Rotherham head coach Leam Richardson said his players deserved the “little bit of luck” that earned them a battling 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.
The Millers had been on an abject run of 11 games without a victory, dating back to October. That run had seen the departure of Matt Taylor as manager and Rotherham sink to the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship.
But an unexpected three points in this match has reignited a bit of hope.
Richardson, who picked up his first points in the Millers hot-seat, said: “The credit needs to go to the players for the victory.
“I class it as three games in charge and with the work ethic and level of performance they have shown, they have deserved that little bit of luck.
“We are low on bodies and we have players playing out of position. Some are having to do things that are quite foreign to them.
“But it’s a choice to tackle, head and run back and stay connected to your team-mates with recovery runs. We have that in abundance.
“With regards to confidence levels, when you put so much effort in, you want a reward for it.
“I thought we were a little bit passive first half. We don’t want to be like that. We have front-footed players.
“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
Middlesbrough missed a host of chances with both Sam Greenwood and Isaiah Jones culpable of not taking big opportunities.
Greenwood also rattled the crossbar and substitute Riley McGree saw his effort turned onto a post by Viktor Johansson.
Rotherham also had Hakeem Odoffin and Seb Revan to thank for bravely blocking goal-bound efforts as Middlesbrough cranked up the pressure in the second half.
The Millers certainly rode their luck and got some more after 72 minutes with Cohen Bramall’s misplaced cross wrong-footing Tom Glover and flying into the far corner of the net.
Middlesbrough also felt they should have had a second-half penalty when Alex Bangura went down under a challenge from Odoffin.
Boro head coach Michael Carrick said: “I’m baffled, to be honest. I know referees have a tough job. It’s not even a tussle or a little trip, he just takes him out.
“For the life of me I don’t understand how he can’t give the decision there. It’s a massive moment and the less I say about it is probably the better.
“Whatever the referee says about it, we are not going to agree. It was so obvious. It’s crazy.
“I think it’s the first time we have not conceded a shot and lost the game.
“We created enough to score one or two at least. We have got goals in the team. We are playing largely good football. The boys will be fine.
“It’s very difficult to be critical of the boys. We controlled it. It’s a very strange game sometimes.
“They (Rotherham) are always in the game until you kill them off. We dealt with them so well. We will take a lot from it and look forward to our next game.”
Lucas Hernandez to miss Euro 2024 after PSG defender sustains knee injury
France have been dealt a blow ahead of Euro 2024 following confirmation that Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Hernandez will miss the tournament.
Hernandez sustained a knee injury and had to be taken off in the 42nd minute of PSG's Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
And on Thursday, PSG announced Hernandez had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and will now need surgery.
"Lucas Hernandez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after coming off injured during the Champions League match," a statement read.
"An MRI scan carried out today confirmed the diagnosis made by the club's doctors on Wednesday evening.
"The player will undergo surgery in the next few days."
Hernandez suffered a similar injury during the last major international tournament, the 2022 World Cup, in which France finished as runners-up to Argentina.
The 28-year-old subsequently posted on his official Instagram account.
"When I signed with PSG, I made a promise that I would give my heart and soul to this team and this is what I have done ever since. Unfortunately, during last night's match I ended up with an injury," Hernandez said.
"I pushed myself back onto the field and tried to keep on fighting for our team, but it was not possible. My comeback will be stronger than ever before."
Nuno demands Premier League resolves PSR 'mess' as Forest await appeal verdict
Nuno Espirito Santo has called for the Premier League to provide clarity as Nottingham Forest wait on their appeal against a four-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules, describing the situation as a "mess".
Forest were deducted four points in March after being found to have breached the competition's financial rules in the assessment period culminating in the end of the 2022-23 season.
Everton have also had a total of eight points deducted for two separate breaches, but with the Toffees pulling clear of the relegation zone, it is Forest who are looking over their shoulders.
Nuno's team sit just one point clear of 18th-placed Luton Town as they await the outcome of an appeal against their penalty, and he says the lack of clarity is affecting several clubs.
Asked whether he had received an update on Forest's appeal on Thursday, Nuno said: "Unfortunately we haven't heard yet.
"We are expecting to, but not yet. It is very difficult. We have been dealing with this situation for a while.
"We all expected the decision to come sooner, so we would know exactly how many points we have. Do we have 30, 29, 28, 27? We need it as fast as possible.
"To have 30 points would be fantastic, because this is the number of points that the boys achieved on the pitch.
"It is a mess. It should have been decided before. They have had enough time. It is very difficult for us but also for the rest of the league. It is very hard to be in this situation."
Forest visit already-relegated Sheffield United on Saturday, having taken just one point from four Premier League games since beating Fulham 3-1 in early April.
They could be in the relegation zone by the time that match kicks off, with Luton hosting Everton in a huge clash at Kenilworth Road on Friday.
France defender Hernandez to miss Euro 2024 after suffering ACL injury
Lucas Hernandez will miss France's Euro 2024 campaign after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund will take a slender lead to the Parc des Princes for next week's semi-final second leg after Niclas Fullkrug's strike powered them past PSG in Wednesday's first leg in Germany.
Hernandez sustained a knee injury while chasing after Fullkrug in the build-up to the goal and was substituted after a brief attempt to play on.
On Thursday, PSG announced an MRI scan had revealed an ACL tear in his left knee, which will require surgery in the coming days.
Hernandez, who has 37 senior international caps, will now miss Euro 2024, with France set to open their Group D campaign against Austria in Dusseldorf on June 17.
Didier Deschamps' side then face the Netherlands in Leipzig four days later, before taking on Poland in Dortmund on June 25.
Hernandez was part of France's squad for the 2022 World Cup but sustained another ligament injury during Les Bleus' opening match against Australia, missing the rest of the tournament and not returning to club football until the start of 2023-24.
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