Blues manager Paul Hurst admitted it was hard to take Town’s 1-0 defeat away against Rotherham, where he spent nearly all his playing career, believing that his side’s performance ought to have been good enough to claim all three points.

Asked whether he is sick of the sight of Rotherham, who beat his Shrewsbury team in the League One play-off final in May, he said: “No, I’ll never be sick of the sight of Rotherham, the time spent here was obviously very good and I generally wish them well when I’m not up against them.

“But yes, the last three is it now we’ve come out on the wrong side of the result? And it feels hard to take today.”

Was he left scratching his head how Town didn’t manage to win the match? “Well, we didn’t score a goal, that’s the reason why we didn’t and you’re feeling disappointed, or potentially with the way it was going, that you didn’t win the game, and then to actually lose it, it is hard to take.

“I’m probably not the best person to assess our performance overall because I’m disappointed at this moment in time with the result and we all know that’s what the business is, it’s results as much as it’s nice to get performances, but you want them to go hand in hand.

“Look, I’m sure there are some positives to take but at this moment in time it’s probably difficult to see them.”

Regarding the penalty claim late on, he added: “In total honesty I didn’t quite see the incident entirely. What I did feel at the time was that Jordan Roberts had got inside Joe Mattock but I’m not sure whether the player was looking for the penalty, whether there was enough contact to make him go down.

“I think the position he was in, if I do watch it back he’ll be getting a mouthful if he did go down too easily because he was in with a chance of scoring a goal. I will look back at them but at the end of the day they don’t mean anything.

“We could have had a freekick in the build-up to the goal, I think Jordan Roberts got blocked off.

“The ball goes down the side and I think Toto actually gets the ball first [in the incident for the freekick which led to the goal]. I can live with it in that I can understand what the referee’s thinking, but I do think he got the ball first rather than the man.

“And then we don’t actually defend it that badly but it just drops down and it’s a good finish from Smith which cost us the game.”

Given that his side enjoyed the lion’s share of the game's possession, did he feel they ought to have created more chances?

“I think we’ve had enough chances overall,” he reflected. “Can you create more? Yes, of course, I think you’ll be lucky if you come away thinking that you couldn’t have done any more. But I still think we’ve had enough realistically.

“Even if it was just that little pass. Straight away, Gwion Edwards’s pass to Ellis in the first half comes to mind. He’s done great and then it’s just slightly overhit. That should be a chance, whether it’s a goal, the keeper might save it, but it should be a definite chance and wasn’t.

“We’ve got to make sure we have got a cutting edge to us otherwise the good work before that counts for nothing.”

Hurst was pleased with his new signings, particularly Jon Nolan: “I wanted to bring Jon in to the football club as soon as I joined. It took longer than I would have hoped but he’s got quality, I never doubt that.

“I was amazed that other clubs weren’t in for him, I don’t know what they’ve been watching, I question people’s scouting networks.

“He looked very at home. What I would say, and I don’t mean this disrespectfully, for him and Toto, they came up against a team they played against three times last season, they’ve played here, so in some ways it wasn’t the most daunting fixture for them.

“I think Warney would say it and I’ll say it about us and them, there’ll be stiffer tests, we know that but he can be pleased, they’ve only trained for a couple of days.

“And the team overall, this is what I’ve been trying to stress from the start, you want your players with you as early as possible to work on it.

"And probably in Blackburn and Rotherham we’ve come up against two teams that in general might be upset they haven’t been able to bring as many additions in, but what we’ve come up against is teams that have been very settled and certainly know each other.

“We’re still learning. But I have to say that performance should have been good enough for us to have left with three points.”

Rotherham manager Paul Warne, who played alongside Hurst during their playing days with the Millers, felt his team improved after the break.

“To call it a tough game is polite, the lads rode the first half, we were better second half,” he said. “To get a win any way which way, I’ll take it.

“People would expect us to make wholesale changes [following last week's 5-1 thrashing at Brentford], I don’t manage like that, you’ve got to trust people and they have earned the trust.

“We asked the lads to go out and play to keep the shirt and after last week deserved a crack. I am really pleased with the response.

“In the first half we were outplayed and struggled and we played the shape in the second half and put Kyle Vassell out wide on the left and I always think there is a chance we are going to score. It was very pleasing to score that late goal.”

Photo: TWTD

Fat_Boy_Tim added 19:06 - Aug 11 Agree with PH. We did batter them at times, just needed a finish from somewhere. Thought Nsiala was very good and Nolan excellent.
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Fat_Boy_Tim added 19:06 - Aug 11 Agree with PH. We did batter them at times, just needed a finish from somewhere. Thought Nsiala was very good and Nolan excellent.
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jas0999 added 19:06 - Aug 11 The problem is up front. You can't cash in on Waghorn and Garner, release McGoldrick and bring in just two inexperienced forward players. For me, the owner shouldn't have sold Garner with no replacement lined up. Yet again he smelt a profit, which he failed to reinvest. Now the squad needs strengthening. Hurst admits at least three, but because we didn't do enough permanent business and have already relied on three loans, we can only sign two. Poor.

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unknown100 added 19:06 - Aug 11 Poor result but please just give the guy half a season, the quality of football and entertainment has improved massively Get the football style right and the results will come
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Karlosfandangal added 19:15 - Aug 11 Sounds like MM good performance and we should have won
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herfie added 19:17 - Aug 11 Naturally disappointed at the result, and elements of the performance. But whilst it's very early days, not winning football matches has an impact upon individuals' and team confidence. Important, therefore, to get a result at Exeter on Tuesday night. I think PH also needs to think about team set-up. Playing with one man up top in this league, against strong, experienced, defenders probably isn't the way forward - as shown by the last two performances. No doubt, though, PH and CD will sit down and review in th3 cold light if day. But whatever that outcome may be, it has to be geared to winning football matches; adjusting principles if necessary.

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herfie added 19:19 - Aug 11 ‘in the cold light of day'.
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JohnyJohnson added 19:19 - Aug 11 Confident with time this will fall together, and with fitness such a high priority for PH I can see us picking up more points in the second half of the season and get the lower mid table finish. Build from that. Only a transitional season, slow build time needed for cohesiveness and for all to adopt the PH plan. Let's back our new manager COYB
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blueplumber added 19:22 - Aug 11 Feeling a bit sorry for our young ones. Emanuel kenlock Downes dozzell all being pushed aside for league 1 or 2 players that Hurst knows.... I thought he liked youth
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WaltonBlueNaze added 19:32 - Aug 11 Early days I know, however, I already have a feeling that we are going to struggle this season, you can not lose the experience of Wgahorn, Garner and McGoldrick and expect lower league inexperienced players to hit the ground running. The championship is one of the hardest and demanding leagues in Europe! I admire PH and his transfer strategy but we desperately need another striker and centre back with experience of the championship.

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midastouch added 19:35 - Aug 11 Hurst seems very confident in Nolan's ability. That might limit Dozzell's opportunities. I was hopeful Andre Dozzell would cement his place in the 1st team this season, he's worked bl**dy hard to get back after his horrible injury and I think he deserves a chance. Hopefully there will be opportunities for him but I don't think Hurst rates him as much as Nolan. I went to the West Ham game and was buzzing to see Dozzell, Nydam and Downes more than hold their own. Downes didn't have the greatest game against Blackburn though. But I do think we would reap rewards if we gave those 3 more opportunities, certainly if the West Ham game was anything to go by we would. Anyway, I had my rant about the last minute goal on the match report. I've cooled a bit since then and want to keep this more positive. I was buzzing with what I saw against West Ham, as the saying goes if it aint broke why fix it! Dozzell, Downes and Nydam looked far from broke in that game, so why fix it. But Paul has worked closely with Nolan and he clearly rates him so I can understand why he will want to build things around him as far as possible. It's a tough balancing act but I do fear we might not see the 3 young Town musketeers line up together very often as we were treated to against West Ham. Nonetheless, we have to trust in Paul and give him time. But I would dearly love to see him be the manager to finally iron out the habit of conceding late goals as those have caused me more pain down the years following Town than just about anything else I can think of! COYB, onwards and upwards!

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blues1 added 19:37 - Aug 11 Jas0999. Why would we have kept garner when he wanted to leave. Had we kept him wed have had an unhappy player on our books and thats the last thing we need. And it was hursts decision to sell him, not evans. But then ull always find an excuse to have a go at Evans. And uve got ur facts wrong aboutcthe loans too. Because Donaciens loan is just temporary, until his permit is sorted, we can still sign 3.

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franco added 19:38 - Aug 11 Hurst in !!!!
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brittaniaman added 19:41 - Aug 11 Unfortunately we have 2 very hard games next in line, Villa home Derby away, can we take points off them I do not know, but they will be harder than that game today where we got no points ??
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dommyboyblue added 19:51 - Aug 11 Performance sounded decent and stats backed that up. Just lacking cutting edge bit think that will come. Nit sure about the skuse chalobah axis not working for me. Neither offer much going forward and think we only need one of those type of players in the squad.
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Blue_Dwarf added 19:59 - Aug 11 How can Dozzell be fit enough for the bench last week but not this week? Hopefully Hurst will realise what a talent the lad is and start giving him minutes. If he's not totally match fit 20 mins or so off the bench is not going to do him any harm at all and may actually improve our performance.
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Facefacts added 20:03 - Aug 11 Unlucky to lose. Maybe we'll need to wait for 8 - 10 games to see if we can buy a win or two. A new manager has a choice. He can get to deal with the big egos in the club who may want away or can cash in on them and avoid conflict/take the easier option of bringing in his own men. That's the way it is in the summer window. You have to do your business then. ME will want to melt into the background now. I'm sure PH is feeling so bad inside. We just desperately need a win before it gets squeaky bum. See how things go on from there. Interested to see what is the playing style against the better teams we come up against. Different players but same style as MM? I thought we would go down before the start of last season but honestly where are the goals going to come from this time? Got lucky with signing Garner and Waghorn when we did. Goals and assists. PH must be saying how can I get a cutting edge. One up front - surely won't work with the players he has. Worried but don't want MM back. Time to gel the team is still needed. But more time...isn't available.

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Woodbridgian added 20:16 - Aug 11 more nonsense from Jas0999. Even if we'd of keep Garner he would of been injured and if you just watched the Derby game re Leeds Waghorn was way off the player he was last season didn't loom like he'd score if he stayed on all week. So what's the difference?
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TimmyH added 20:24 - Aug 11 So supposedly we had an unhappy Garner and Martyn Waghorn that was happy to move back to the north east though he went to Derby at the last minute...makes you wonder what to believe!...probably what made Garner dissatisfied was that the Waghorn move was in the pipeline for sometime (ask Evans).
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TimmyH added 20:24 - Aug 11 So supposedly we had an unhappy Garner and Martyn Waghorn that was happy to move back to the north east though he went to Derby at the last minute...makes you wonder what to believe!...probably what made Garner dissatisfied was that the Waghorn move was in the pipeline for sometime (ask Evans).
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toxtethblue added 20:29 - Aug 11 For me, the owner shouldn't have sold Garner with no replacement lined up. Yet again he smelt a profit, which he failed to reinvest. _______________ And he gets down arrowed for this post. What the fack is wrong with you lot?! If we ended up in league 2 I swear some of you still won't see any fault in him!!! Wake tf up!!!
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Geoff added 20:36 - Aug 11 We must give him time I agree we have too many changes and we will need two up front but the football is better to watch and we are rid of Dino I remember Bobby Robsons first few games we were awful and the fans were calling for his head he turned it round his way let him have time to do the same and get behind the club they need support right now.
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Suffolkboy added 20:37 - Aug 11 I suppose all I can add , having seen last week against Blackburn , is what , how ,where why and when are the questions that need answering throughout the side ,and in respect of the system strategy and tactics too ! So many questions to be articulated and resolved, and we must put trust in PH and CD but it's going to be a roller coaster of a ride based on what we've seen despite the obvious promise ! Come on you Blues !

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J45 added 20:43 - Aug 11 Entertainment increased? When? Did I miss something? Mick McCarthy would have been slated on here for our performance against Blackburn. I understand it's a very new side and we are trying a different approach which is fine, it may well take time to gel etc and work very well, but all this we are playing better football is just nonsense. I want PH to succeed as much as anyone but why some people are pretending he is somehow the best thing since sliced bread confuses me. Just as I won't be calling for his head anytime soon he also has to prove he is worth his salt at this level before he gets all the plaudits. Hopefully better times ahead and we have some very promising players that if they gel together could do really well just need some time. COYB!

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Daddio added 20:52 - Aug 11 All those people complaining that we let 3 strikers go. Yes we did and they all wanted to go, if we had kept them where would we be, with 3 players that don't want to be here. McGoldrick played 22 games last season, not even half the games, today he was brought on as a sub, scored a penalty and then got injured and was taken off! Let's all calm down a bit and let the team settle in a bit, PH was obviously unhappy with the result, let him manage it

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