Sky Bet Championship: Steve Evans blasts referee after Rotherham beaten by Blackburn

Rotherham boss Steve Evans claimed the number of decisions going against his side pointed to some people at the Football League not wanting them to be in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Millers were beaten 2-1 at Blackburn, going down to a late Jordan Rhodes strike after Matt Derbyshire had cancelled out Craig Conway's first-half opener.

But Evans felt his side should have had a penalty in the 33rd minute when a Ben Pringle cross appeared to strike the arm of Rovers defender Alex Baptiste.

Referee Geoff Eltringham waved away appeals, but after a similar incident in the Millers' last away game at Charlton, Evans feels there is an agenda against his club.

"I don't see any reason why in the 33rd minute the referee doesn't give a penalty," he said. "It was a blatant handball. We're Rotherham, we don't get them, do we?

"We have been on the end of another atrocious decision, but we're used to it.

"We're Rotherham so people at the Football League possibly don't want us in the Championship, but we are going to fight to be here.

"It's my personal view, but I believe that. I just look at some of the decisions and people say they level out, but if they level out then we have got a lot to come, haven't we?

"I am not questioning the integrity of any individual, it's just how I feel and I know (Yeovil boss) Gary Johnson felt the same last season.

"All you can do is just try and make sure every goal you score has no ambiguity about it.

"I just go on the balance, we have been here since August and we have had a lot of bad decisions.

"I'm dismayed, what can you do? You can only get your head down and work hard."

Aside from that penalty decision not going his side's way, Evans felt unlucky to be on the losing side.

"I was really disappointed with the first half, I don't think we turned up at Ewood Park," he added. "In the second half we changed it and I thought we were the better team for the final half an hour.

"Then there second goal is hard to take.

"I was really pleased with the last half-hour and I am proud of it and I think we go away unfortunate."

The Millers would have fancied going on to win after former Rovers striker Derbyshire scored his third goal in four games to wipe out the hosts' lead, which came after Craig Conway curled a fine first-half opener.

But Rovers rallied and Rhodes struck four minutes from time, leaving boss Gary Bowyer purring.

"It was a massive team effort, we picked up where we left off on Saturday," he said. "We saw that in the first half we were totally dominant.

"We showed fantastic spirit once we conceded the equaliser. It was fantastic resilience and togetherness from them and we just carried on and carried on.

"It was hard fought, but every game in the Championship is. We matched their effort and for long periods of the game we totally controlled."