Steve Evans praised Stanley’s side as ‘the best Accrington team in years’.

It’s just a pity they weren’t at their best on Tuesday night when Evans’ promotion-chasers visited the Crown Ground.

Stanley manager Leam Richardson admitted his side ‘lacked their spark’ against the Millers as they struggled to get going.

And it left the Reds chief frustrated that his side came away with nothing.

Richardson said: "Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say we didn’t play well on the night. We were okay in patches but we did not offer as big a threat as I would like.

"Two mistakes of our own doing have given them two goals.

"Apart from that they didn’t create a lot but it has been costly."

Rotherham boss Evans said he had studied DVDs of Stanley prior to the clash and was impressed by their victory at Fleetwood and Saturday’s 1-1 draw with league leaders Gillingham. "I saw Accrington take Fleetwood apart and the same for Gillingham, two quality teams, so we had to show them a lot of respect," said the Millers chief.

Perhaps they showed them a bit too much respect in the opening stages when Dean Winnard headed home Charlie Barnett’s corner for his first goal since August 2011.

At that stage the absence of Lee Molyneux and James Beattie from the squad altogether – Richardson said rest, injury and what was best for the team led to them being left out – didn’t seem to rattle the Reds.

But Winnard was cursing three minutes later when he headed back Ian Sharps’ punt forward.¿It landed beyond keeper Ian Dunbavin and Daniel Nardiello was there for an easy tap-in.

After that, it could have gone either way in a scrappy clash but Stanley never really threatened the Millers goal while Nardiello got a lucky break three minutes after the restart with a cross/shot which took a richochet and evaded Dunbavin for the winner.

It was only the second defeat in Richardson’s eight games in charge but it was more galling since victory could have taken the Reds to the verge of the play-off places.

Instead it was Rotherham who benefited as they closed in on the automatic promotion spots.

And, more frustratingly for the Reds is that they have lost five of their 10 league games at the Crown Ground this season.

"It doesn’t worry me as, apart from Tuesday, in most of our games at home, we have been a threat and results have not gone our way but we have applied ourselves well," said Richardson.

"It is something I am aware of though as it’s important to win your home games and get something away from home and if you put those two together, you can get to where you want to be.

"On Tuesday, we started off really well and for the first three or four set-pieces we have been a threat and got a goal.

"If we could have held onto this longer we could have built up momentum but then we’ve made a mistake soon after and goals change games.

"Then they got the one just after half-time and they are good at slowing the game down and spoiling the game.¿When they are winning and away from home I have no problem with that, but we weren’t as fluid as we have been in the last few weeks.

"The lads are down in the dressing room as they feel they should have won this game but I guess that is testament to how far the club has come.

"Now we have to move on and what we need is some consistency. We have had it in the last few weeks but teams who are consistent tend to be up there while those who aren’t don’t move a lot."

Rotherham have been consistent at their new home with seven wins at the New York Stadium propelling them up to fourth spot in the league.

The Reds, at the moment, are maintaining a mid-table place but a win on Tuesday would have signalled their intentions as it would have put them back up towards the play-off picture.

Instead, after the second-minute goal and Rommy Boco having an effort cleared off the line by Johnny Mullins early on, they didn’t severely test Andy Warrington and couldn’t get their passing game going.

Rotherham are a big, strong team and they didn’t give the Reds a lot of time on the ball.

There were half-chances for Stanley with Padraig Amond ’s effort collected by Warrington before Craig Lindfield could pounce while Michael Liddle put in superb cross to far post which Amond just couldn’t connect with.

Nardiello grabbed what proved to be the decisive goal soon after the break and, while the Reds did try to create something, attacks were broken up before they reached the box or petered out into nothing.

In the end Dunbavin had to pull off a superb save to keep out Michael O’Connor’s free kick while Courtney Cameron was not far off with a blistering strike.

Richardson put Peter Murphy on as a centre forward with minutes left and they could have grabbed a point in injury time when Liddle played in a great ball but sub James Gray, running in, couldn’t make the most of it and it was easy for Warrington.

It was probably one of the poorest displays under Richardson but, as a new manager, he is keen not to dwell on it, and he concluded: "We’ll learn from it – but what we have to do now is move forward and try and get a positive result in our next game."