REACTION: Dressing room dressing down after late defeat

But his patience was pushed to breaking point at the way a deserved draw at Wigan on Saturday was turned into a crushing 32nd defeat of the season.

"People will think I say this every week, but I think we deserved more than what we got," said the new permanent boss.

He admitted that strong words were said in the dressing room after the late drama when goalkeeper Lewis Price reacted to a challenge from Nick Powell and conceded the free-kick which allowed the Wigan sub to smash in the 97th minute winner.

ANALYSIS: Damning Price to pay for Millers

"Lewis has said something in there but I will have to keep that in the dressing room," said Warne. "There were some words said by all of us, that's all I can say."

The consolation of a first league goal for Danny Ward since Christmas and a second of the season for Anthony Forde proved the only consolations from a match Rotherham twice led and should have taken something from.

"We went with a confident set-up," said Warne. "We played two-up and I thought the plan was working quite well. We got a goal from a good bit of play but then we conceded on the counter-attack.

"We took the lead again a little bit fortuitously when the keeper had a howler and it took a great save from Carlton Morris's to stop us going 3-1 up. We had good patterns of play but they broke away to make it 2-2 and then came the catastrophe in the 97th minute.

"There is a lot of experience in our dressing room and I don't think anyone has seen anything like it."

The match was a lesson in game management, something Warne admitted it is hard to coach into players, and it will make for a painful de-brief when the group meet up again today to start the build-up to the Easter fixtures against Birmingham and Reading.

PLAYER RATINGS: How did the players rate at Wigan?

Added Warne: "I have to try and tell them a few home truths on Monday and then try and build them back up again and that takes a lot out of you."