THE troubled times of being in administration helped Rotherham United fight back for a point on Saturday.
That is the theory of Millers manager Mark Robins who saw his side draw 1-1 at Dagenham and Redbridge thanks to Mark Burchill's late equaliser - his first goal for the club.
"There is a lot of belief in the squad and in themselves and what they have had to come through has mentally toughened them," claimed Robins.
"Coming through what they have come through, the administration and everything they had to put up with, has helped them on days like this and this sort of fightback has come through their mental strength.
"When you've had the troubles, when you're starting a season with all those points docked, then you can come back like this and particularly when it might not seem to be your day.
"It certainly should have been our day because that game should have been wrapped up by half-time. We'd enough chances to win three games let alone one.
"Then when Dagenham go and score at the start of the second half - and I admit it was a great finish - then it would have been easy to think that it was going against us.
"But we kept on going, one or two things were changed and we got our reward. What was a good then was to see us looking for the winner. That's belief and a good attitude."
Rotherham's next opponents, Grimsby Town at the Don Valley Stadium next Saturday, are expected to appoint a new manager this week.
Rotherham - the only League Two side remaining in the competition - will travel to Premier League newcomers Stoke City in the last 16 of the Carling Cup.
"It's a really tough one but any of them would be. It's great to be in there with all those big names," said Robins.
Carling Cup draw: Sunderland v Blackburn, Arsenal v Wigan, Chelsea v Burnley, Swansea v Watford, Man Utd v QPR, Stoke v
Rotherham Utd, Brighton or Derby v Leeds, Tottenham v Liverpool.
Ties to be played during the week commencing November 10.
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