Why Rotherham United manager Matt Taylor has been dodging the Championship survival celebrations

MANAGER Matt Taylor has kept his survival celebrations to a minimum this week as he seeks to give Rotherham United’s biggest away following of the season something to cheer.

The Millers, who secured their Championship safety by beating Middlesbrough three days ago, will be roared on by well over 4,000 travelling fans in Monday’s final-day showdown at Wigan Athletic.

The boss granted his players some party time but has stayed away from the revelry himself while he’s plotted a way to reward such fantastic support by hitting the half-century mark.

“I’ve had to stay as professional as possible before the Wigan match because I want us to reach 50 points,” he said. “We’ll go there so, so well supported.

“We’re on 49, which is a good tally considering what’s been thrown at us during the season with all the injuries, but I want to get something out of the game.”

The squad headed en masse for a night out in Sheffield after seeing off Boro and have had ‘social’ get-togethers since. “I told the players I had no need to see them for a couple of days,” the boss grinned.

With one match to go, Rotherham, in 19th spot, are five points clear of third-bottom Reading and eight ahead of already-relegated Blackpool and Wigan.

They head across the M62 to the DW Stadium for a game that has nothing riding on it with Chiedozie Ogbene, Lee , Conor Coventry, Tyler Blackett (all hamstrings) and Shane Ferguson (groin) among the players in the treatment room.

The match has a slight extra edge for Taylor as he was brought up in Parbold which is only a 15-minute drive from the Latics’ home.

“Wigan are a club I know,” he said. “It’s a shame they’ve been relegated. I want it to be a proper game of football.”