Swansea City v Rotherham United: Millers trying to give 'good account' in post-relegation dead rubbers

With League One football awaiting Rotherham United next season, there is only pride on the line in their remaining Championship fixtures.

The midweek defeat to West Bromwich Albion was Rotherham’s first taste of dead rubber football this term.

Games that are uneven when it comes to the stakes are often strange affairs but the Millers cannot simply afford to down tools.

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At The Hawthorns, they had a duty to the 179 hardy souls who journeyed to the Midlands to watch a side without an away win in nearly 18 months.

Leam Richardson's Rotherham United will be playing in League One next season. Image: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty ImagesLeam Richardson's Rotherham United will be playing in League One next season. Image: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images
Leam Richardson's Rotherham United will be playing in League One next season. Image: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images

When Rotherham visit Wales, they will once again have a duty to those sticking by them at a trying time.

Richardson insisted the Millers are trying to give a good account of themselves.

He said: “I enjoyed the game. The first goal was disappointing because we should have met them on the sides better.

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"For any lack of concentration, good teams will punish you. I thought we responded to it very well and I thought we were a threat on the counter attack for most of the evening.

“We are trying to give a good account of ourselves and I feel we did that for large parts of the game.”

In the dying embers of a campaign, when your fate is sealed, refereeing decisions are stripped of their power to be genuinely costly. However, Richardson was still left bewildered by the unfair awarding of a Baggies penalty. Despite his frustrations, Richardson was keen to focus on the effort levels of his players. When Rotherham come up against the Swans, the Millers will again need to dig deep and show grit.

He said: “I’d rather speak about the lads’ effort levels from what has gone before in the last week or two to make themselves available and come to West Brom, who are in a really strong position.”