Beleaguered boss Matt Hamshaw not giving up on Rotherham United survival

The Millers went down 1-0 to promotion-chasing Bradford City to to stay five points adrift of safety with 14 matches left to play.

Hamshaw believes that improved displays in the loss against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday and the one at the University of Bradford Stadium this evening show that an escape from the drop zone isn't impossible.

“We have to make sure that the belief in that dressing room doesn't go out of it,” he said. “I think you've seen in the two performances in the last two games, despite zero points, that we're still in the fight.”

He acknowledges that his job could be on the line and that chairman Tony Stewart may decide to pull the trigger amid rising frustration among supporters.

“That's totally out of my hands,” he said. “All I can do is control the controllables. I'm fighting, I'm scrapping. The fans, I ‘get' it. I'm probably not everyone's cup of tea at this moment. However, I think people are seeing what we're trying to do.”

Rotherham fell to a 10th-minute goal when Brandon Cover didn't close down his man from a short free-kick and Matt Pennington's headed home the subsequent cross.

The Millers acquitted themselves relatively well after that without managing to create more than a couple of clear-cut opportunities.

“I thought the performance was okay,” Hamshaw said. “It was a difficult game. Bradford are a really good team at home. I thought we were limited to not a lot of chances.

“We've switched off at a crucial moment with Brandon who's was learning the game a little bit. He switches off, turns his back and then they score a goal.

“I felt like we had a good reaction. Harry (Gray) had a good chance. We huffed and puffed a little bit. We should be doing better in certain areas in that final third.

“But it's all well and good me standing here saying things were half-decent, we lost a game again.”

Bradford's winner stemmed from a set-play while the Millers didn't make the most of their dead-ball opportunities and Hamshaw wants to see more from his players in that department.

“I've just talked to them about what set-pieces mean to me,” he said. “I said it all pre-season, I keep saying it every week. I'm like a broken record, if you ask the players how often I stress how important set-pieces are in this league.

“Bradford have scored from one and we haven't. We have to have more aggression.

There are some young defenders who are the learning game and will be decent players in the future, but it has to be here and now.

“That's what I've just told them - it has to mean more when you're going up there (into the opposition box), you have to die to get that first contact.”