No kiss for Paul Warne but plenty of optimism ... the story of Rotherham United 2 Leicester City 2

It's tradition in the Warne household for Rachel to hand out a good-luck peck to her husband before he heads off to a Millers match

For once, though, her advances were spurned.

Rotherham were playing Leicester City - Premier League Leicester City - in their final pre-season friendly but the boss's thoughts were already turning to the following week when the action begins for real.

"My missus, bless her, always gives me a kiss goodbye and says 'Try not to lose'," he said.

"I didn't want her to use up her good luck on me. I said to her 'Don't do that yet. That starts next week. We don't need that yet'."

As it turned out, he was right. The Millers didn't require any fortune as they went toe to toe with opposition dripping with top-flight quality in much way that AESSEAL New York Stadium was dripping with rain.

Stretched at times to breaking point, they held their nerve and their shape and had the ammunition and character to come roaring back to earn a draw they fully deserved.

Ihiekwe heads against the woodwork before pouncing on the rebound

The Foxes knew they'd been in a game all right. And the Millers look ready for the League One challenge ahead as they approach next Saturday's opening-day clash at AFC Wimbledon.

Warne is too wound up, too focused, too driven to be excited by the onset of a new season - "I'd like to say 'Yeah' but I'd be lying" - but quietly hinted at Rotherham's literal plan of attack:

"If we can play three centre-forwards at home to a Leicester side with two international wingers and be brave enough to play that way, I can't see why we can't take on League One in the same fashion."

THE MATCH

Rotherham played well, Leicester played well. It was a shame referee Martin Coy couldn't match the performance of the players.

Visiting midfielder Adrien Silva had a friendly arm round him at one stage and too many decisions went the way of the Premier League side.

The Millers had fallen behind in the 12th minute when Kelechi Iheanacho did well in the penalty area and fired home but were level seven minutes before the break.

Kyle Vassell's run had pace and power and ended with a perfect pass that split the Leicester defence and allowed Carlton Morris to coolly pick his spot past advancing goalkeeper Danny Ward.

Even kiss-shy Warne will have been smacking his lips at some of his team's football after the interval as they pinned the Foxes in their own half.

"I'm really pleased with our display, apart from the first 15 minutes when I thought our players showed them a little bit too much respect," the manager said.

"After that, I thought we did really well. We caused threats. Our best spell was at the start of the second half.

"We said to the lads at half-time 'Just press them a bit more bravely. If they pick you off, then they pick you off'. Luckily, we're not playing against word-class players like that every week. In the second half, we were a lot more on the front foot."

New loan keeper Daniel Iversen, playing superbly against his parent club, picked a fight with Harvey Barnes and won it convincingly. Three times he denied the Foxes attacker and there were other excellent stops to thwart Iheanacho and Demarai Gray.

Midfielder Jamie Lindsay came on for his first taste of action following his move from Ross County as the Millers made a raft of substitutions.

Jamie Lindsay makes his debut

"He's trained with us for only a couple of days so it's going to take him a bit of time to get used to what we expect," Warne said. "He's athletic, he wants to play forward and he'll nick a goal. I was pleased with him.

"I was always going to make a lot of changes to let the other players come on. It probably ruined the rhythm of the game a little bit. It isn't about today. It's about next week and getting the lads some time on the pitch before then.

"Our keeper kept us in it in the first half, that is for sure, because they could have got two or three more."

Iversen had left the fray by the time Iheanacho took advantage of a poor Michael Ihiekwe header and shot high into the corner of net in the 72nd minute but Ihiewke made amends, heading against the post and poking home the rebound for an 81st-minute equaliser.

Suddenly, a Leicester fan was running around on the turf, eventually being taken down by a yellow-coated, full-blooded kick and a take-no-prisoners grapple. I checked and Richard Wood was on the pitch as a centre-half and not moonlighting as a steward.

Meanwhile, maybe the ref was thinking of Silva when he robbed Rotherham of a golden chance to win the contest.

Matthew Olosunde was upended in the 86th minute and only one person in the stadium failed to recognise as clear a penalty as you will ever see.

Sadly, it was Martin Coy.

SELECTION DILEMMA

Warne had a touch of indigestion after Saturday's match and next week he has to have the stomach to make some tough decisions. More than 11 of his players deserve to start against Wimbledon.

"Sorry, I've had a Diet Coke and it's repeating on my every three seconds," he grinned as he was asked if he knew his starting 11.

Freddie Ladapo against the Foxes

"I've got a lot of options. Everybody keeps telling me that's the best place to be in. I have a rough idea.

"We'll have another week's training and have a look at a few things. We'll have a look at how Wimbledon play and what their strengths are. That will have a little effect on how we pick the team.

"I think we go into the season in a positive frame of mind. We'll attack with a smile on our face and try to play on the front foot and win as many games as we can."

So that's Rotherham's pre-season sealed. Not with a Mrs Warne kiss. That can wait a few more days.

But with a result and a performance that sends the Millers into a new campaign bristling with belief.

Goals: Morris 38, Ihiekwe 81 (Rotherham); Iheanacho 12, 72 (Leicester).

Rotherham (4-3-3): Iversen (Price 65); Olosunde, Ihiekwe (Cooper 81), Robertson (Hinds 81), Mattock (Wood 65); MacDonald, Barlaser (Wiles 60), Crooks (Lindsay 60); Vassell (Kayode 71), Morris (Ladapo 56), Smith (Proctor 60).

Leicester (4-1-2-3): Ward; Justin, Morgan, Soyuncu, Fuchs; Silva (Ghezzal 57); Mendy (Amartey 50), King; Gray, Iheanacho, Barnes (Muskwe 85). Subs not used: Jakupovic, Ughelumba, Moore.

Referee: Martin Coy (Durham).

Attendance: 3,818 (811).