Millers (4-1-3-2)
Dillon Phillips: 6
Steady. Didn’t have many saves to make. Might have done better with Exeter’s goal.
Joe Rafferty: 6 Gave away a needless foul and the visitors scored from the free-kick. Still finding his feet after illness and not at his best.
Hakeem Odoffin: 8
Kept Josh Magennis very quiet in a commanding display in the air and on the ground.
Cameron Humphreys: 7
The customary smooth Cam. Got the ball, kept the ball, passed the ball.
Reece James: 7
Very easy on the eye going forward and popped up with his second goal of the season.
Liam Kelly: 7
Displayed his full range of passing in a defensive midfield role before understandably tiring in the second half of his first game for more than a month. There were also a couple of key defensive interventions.
Pelly Mpanzu: 6
Had possibly his quietest game since his January loan arrival. Struggled to really get going.
Shaun McWilliams: 7
Quicker than you think and covers more ground than you’d expect. Played well. Battled hard, got on the ball and looked after it.
Joe Powell: 6
One or two lovely deliveries but too many iffy ones again. A player who never hides. Always wants the ball.
Mallik Wilks: 7
The usual mixed Mallik bag. More good than bad here. Was too much for the Exeter defence to handle at times. Played a key part in the Millers’ goal.
Sam Nombe: 6
Guilty of two bad first-half misses. Ran willingly against his old club and had his moments but, overall, didn’t make enough happen. Also played a part in Exeter’s goal with a weak defensive header.
The subs
Josh Kayode (for McWilliams 76): NA
Not as good as he has been in recent cameos off the bench but still made an impact.
Louie Sibley (for Powell 88): NA
On too late to have an influence.
Not used: Cameron Dawson, Harrison Duncan, Jack Holmes, Andre Green, Jonson Clarke-Harris. Exeter (3-4-2-1): Joe Whitworth 7; Ed Turns 6, Angus MacDonald 6, Alex Hartridge 7; Jack McMillan 6, Ryan Trevitt 6, Ed Francis 6 (Caleb Watts 64, 6), Pat Jones 6 (Ilmari Niskanen 64, 6); Demetri Mitchell 6 (Tony Yogane 64, 6), Joel Colwill 7 (Jack Aitchison 79); Josh Magennis 5. Subs not used: Ryan Woods, Reece Cole, Sonny Cox.
Goals: James 45 (Rotherham); Hartridge 56 (Exeter)
Referee: Martin Coy (Durham)
Attendance: 8,438 (482)
Opposition view
“Whenever you’re away from home at this level and against a team who were in the Championship last season with a big budget, it’s a well-earned point.
“To go in a goal behind was a big disappointment. We created moments in the final third. There were little things we could have been better at.
“It was a great goal to get us back in the game. We created probably the best chance at 1-1 when Josh (Magnennis) could not quite get his header on target.
“It’s a big result for us and a positive one. Rotherham are a huge threat with the balls they put in the box but I think we stood up to it. Everyone put their bodies on the line and worked hard to stop the ball going in the net.”
– Exeter boss Gary Caldwell
The stats
Possession: Millers 57 per cent, Exeter 43
Goal attempts: Millers 24, Exeter 12
On target: Millers 9, Exeter 3
Touches in opposition box: Millers 32, Exeter 24
Corners: Millers 7, Exeter 8
Fouls: Millers 6, Exeter 7
Final word
Could have won, should have won.
