Rovers were punished for not taking their chances as Rotherham United lived to fight another day after Lewis Wing’s late equaliser.

Adam Armstrong put Rovers ahead in the first half with goal number 26 of his season and there were several more chances to find what would have been a crucial second goal.

Needing points to keep themselves in the hunt for the survival, the Millers were never going to give it up and got their reward with five minutes to play when Wing found the corner from a 20-yard free kick.

For Rovers it was a lack of care in the final third that was to be their undoing, with countless chances to take advantage of the spaces they were afforded in what was an end-to-end second half.

Ben Brereton and Joe Rothwell were guilty of passing up good opportunities, while Armstrong himself could have had a hat-trick, Jamal Blackman proving a tough obstacle to pass, with one key save shortly after the Millers had equalised.

Rovers made one change from the side that beat Huddersfield Town as Bradley Johnson regained his spot in the middle of the midfield as Corry Evans dropped to the bench, where there were only eight substitutes named.

The hosts, in desperate need of points in their battle against the drop, enjoyed the better of the early exchanges.

As Taylor Harwood-Bellis failed to fully clear a Ryan Giles cross, Freddie Ladapo had a shot deflect wide off Darragh Lenihan.

It was a failure to clear their box fully that was bringing Rovers their most trouble, this time Ryan Nyambe unable to clear a right wing cross further than the edge of the area where Jamie Lindsay saw a first time volley fly wide of the post.

Tony Mowbray wanted more tempo to his side’s play, eager to see them push higher up the pitch, and as time wore on, there were signs Rovers were coming into things.

An excellent move involving Armstrong and Sam Gallagher looked to have put the central striker clear, his break towards goal denied by an excellent covering challenge from Shaun MacDonald.

But there was to be no stopping Armstrong when he raced clear in the 17th minute to put Rovers ahead. It was of his own doing, quickly closing down Angus MacDonald and as the ball ran kindly for him, he had a clear run on goal before side-footing beyond Blackman.

The two would then come together twice in the space of four minutes as Rovers started to gain a control of the game.

His first chance was created courtesy of an excellent bit of play, Ben Brereton and Joe Rothwell both involved to play in the striker who was denied by Blackman, the ‘keeper quickly off his line to save eight yards out.

His next save, in the 25th minute, was a little more routine, but needed two attempts to hold, a hooked effort on his left foot from the striker lacking power after Lewis Travis headed into his path.

Rovers by this point were in control enjoying the better of possession, but still weren’t convincing when dealing with crosses into the box. Just prior to the half hour they were caught out by a Giles delivery, Ogbene finding himself free of any defender, but planted his header wide of the target.

Gaps began to open up for Rovers, but frustratingly they weren’t making the most of them. Rothwell snatched at a shot wide of the target before wasting an even clearer opening on the stroke of half-time.

He collected a Brereton pass, took a touch to steady himself but then ballooned an effort over the bar, demonstrating the lack of care with the finishing touch at the end of promising attacks.

Again the hosts were first to threaten at the start of the half and almost forced an equaliser within two minutes of the re-start. Michael Smith got in down the right, his shot across Kaminski saved by the Belgian ‘keeper, before excellent defending at the far post from Ryan Nyambe stopped Freddie Ladapo turning the loose ball home.

But Rovers themselves would have found a second were it not for a fine Blackman save in the 49th minute. Armstrong was the provider this this time, chipping a cross to the far post where a powerful Johnson header looked destined for the top corner, only the ‘keeper to claw it away.

The gaps were opening up for Rovers as the Millers committed bodies forward in search of an equaliser, with Brereton guilty of wasting an excellent opening. Armstrong slid him in, and clear of the last defender he had only the keeper to beat, but blazed over the top.

There felt a wastefulness to Rovers’ play, continuing to not make the most of the spaces that were being afforded to them by the Millers who weren’t going away at just one goal behind, Ladapo getting across Darragh Lenihan to meet a Giles cross, but unable to guide it on target.

It felt like a second would do it for Rovers, one they went close to finding with 63 minutes on the clock. Neat interplay around the edge of the Millers box saw the ball worked into the path of Rothwell, he able to get clear of the attentions of Richard Wood, only to see his shot across Blackman flash wide of the target.

The same fate befall Ogbene in a game of end-to-end stuff, the winger clear down the Millers right, his shot across Kaminski narrowly wide of the far post as Rovers breathed a sigh of relief.

There was plenty of endeavour from the hosts, and Rovers to their credit were standing up well, Lenihan and Taylor Harwood-Bellis dealing with most that came their way, the game  becoming a real battle, and lacking much structure.

Tyrhys Dolan and Harvey Elliott were sent on in a bid to add more quality to proceedings, with Rovers knowing a second goal would kill the game dead.

But having not done so, they were punished with five minutes to play. A free kick from the edge of the box was whipped around the wall by Wing and out of the reach of Kaminski to find the corner.

The Millers were now sensing a winner, and would have had a second were it not for a smart Kaminski stop. Substitute George Hirst was found unmarked at the far post from a corner, his half volley met by strong hands from the Rovers ‘keeper.

That seemed to knock Rovers into life, with one excellent chance to win it themselves. Elliott took the ball from inside his own half before playing an expert pass through for Armstrong who would have been well fancied to find the back of the net, but Blackman stuck out a hand to deny him.

Rotherham: Blackman, Ihiekwe, Wood, A MacDonald (Harding, 36), Giles, Wing, Lindsay (Barlaser, 69), S MacDonald (Wiles, 46), Ogbene (Jozefzoon, 69), Ladapo, Smith (Hirst, 69)

Subs: Vickers, Mattock, Sadlier, Olosunde

Rovers: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan, Harwood-Bellis, Bell, Travis, Johnson, Rothwell (Elliott, 83), Gallagher (Dolan, 73), Brereton, Armstrong

Subs: Pears, Douglas, Davenport, Buckley, Evans, Bennett