The Football League Trophy might not sit high on Rotherham United's list of priorities, but it probably fits within the one top of manager Matt Hamshaw's list: "Good teams keep going."
The Millers host Manchester City's under-21s tonight knowing victory will put them into the last 16.
But the bigger picture is that Saturday's 1-0 win at Barnsley was their fourth in a row in all competitions, transforming the mood at a club who only won two of their first 13 games.
Keeping that ball rolling magnifies the importance of the first of four consecutive home games.
MOMENTUM: Rotherham United manager Matt Hamshaw is keen for his team to keep winning (Image:Jonathan Gawthorpe)placeholder image
MOMENTUM: Rotherham United manager Matt Hamshaw is keen for his team to keep winning (Image:Jonathan Gawthorpe)
"Good teams don't just stand still," said Hamshaw, part of the coaching staff when the Millers won the competition for a second time in 2022.
"People are well aware of what we did here when we went on runs of 20, 25 games (unbeaten) so four (five in all competitions) isn't a lot.
"We need to make sure we consistently keep performing, keep working as hard as we can, keep showing the things we're showing, keep working on things in training because we're probably not the finished article yet."
Hamshaw will also retain his flexibility having used a number of different formations.
"I think a lot is made about formations,” he said. “We've played a back four this season, we've played a three, we've played a box (midfield), we've played two up front... we have to be adaptable in and out of possession. We have to be flexible dependent on the opposition, depending how we want to set up, our gameplan."
Victory will put the Millers second in the group – a four-goal win would put them top – ahead of leaders Bolton Wanderers' final game, against winless Oldham Athletic, next month.