Beer cartons, a 'horrible' error and an empty feeling ... the story of Wrexham 1 Rotherham United 0

Some were dry, others contained varying amounts of leftover beer that had gone undrunk as Rotherham United had done battle with Wrexham in North Wales.

They made for a strange scene on a sobering day for the Millers at the Racecourse Ground.

Cheered on by a sold-out away following, Steve Evans' men had given as good as they'd got against a team pushing for automatic promotion and assembled at more expense than any other outfit in League One except Birmingham City.

In fact, given even more than they'd got, insisted the visiting manager who strenuously reckoned that his side had deserved victory.

But they were leaving with nothing but disappointment, defeated 1-0 despite surpassing their third-placed opponents for possession, attempts on goal and number of touches in each other's penalty areas.

Such has been Rotherham's season. What should have been hasn't been and they're looking neither up or down in 14th spot with 11 matches left to play.

“The best team lost, the best team by some distance,” said Evans. “The only thing missing from our performance today was a goal.”

Maybe the first sentence was stretching the truth. But the visitors certainly weren't worse than a third-placed side that has Championship football in its sights.

The Millers are brittle this term, capable of good moments, culpable for too many inadequate ones, frustratingly less than the sum of their parts.

What Wrexham had more of was belief, trust in their process and expectation that they would prevail.

Before the break, Dillon Phillips made a routine save on a Sam Smith shot and a flying one on a Matty James long-range blast while Mallik Wilks could have put Rotherham in front but headed Joe Powell's cross too close to goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

It turned out to be Powell's sole accurate delivery on a day when he would have routinely picked out teammates from set-pieces only if their names had been High and Wide.

Meanwhile, Phillips was suddenly picking the ball out of the net and raging at his defenders.

Three minutes after the restart, Okwonko kicked long, Sean McWilliams was beaten in the air by Jay Rodriguez, Hakeem Odoffin failed to intercept and Cameron Humphreys arrived far too late to prevent Smith accepting the ball and clipping it over the line.

“We made a horrible error in the centre of defence,” Evans said. “Otherwise, our performance was good.

"I'm sure Wrexham will get promoted. I wasn't so sure before today. They've been totally outplayed, they were also totally outplayed at New York Stadium in October and they've got six points. That's what sometimes happens when you go up.”

Fair play, the Millers didn't go under after their setback. Wrexham had the contest's most effective player in the mobile, willing Smith and were able to introduce a relative embarrassment of riches from the bench, yet it was the team in blue that came on strongest towards the end.

Ball after ball was pumped towards the box, ball after ball was headed away by a three-man backline of Eoghan O'Connell, Max Cleworth and Tom O'Connor whose resolve never wilted in the heat of Rotherham's burst.

When Jack Holmes's stoppage-time header slipped wide, the game was up.

“We got in more good areas than they did,” Evans said. “We've got in some wonderful, wonderful positions and didn't take advantage of it.

“Wrexham's bench are screaming at 89 minutes when six more are added that it should be three. Phil (Parkinson) and Steve (Parkin), they're a great management team.

“They know today that they've got three points that aren't justified really.

“Mallik should put us in front before half-time and Jack should equalise in added time. We had enough other threatening openings for us to win the game.”

He made annoyed passing references to Powell and Humphreys and put referee Jeremy Simpson firmly in his firing line: “Seven or eight 50:50 decisions go in one direction. The fourth official told me that he had sympathy.”

The beer debri had yet to be removed by the time the manager emerged from the dressing room for his interviews.

“Best team,” he said again.

Glass half-full.

Another game gone that could have yielded a result and didn't because something is lacking in the class of 2024/25.

Glass half-empty.

Wrexham (3-5-2): Arthur Okonkwo; Max Cleworth, Eoghan O'Connell, Tom O'Connor; , Ryan Longman, Ollie Rathbone (George Evans 72), Matty James, Elliot Lee (James McClean 65), Seb Revan; Jay Rodriguez (Steven Fletcher 65), Sam Smith (Jack Marriott 87). Subs not used: Mark Howard, Dan Scarr, Ryan Barnett.

Rotherham (4-3-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Shaun McWilliams, Hakeem Odoffin, Cameron Humphreys, Reece James; Pelly Mpanzu, Louie Sibley (Andre Green 66), Joe Powell (Joe Rafferty 87); Mallik Wilks (Jack Holmes 87); Sam Nombe, Jonson Clarke-Harris (Josh Kayode 66). Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Jordan Hugill, Ben Hatton.

Goals: Smith 48 (Wrexham)

Referee: Jeremy Simpson (Lancashire)

Attendance: 13,245 (1,267)