Evans sticks to winning plan

Steve Evans will not change his approach as Rotherham take on Preston in the League One play-off semi-final first leg on Saturday.

The Millers have had a superb campaign in their first season back in the third tier since 2007 following promotion last year, securing a fourth-placed finish and two-legged tie with favourites Preston. They have built their success on an attacking mantra that has seen only Wolves score more goals than their 86 in the entire Football League. That approach has led to an impressive 14 away wins, the most since the 1950s, and means Evans will not be tinkering with his tactics for the Deepdale clash. "We are asking the players to do nothing different, which is to go there and try and win a football match," Evans said. "The managers that I have spoken to that have been successful in the play-offs have told me to approach the game the same as I would if it were a normal league game. "We won't go in and sit in and shut shop. It's tempting to think that, but we would be asking players to do something that we have never asked before. "We could go and ask them to park the bus or we could go and ask them to do what they have done every week all season. "We are a management team that believes in continuity, we don't make big, big changes. So we won't go and try something totally different, the players know their jobs. "The away form has been terrific, it's the best away form since 1951 and this squad has broken a lot of records. "We have had a great season and it will only be a special season if we can be victorious and get to Wembley and win." Both league encounters between the two sides ended in draws, with Evans' men earning a point in a thrilling encounter which ended 3-3 at Deepdale in February, suggesting they are fairly well-matched. Evans knows his side have the best chance of progressing to the final at Wembley if they can return from Lancashire unscathed. "We have to make sure that when we leave Preston we are still in the tie," he added. "We can go and win 2-0 and Preston would still be in it and we could go and lose 2-0 and we would still be in it. "We have to make sure there is a real belief that we can turn it around if we need to and be successful over two games."