Evans set for ‘brutally honest’ assessment
STEVE Evans says the hard work starts now for Rotherham United as he strives to plot a route back to Championship football for the Millers.
A goal in each half from Tommy Conway and Scott Twine saw Bristol City extend their unbeaten run to seven games with a 2-0 win over the long-relegated Millers at Ashton Gate.
The home side took a 32nd-minute lead when Conway was brought down as he rounded goalkeeper Dillon Phillips. The striker got up to send Phillips the wrong way with a well-struck penalty for his 12th goal of the season.
Twine doubled the advantage with a superb 57th-minute freekick, bent around to wall with his right foot from 25 yards.
Rotherham barely threatened, but stuck to their task gamely despite clearly being second best.
Afterwards, recently-returned boss Evans said he was preparing a document for chairman Tony Stewart
on the best way forward for the club after a forgettable campaign.
“This is one of the biggest challenges I have taken on, but I am confident that we can bounce back next season,” said Evans.
“I am preparing a document for the chairman which will lay out my views and plans to get us back into the Championship.
“He wants me to be brutally honest and I will be. I will deliver the document next week and then the hard work begins.”
Evans questioned the penalty award, but admitted his team could have no complaints about the outcome.
“We were clearly second best today. Bristol City were technically better than us, but I was proud of the way my players stuck to their task,” he added.
“I’d like to have seen how we performed if taking the lead. It wasn’t to be and then the referee has made a mistake for the penalty.”
Bristol City: O'Leary, Tanner, Dickie, Roberts, McCrorie, M James (Knight 64), Williams, Pring (Morrison 85), Mehmeti (Sykes 63), Conway (Wells 63), Twine (King 81). Unused substitutes: Cornick, GardnerHickman, Bajic, Mebude.
Rotherham United: Phillips, Revan (Seriki 68), Peltier, Humphreys, Bramall, Rathbone (Hatton 88), Rinomhota, Appiah (Hall 46), Odofin, Hugill (Nombe 68), Eaves. Unused substitutes: Johansson, Ford. Referee: C Breakspear (Surrey).