Training-ground drills and a salute to fans ... Steve Evans on a famous Rotherham United away win

After a poor performance in a derby-day loss to Barnsley eight days earlier, the Millers players had been put through some extended sessions at their Roundwood training base as the coaching staff sought to make them more of a set-piece threat.

Such diligence paid off in spectacular fashion in stoppage time at Bristol Rovers, with a free-kick leading to the matching-clinching goal in a 3-2 victory.

It's the first time since February 26 2022, at Plymouth Argyle, that Rotherham have triumphed in a 3pm Saturday kick-off away from home.

Afterwards, Evans was asked what his thoughts were as Joe Powell shaped to deliver the 92nd-minute ball that saw substitute Josh Kayode force a fine save from Rovers goalkeeper Jed Ward with a towering header and Sam Nombe pounce for glory.

"I was thinking that for most of the game we'd had an advantage, physically, at free-kicks and corners," he said. "We had a lot more movement. We'd done a lot of work on it. We reinforced it time and time again."

His squad endured such lengthy sessions on the Roundwood pitches that they suffered in their quest for improvement.

"The boys were cold a lot of days because we spent so long doing it," the boss added. "I've just said to them in the dressing room: 'That's the reward for long hours and long, boring sessions on set-plays and deliveries.'"

Rovers took an early lead through Ruel Sotiriou and Rotherham hit back through Nombe and Zak Jules to lead before Sil Swinkels brought the home team level in the 72nd minute.

Then came the added-time drama that saw Nombe send 400 travelling fans into ecstasy.

"I'm pleased for every man, woman, boy and girl who came and supported us," Evans said. "They don't get enough credit.

"It's our first 3pm Saturday away win in more than three years. I'd have been locked up and in a bad place if that had been my team for the last three years."

The win lifted the Millers a place in the table to 14th and eased fears that they could be sucked into a fight against relegation by extending the gap between them and the drop zone to eight points.

Referencing a disappointing campaign as a whole, Evans said: "I've not helped it enough this year."

Defeat left Rovers on the brink of the bottom four and their manager, Inigo Calderon, said: "Tonight is going to be a long night. Tomorrow is going to be a difficult Sunday for us.

"It's not going to be easy to play these remaining games because there's going to be less and less of them left so the pressure is going to be bigger.

"That's why you have to be really strong. If you're weak, you will go down, it's as simple as that."