REACTION: Millers boss rejects Keith Hill's "arrogance" claim

Speaking after his team’s 1-0 victory, Hill said he heard “staff” saying before the match that Rotherham would win 3-0. "And then it was, 'well we'll give them a goal and call it 3-1," he added.

 “When you come to big clubs there is an arrogance and it’s a good arrogance. They were expecting to beat us,” said Hill. “Karma is a strange thing but I don’t think it was anything to do with karma, we were just better.”

Warne pointed out that the words hadn’t come from his lips or to his knowledge any of his coaching staff. All week he had said that Rochdale were too good to finish in the bottom four and they had been taken as seriously as any opposition.

“I don’t think my mannerisms are any different than if I'd lost three on the spin,” he added. “I always go and shake the opposition manager’s hand before the game, which I did again today. I went and shook Keith’s hand after the game and the hands of every one of his players when they came off and told them how well they played. I don’t think that’s someone of a low moral code.

"We trained really hard this week, prepped the same way, but Rochale played really well and good luck to them."

Richard Hill's disallowed effort at the end of the first half. Pic: DAVE POUCHER

On the match, Warne said that Richard Wood’s first-half goal should have stood but had accepted his team hadn’t done enough to protect their long unbeaten run.

He added: “I think the referee disallowed a fair goal, it was their player who fouled their goalkeeper.

“I can’t knock the lads’ effort but today they just weren’t good enough and played against a really good side. We didn’t lose a game of football because of the ref.”