Matt Hamshaw's frustrated reaction as Rotherham United throw away a much-needed point at Bolton Wanderers

The 2-1 defeat was the Millers' fourth reverse on the trot and came in added time while away fans were still celebrating Sam Nombe's 90th-minute penalty leveller. A bad error from loan centre-half Thomas Holmes, who had come on as a substitute, gifted the home side their win.

“It's tough at the minute to see positives," Hamshaw said in the wake of the final whistle at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, “I'll watch the game back and probably see more positives than negatives.

“You can't legislate for individual mistakes - that, fundamentally, has cost us a point. I felt like when we got the equaliser we were the ones going for it, I felt we were on top.”

The home team, who climbed to fourth spot and are unbeaten on their own soil in 18 matches, had the most chances to score, but Rotherham created plenty of openings themselves.

“We deserved a point,” Hamshaw said. “Did we deserve three? You could argue probably not, if I'm going to be 100 per cent hand on my heart. But, at the same time, it wouldn't have surprised me if we had won.”

Earlier this month, the Millers had gone nine fixtures without a loss and were eyeing a push towards the play-off places.

Now they sit in 21st spot following an opening goal just before the interval that the visitors argued should have been ruled out for offside and a last-gasp one that Holmes will want to forget.

“Bolton haven't been beaten at home since last season,” Hamshaw said. “We had really good opportunities, I don't think many teams have created as many opportunities here as have.

“We rode the storm a little bit, but I think you have to when you come to places like this. At the same time, we were on the front foot. It's a disappointing result.

“We don't want to be in the relegation zone, we don't want to be anywhere near it. But we are and we have to face up to that and get out of there quickly.

“The goals we've given away are just so sloppy. The first one is very debatable. And then we do that for the second one. It's tough to win games when things go against you or you give the opposition a leg up - and that's what we've done.”

Meanwhile Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher hailed two-goal midfielder Josh Sheehan and was adamant that a home victory was a fair outcome.

“Josh was very good, and he has been playing really well,” the head coach said. “The last eight weeks in which he has been playing regularly, he has been excellent, a real key player for us.”

Schumacher believes that Bolton should have put the game to bed before Nombe’s spot-kick, but he was still pleased with the character his team showed to hit back in the dying seconds.

“It was a mad ending,” he said. “It got more exciting and more nerve-wracking than what it needed to be. I think we controlled the game as we expected, without obviously having it all our own way. Rotherham had a couple of good moments.

“Even in the first half, they had one or two good crosses into the box. But I felt we deserved to be ahead at half-time.

“We have good fitness levels and belief. It would have been easy for the lads to let their heads drop and then lose that game, having conceded so late on. To go and win it is excellent.”