Steve Evans reacts to Rotherham United's Vertu Trophy win over Chesterfield

The boss felt that his League One team should have wrapped up the tie in regulation time as they took control of the second half of their clash at League Two Chesterfield.

A Millers side showing seven changes were second best before the break but hit back after the interval to pin back Paul Cook's men at the SMH Group Stadium.

"We made the big chances, we didn't take them," Evans said. "It was all about getting through. We left out some big players.

"I think that, possibly, over the 90 minutes we deserved to win it."

The match finished goalless before the visitors prevailed 4-3 in the shoot-out. Cameron Dawson saved a Spireites penalty and Cameron

Humphreys rolled in the decisive spot-kick watched by more than 900 travelling fans.

The visitors fielded the same back four as in the 3-0 league triumph over Bolton Wanderers three days earlier but changed every other player and switched from a 4-1-3-2 formation to 4-3-1-2.

Cohen Bramall delivered a series of dangerous crosses that second-choice frontline pairing Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jordan Hugill couldn't convert.

The miss of the match came from the latter in the second period when he volleyed over from close range after Bramall had made a devastating 70-yard run.

"Cohen put in three balls and it should have been three goals," Evans said. "We needed our movement to be a little bit crisper and sharper. In fairness to the strikers, it's been a little while since they've got on to the pitch.

"We have to play differently when we've got Hugill and Clarke-Harris together rather than Mallik Wilks and Same Nombe. It's different strengths and different styles."

The boss felt that his team should have been awarded a spot-kick just before the interval for handball as Clarke-Harris tried to make the most of one of Bramall's crosses.

"Their guy has almost caught the ball and put it up his jumper," he said. "The referee never saw it. I said to him at the end: 'Justice has been done because a penalty has won it for us when a penalty should have won it for us in normal time.'"

Chesterfield impressed in the first half but Dawson didn't have a serious save to make until the shoot-out.

"I'm pleased with the back four," Evans said. "Once again, they were exceptional. We hardly gave them a sniff."

The result stretched the Millers' unbeaten run to five matches.