‘That’s for you, you lovely ‘suckers’!’ Rotherham United boss Steve Evans writes for the Advertiser

We'd not scored a goal in our first three League One games despite a million chances, we were still seeking our first win and here we were going behind against ten-man opposition.

What followed ... wow. Just wow!

Twenty minutes later at AESSEAL New York Stadium last Saturday, we'd won 2-1 and our season had truly begun.

Me, Warney, Neil Warnock ... I like to think we're the better managers in the last ten/12 years of Rotherham United's history.

The response from my side last Saturday was one to make any of the three of us proud.

That's how you play: you play with a tenacity, you play with a desire, you play with a spirit. That's the approach I've been building throughout the summer for our supporters.

I wasn't happy that Jamie McCart was off the pitch at the time of Town's goal. He was off because he'd needed treatment after the red-card challenge on him and our opponents benefited from it. That simply wasn't right.

It was important to strike straight back. Jonno tucked a penalty away and then we laid siege to their goal.

Cue Mallik!

Our new signing has been with us for less than a month but he's already lighting the place up. That 90th-minute winner of his in front of the North Stand was what he deserved individually and what we deserved as a team.

It's hard to believe he's still only 25. There's so much potential there. I was the one who sanctioned his first pro deal at Leeds United after I'd seen him score goals like that for the youth team.

He was a character even back then. ‘Sod Wilks’ I used to call him and also names a lot more impolite than that!

He’s still catching up with his fitness and, with ten minutes to go, he had nothing left. One or two of the staff were asking the question about putting on a fresh face, but I just stuck with my belief and said: ‘We’ve got this guy in to win us games.’

He came to us from Sheffield Wednesday with a reputation for not working hard, Let me tell you, Mallik Wilks works extremely hard. You couldn't wish for any more effort than he has put in since becoming a Rotherham United player.

The fans were incredible. I said to Mallik afterwards: “When you hit it, those guys and girls in the kop sucked it in!”

You saw the celebrations when the ball flew into the back of the net. We're together as a group. The unused subs were up, the boys who'd come off were up, the players on the pitch were a sight to behold.

Don't tell the FA, but I couldn't help running on and joining them for a few mad seconds.

It meant so much to celebrate with the supporters at the end. I'm very proud and privileged to be able to do that. Thank you to the board here for bringing me back.

The scenes were the sort I remember from my first spell a decade ago, not the ones I witnessed as a spectator a few times last season.

Great times at the New York.

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LIAM Kelly has had such a good career he probably hides his promotion medals in the garage because he's got so many.

Our summer signing is a magnificent footballer.

I watched him live in midfield on four occasions last season for Coventry City and knew I wanted to bring him to AESSEAL New York Stadium when I returned here as manager in April.

He's 34 now. If he was 29, he'd be playing for a club at the top end of the Championship.

Despite his age, we don't have to worry about how old he is. That's why we gave him a two-year contract.

When we did some running tests in pre-season he finished in third place and looked really strong so there's nothing wrong with his fitness.

He's got vision, he's got energy, he's got passion. He's perfect for us.

Against Huddersfield, he took control in the middle of the park, picking up a lot of balls and played ten-yard passes.

Two of their staff who I know came up the tunnel at the end and said: ‘Kelly, for 75 minutes, unbelievable.’

I thought he was even better for the last 15 as he kept moving the ball around.

At the other end of the age scale, we have striker Esapa Osong who is only 19.

Young Esapa is finding his feet, which we always thought would be the case when he came out of Nottingham Forest on loan.

Forest have been watching him with us and say they can see improvements.

There's still plenty to work on, though. There are a lot of aspects, tactically, where he needs to improve further.

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JACK Holmes' first start for us lasted for only 45 minutes. He'll have been disappointed with that but it won't have done him any harm at all.

It's all part of the learning curve for the lovely kid we plucked out of tier seven of the English football pyramid in the summer.

I've said it before, if me and you go out for a nice meal on Sunday … he's probably earning that kind of money a week. He has come in as a project and he is doing great.

How well Jack has done Monday to Friday in training at Roundwood has elevated him in the group. The players trust him with the ball. When he's come on to the pitch in games, he's generally done really well.

Against Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup just over a week ago no-one was having a night to remember and that's why I made three changes at the break.

I think he just got caught in a bad team performance in the first half. After the interval, we were so much better.

Two of the coaching staff said to me a couple of days later: ‘It would have been interesting if Jack had been wide on the right in the second half when we had a lot of possession.’

I agreed with them. I think it would have been a different ball game then.

Give him time. We have a good prospect on our hands here.

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SOL Bamba was a giant of a player and a giant of a man. In my long career in football, I have worked with some brilliant people but none of them have been a better human being than him.

I was devastated to learn of the passing of my former club captain and friend at Leeds United. May I express my deepest condolences to his immediate family and friends.

The pair of us spent many hours together and he often spoke of his love for his wife, Chloe, and his children, Roonea, Lily and Amy.

He was a great leader, a gentleman and on the pitch he was a warrior for me in my time as head coach at Elland Road.

See you at the far post, Big Man. RIP.