone of a Rotherham United persuasion hoping the referee’s goalline technology-linked watched would buzz, were gutted to watch on as it didn’t and play continued.
At any other time in the season, a point against a good Hatters side may have been easier for the boss to take, who had this to say at full-time.
“That was possibly a pretty accurate summary of our season so far,” Warne explained.
“There was loads of hard work, loads of organisation but we lacked a little bit of quality in the final third.
“I thought we created enough chances to win – as did Luton by the way, I’m not saying we deserved to. We just haven’t taken them.
“There were some brilliant crosses into the box and we should have got on the end of them, or we could have scored, but unfortunately, we didn’t. That sort of sums us up really. We’re one effort away from greatness.
“Gilo was excellent. We asked him and Matty Olosunde to be positive. We brought Chieo on and when he cut inside in the box we thought, now’s your chance.
“We’re talking about half-chances but at this level, they are your chances. You don’t get many clean through one-on-ones.
“If ever there was a night to win a game it was tonight and unfortunately, we just fell short.”
With a trip to Cardiff City the final on the agenda in 2020/21 and the Millers fate still to be decided, Warne continued to express the need for one last big effort on Saturday 8th May.
“We were always going to have to win at least one game. We’ve taken away a point. If Wednesday and Derby manage a draw and we manage a win, then we give ourselves a chance. Wednesday now think if they win, they will think they can get out of it. That will give them an edge – not that they wouldn’t have had one already,” he mused.
“There are all of these connotations, but we just have to go [to Cardiff] and win. We can’t control the uncontrollables and we can’t affect what’s happening elsewhere.
“Saturday just matters about us working out a way to try and beat Cardiff.
“Whatever people think of me, my staff and my players, it has been 10 months of real hard slog coming down to 180 minutes.
“It is well-documented that we have played so many games and if people aren’t sympathetic to that they don’t understand human biology. The lads are dead on their feet and we’re screaming at them to get forward.
“I’ve got Woody running in around the back and everyone is giving everything. As a manager and the leader of this team, I can’t ask much more out of them.
“We just need one more push, one more effort and who’s to know.”