Fireworks, the growing play-off hope and a standing ovation ... the story of Reading 1 Rotherham United 1

Some wags said it was Reading's way of celebrating a home draw against Rotherham United.

So mighty are the Millers these days – despite their huge number of walking wounded – that the opposition are finding points against them hard to come by.

There was one fit centre-forward, and he wasn't really fit at all. The most noticeable thing about the centre-halves was the lack of them.

How good might Rotherham be with a full squad?

“Once we get to the stage of everybody being back, I think we're a match for anybody,” said manager Matt Hamshaw.

That good, then.

Once again, there were strong performances everywhere and midfield duo Dan Gore and Kian Spence led the way as the visitors built on the stalemate at Luton Town the previous weekend with another show of obdurate, well-drilled defiance.

“Kian is playing well, so is Gorey, so is Denzel (Hall),” said Hamshaw. “I could go through the team. I thought that Daws (Cameron Dawson) was excellent again today, coming for things.

“As a team, we look good at times. The group's full of confidence, you can see that. We're playing a little bit more football. Today – the same as last week – we were just lacking those striking options.

“I felt that it could have been a ‘turnover’ game for us. Reading are good going forward but they leave a lot of space at the back.”

It rained, it rained some more and it continued to rain, but there were no damp squibs in gold-and-black shirts as the League One Millers overcame an early scare to have the best of Saturday's first half and take a pre-interval lead.

A raking ball from Rotherham old boy Lewis Wing freed Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and, when an almost-pantomime dive from Dawson failed to make him shed possession, an empty net ensued.

The odds against the Royals attacker not scoring were longer than his surname but he contrived to steer the ball wide.

At the other end, Josh Benson never looked like missing – and didn't – as one-touch skill from Denzel Hall, a slide-rule pass from Gore and Hall's low cross reduce Reading's defenders to spectators.

Jordan Hugill, the one available senior centre-forward, departed at the break, his swollen ankle as large as the heart that had seen him declare himself ready for duty.

Meanwhile, in the Royals hot-seat was former Millers boss Leam Richardson, only a month into the job at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and thus making it difficult for Rotherham to prepare for the clash in territory where they hadn't triumphed in 48 years.

“It's been hard because you're watching the opposition and you've got only two or three games to go off,” Hamshaw said. “But I felt that we got our game-plan right today.

”I wouldn't say we're unfortunate not to win – because I thought Reading looked okay – but the longer the game went on, the more I felt we were going to get all three points.”

That hope lasted until the closing stages when Charlie Savage, having already brought a fine save from Dawson from distance, lurked around 25 yards from goal and sensed his big moment.

Dru Yearwood hadn't tracked his man properly and hung his head as the Reading midfielder ran on to the ball and powered a stunning first-time shot into the top corner.

It was cruel on the Millers – Savage, in fact – but Hamshaw was philosophical as much as he was disappointed.

“What a goal,” he said. “I said to the lads before the game: ‘If they score a 30-yard worldie and it beats us or keeps us to a point, that is what it is.’ I just didn't want them to open us up.

“I thought that defensively we looked good again. Hamish (Douglas), Raf (Joe Rafferty) and Jamo (Reece James) did really well.”

Much of their attacking threat and structure had departed with Hugill, but the visitors dug in during the second half, scrapped for every inch of ground and fought for every second ball. Only a piece of impromptu magic pegged them back.

Douglas had survived a first-half penalty shout, yet if the visitors got lucky on that occasion they deserved their fortune.

They were so solid, so driven, so together and it's to Hamshaw's credit how he has instilled such unity, organisation and application so quickly.

“I just think that the team is showing a lot of positive signs of that DNA that I've spoken about so often,” he said. “That's what good sides do, they go away and don't get beat.”

They are in 11th place and the top six is only four points away. Some of the players are publicly mentioning the play-offs, all of them are aiming for them.

Their all-out effort brought a standing ovation from the appreciative band of 400 fans making the near-eight-hour round trip to Berkshire.

Rotherham have two wins and two draws from their last four matches on their travels and have racked up eight successive third-tier games without defeat.

Right up to the final whistle, before the stadium was lit up by those fireworks, Hamshaw's men were still going at it. No-one embodied their spirit more than the indefatigable Spence and Gore.

Two little Millers sparklers.

Reading (3-4-2-1): Joel Pereira; Paudie O'Connor, Derrick Williams, Jeriel Dorsett (Mamadi Camara 73); Kelvin Abrefa (Andy Yiadom 73), Lewis Wing, Charlie Savage, Randell Williams (Mark O'Mahony 61); Matt Ritchie (Andre Garcia 61), Kamari Doyle; Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan. Subs not used: Jack Stevens, Andy Rinomhota, Michael Stickland.

Rotherham (3-4-3): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty, Hamish Douglas, Reece James; Denzel Hall, Kian Spence, Dan Gore, Joe Powell; Shaun McWilliams (Dru Yearwood H-T), Jordan Hugill (Ar'Jany Martha H-T), Josh Benson (Thomas Holmes 66). Subs not used: Ted Cann, Liam Kelly, Jack Holmes, Josh Ayres.

Goals: Benson 20 (Rotherham); Savage 78 (Reading)

Referee: Alan Young (Swindon)

Attendance: 15,279 (407)