Alex Bruce feeling ‘proud’ after late Rotherham winner against Chesterfield

Rotherham head coach Alex Bruce felt his side were good value for their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Chesterfield at the New York Stadium.

Paul Mullin was the hero when he scored his first goal in Millers colours after being introduced from the bench with less than half an hour remaining.

Mullin’s classy 90th-minute finish came just two minutes after Liam Mandeville had equalised for the Spireites from the spot following Fabio Tavares’ first-half opener.

Bruce, who earned his first victory in charge of the Millers after taking over in the summer, was full of praise for his side.

He said: “I was proud of the way they performed.

“We stuck together and there have been signs that it is getting there. We have signed so many new players, but they have bought into what we are trying to do.

“Some have been thrown in at the deep end, so to see them perform the way the did, I’m very pleased.”

Bruce felt his side’s front-foot approach paid dividends when Mullin took advantage of a defensive slip from the visitors to grab the decisive winner after Tom Bradshaw – the player he replaced – had a first-half penalty saved by Ryan Boot.

He added: “It was a roller coaster of emotions. Penalties, tackles flying in, and mistakes, but it was a really good watch. Both sides went at it, and I’m glad we came out on the right side of it.

“We appreciate Chesterfield are a good footballing side so we pressed them aggressively from goal kicks and in open play. We looked to hurt them on the transition, and we had some really good chances.

“The game plan worked perfectly with Mulls coming on with half-an-hour to play. I was hoping he would get a chance, and when he got it he took it.”

Chesterfield manager Paul Cook admitted his side would have been lucky to have left South Yorkshire with a share of the spoils following a below-par display.

He said: “We got back into the game but it would have been a fortuitous point.

“The game goes on moments and we were not at it 100 per cent, and you can feel that. It’s been a tough day and we’ve got to take it on the chin. We should have left here drawing 1-1 but it wasn’t our day.”

After missing out in the League Two play-offs last season, Cook admitted his Spireites side are in a period of transition following a raft of changes in the summer.

He added: “We have played three games and got three points. We are very much building as a side and we did not give our supporters enough, and they were magnificent today.

“As a club, we are going through a period of change. It’s obvious for everyone to see.”