Jon Whitney left fuming at Walsall defending following defeat

The Saddlers found themselves a goal down after just 56 seconds at the Banks’s Stadium when Semi Ajayi tapped in David Ball’s low cross.

Whitney’s men rallied and pulled level 10 minutes later when Joe Edwards expertly headed in a Luke Leahy cross.

But despite Erhun Oztumer and substitute Simeon Jackson having good chances for the hosts, Ball netted a winner just before the hour mark after firing in a deflected Kieffer Moore header.

Whitney though had strong words for his players at full-time with the boss believing they gifted promotion chasing Rotherham two goals.

“I thought overall we were the better team in the first-half but we have conceded a really poor first goal - it was terrible defending,” he said.

“It was a poor free-kick for Zeli (Ismail) to give away. We had spoken about that before the game – how we couldn’t give them free hits.

“I’ve watched it back and we didn’t do enough to keep it out the net. Our decision making was poor.

“We responded really well. We were strong and we had some really good opportunities. But like always, we don’t seem to take them.

“And we have got punished for it in the second half. That gave them a chance to camp in. But again I thought their second goal was poor.

“It was too easy for their guy to get the cross in first and foremost. And we haven’t protected the goal well enough.

“I can’t protect the lads from conceding two, poor amateur goals. You cannot defend like that if you are going to win games.”

While Whitney admitted his team created some good goal scoring opportunities, he said the entire team must defend better.

“We had moments but we didn’t take them,” he continued.

“And if you don’t take your big moments you should at least then make it difficult for the opposition.

“If they are going to score a goal it’s got to be a great team goal or a worldy from 30-yards which you can’t do anything about.

“But we can do a lot about those goals. That is what I have said to the players. I will go to sleep tonight and the players will go to sleep tonight frustrated.

“I don’t mind if we get beat by a better team. But we have beat ourselves today by not doing the basics of defending for two goals.

“I have had the privilege of looking at them four or five times. And we can’t come away from the fact we didn’t do enough to keep the ball out of the net.

“Sometimes you have to do the ugly stuff. If you don’t take your chances the least you have to do is see out the game with a clean sheet.

“That is what has disappointed me today. I can handle defeat, but it’s the way we have gifted them two goals which is very difficult to accept.”