The suit, advice from Steve Evans' daughters and another win ... the story of Rotherham United 1 Leyton Orient 0

The Rotherham United boss had sported similar slick attire at Bristol Rovers four days earlier and his team had won.

On Tuesday night at AESSEAL New York Stadium, the Millers had just triumphed again, this time against a Leyton Orient team who had until recently been occupying a League One play-off spot.

Evans being dressed for success was no coincidence. A run of poor results had threatened to see Rotherham flirt with a relegation scrap and the manager's two daughters had stepped in.

He said: “They sat me down last week and told me: ‘You need a change of luck, Dad. Try putting your suit on again and you might start winning games.’”

Thus, the black tracksuit was ditched and now the 14th-placed Millers are in no danger at all, 11 points clear of the drop zone.

They're looking up rather than down and are only a win away from a place in the top half of the table.

If only winless February hadn't happened. “I know,” Evans said ruefully. “We'd be in it, wouldn't we?”

The first half was a struggle. The Millers created little and Orient winger Dan Agyei gave left-back Reece James a torrid time, twice cutting inside to force Dillon Phillips into action and also bringing the save of the evening from the goalkeeper who showed top-class, twisting reactions to keep out a deflected shot that was looping up and in.

After the break, when Evans had made midfield adjustments, it was a different story.

“I'd said to the staff before this game that I thought the first half was going to be really tough for both teams,” he said.

“I thought the game would be like a 12-round boxing bout in which no quarter would be asked or given. We rode our luck a little bit, Orient rode theirs a little bit.

“I went in at half-time and there were two or three things I wanted to tweak. Louie Sibley, Pelly Mpanzu and Joe Powell all took up different positions. Second half, apart from their counter-attacks, we were very, very good.”

The breakthrough came in the 60th minute when Joe Powell crossed, Hakeem Odoffin saw a goalbound header blocked and substitute Louie Sibley's shot from an angle ended up nestling in the North Stand net.

But had it taken a deflection on the way in?

The stadium announcer and the iFollow commentary gave the strike to the loanee. Sam Nombe, reckoned Evans. Jayden Sweeney ‘og’, claimed various other outlets.

“It's certainly not an own goal,” the manager said. “Our interpretation is that Sam put it in. We have a camera behind the goal and that's what we think has happened.”

In a pale-blue shirt and with his face as the red in his club tie following his exhortations on the touchline, he continued his analysis.

“Louie does great,” he said. “We gave him the brief at half-time to sneak into those little areas. For his weaker right side, it was a terrific effort. He came on and played like the Louie Sibley I really love. He had a game or two when he wasn't quite ‘at’ it but tonight he was really energetic.”

The Dubious Goals Panel will decide.

What wasn't in any way dubious was the way the Millers pressed the visitors, got at them and spent most of the second period going forward.

They'd lost Zak Jules to injury before the interval but were perked up by Sibley's introduction and played on the insecurity of an O's team that had lost their previous three outings, including giving up an added-time home lead to Charlton Athletic last Saturday.

“We had a presentation on Orient yesterday and I reminded our players about that,” Evans said. “I thought they would come here with that hiccup in the back of their minds and I think that was the case. When we scored, we took over the game.”

Before the Sibley/Nombe/Sweeney intervention, Rotherham should have taken the lead when Jonson Clarke-Harris's headed flick-on played in Nombe who was unable to beat advancing keeper Josh Keeley.

At 1-0, Sibley looked to be clean through and set to double the advantage as Nombe released him with a lovely reverse pass only for the ball to hit the sub's heel and kill the danger.

On 70 minutes, Orient's Charlie Kelman had the contest's clearest sight of goal but instead of bagging the equaliser he should have done he sent the visiting fans diving for cover with a wild slash into the South Stand.

Relieved, the Millers went for a second goal and had a late spot-kick appeal for a challenge that felled Josh Kayode turned down.

“I think it's a penalty, but Rotherham United don't get penalties at New York at the kop end,” said Evans, conveniently ignoring the fact that sometimes they do.

The final whistle brought a big roar from home supporters who appreciated the way Rotherham had overcome a slow start to work up a real head of steam.

The boss left the media suite, his sharp black shoes giving off an expensive shine.

Just like him, his side have smartened up their act.

Rotherham (4-1-3-2): Dillon Phillips; Shaun McWilliams, Hakeem Odoffin, Zak Jules (Louie Sibley 45), Reece James; Cameron Humphreys; Pelly Mpanzu, Mallik Wilks (Jack Holmes 90), Joe Powell; Sam Nombe, Jonson Clarke-Harris (Josh Kayode 78). Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Andre Green, Jordan Hugill, Ben Hatton.

Orient (4-2-3-1): Josh Keeley; Ethan Galbraith, Brandon Cooper, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Jayden Sweeney; Jordan Brown, Dom Ball (Sean Clare 82); Dan Agyei (Randell Williams 67), Jamie Donley (Azeem Abdulai 82), Dilan Markanday (Diallang Jaiyesimi 67); Charlie Kelman (Sonny Perkins 82). Subs not used: Noah Phillips, Darren Pratley.

Goals: Nombe 60 (Rotherham)

Referee: Lewis Smith (Wigan)

Attendance: 8,106 (259)