Rotherham, threatened with relegation, must try his luck – Paul Warne

Rotherham manager Paul Warne has told his players they need to start trying their luck following their 1-0 league loss to Reading.

The Millers are now five points from safety and are on a five-game losing streak before a short midweek trip to Hillsborough to face relegation rivals Sheffield on Wednesday.

Defender Michael Morrison scored the winner on the second time after asking cross from Omar Richards.

His initial effort was repelled by goaltender Viktor Johansson, but the rebound came back to him and his second was deemed to have crossed the finish line.

Warne said: “I think against a good reading team, we created enough to get something out of it. But you’re judged by your two boxes and we just weren’t good enough in the final third.

“I was just waiting for the net to wave. Lady Luck escaped us with the deflected shot.

“We have to dig and struggle to survive, but I just don’t think we’re trying our luck in the final third. We didn’t do enough to come away with anything.

Reading had chances to secure the points, but Alfa Semedo and Lucas Joao should have done better with good opportunities at close range.

Rotherham’s best hopes of a leveler seemed to come a long way, but their shot was finicky with both singers Michael Smith and Freddie Ladapo off target.

The big scare for the visitors came in time when Ben Wiles’ effort from the edge of the box was deflected just off the post.

With successive defeats all coming from a single goal, Warne knows that the good margins are detrimental to his team’s chances of survival.

He added: “We had to change shape, which was a big blow, but overall it’s five losses on the spin, all by one goal.

“We create opportunities, we just don’t seize them. Sometimes you just need a chance to win a game. If we didn’t create anything, it would be an even bigger problem.

“We have 15 all-time fights ahead of us to stay upright.”

Reading director Veljko Paunovic was relieved to resume his promotion after an uneven run that saw them claim just one victory in the previous six.

He said: “I am very happy with the result and the performance too. The way we played against a team with a particular style. It was very hard for us.

“Winning today gives us big momentum and a chance to build new momentum. It was a big win for everyone in the locker room.

“There’s another buzz in the locker room. It was probably the toughest game for me since I became Reading manager.

“We haven’t converted our opportunities. In the end, the substitutions helped a lot. We defended the set pieces, which was crucial.

“We had our chances in the second half. At this point in the season, playing on the defensive is a mistake. You must be ruthless in the execution. In the last two months of the season, you have to be ruthless.

“This victory means a lot and everyone has contained the happiness. In a few days we have to prove ourselves again.