The defeat, the missing man, the dressing-room din ... the story of Rotherham United 0 Stoke City 1

Only a wall separates the two areas and Stoke City were celebrating their victory over Rotherham United; loudly, very loudly.

The music was pumped up fuller than full blast. No doubt the Potters players were enjoying it much more than journalists were.

It made interviewing difficult, which in some ways was grimly apt because this was a Saturday of difficult questions as the Millers' Championship survival hopes slipped from slim to less than slim.

Rotherham are in bottom spot and the gap to safety has now grown a touch larger, to eight points.

New boss Leam Richardson, who'd led his team to a three-match unbeaten league run prior to this dissatisying display and damaging defeat, admitted times are tough.

“We've got to improve, we've got to improve daily,” he said. “We've got to have really strong habits Monday to Friday.

“When you get emotionally and physically tested, good habits will come through. It’s about keeping positive, working hard and being on the front foot and making positive decisions.”

His side had fallen to an execution of supreme skill from Lewis Baker on the stroke of half-time.

“Quality,” Richardson said.

That was the one thing the Millers, for all their endeavour and recent defensive improvements, lacked.

THE MATCH

The stats were damning: this was another match, following the FA Cup loss at Fulham, in which Rotherham failed to muster an effort on target.

A close contest in which neither team did themselves justice would turn on a fine margin.

“I'm disappointed,” said Richardson. “The first emotion is that there was a game there to be won. It was probably a 0-0 game, wasn’t it? But a moment of quality wins the match.

“I thought that, in the second half especially, we were possibly the aggressor without having that final moment of quality and decision-making within us.

“It’s important you try to be really diligent in certain areas of the pitch, which I think we have been, and then you have to be expressive in certain areas.

“One of my frustrations was that we got into some good areas for final-third entries and didn't make the most of them. I want us to be a bit more aggressive with our crosses, our shots, our actions.”

Stoke also got themselves into a good area, in the fourth minute of an initial minimum of two added on at the end of the first half.

They were outside the penalty box in central position when Rotherham's Sam Clucas, who had earlier gone close to scoring against his old club with a skidding 30-yarder, was adjudged to have fouled Jordan Thompson.

Many in the stadium, including Richardson, didn't see an infringement but the man who mattered - Keith Stroud, in his 600th outing as a referee - did.

“I haven’t seen it back yet, but don’t think it was a free-kick,” the Millers head coach said. “The officials have a million moving parts. They will get some things right and some wrong.”

Thump, thump, thump ... the din was continuing to come from the dressing room and Richardson had to battle against the volume as he spoke.

Talking of thumps, Stoke's scorer certainly provided one with the connection he made to earn his side all three points.

Baker hit the top shelf of the oven - left-hand corner, to be precise - with a beautiful strike that not even Viktor Johansson, arguably the best goalkeeper in the division, could get anywhere near to.

“I don’t think either keeper had a lot to do,” Richardson said. “We cancelled each other out for large parts. It was a bit of a tactical game.

“We felt that we wanted to grow into the game in the second half, move the game further up the pitch, which we did. Then you're looking for that moment of quality.”

For twenty minutes after the restart, Rotherham did their limited best to restore parity. Pressure and probing lifted New York spirits but then frustration set in as the spell came and went without a clear-cut opening being created.

Sam Nombe blazed high and wide when he tried his luck from an improbable angle in front of the North Stand, Jordan Hugill headed the ball nowhere at the back post and Hakeem Odoffin, arguably the club's most reliable finisher, had a wild swipe and even wilder miss as he failed to make any contact.

The Millers' threat had long petered out by the time Johansson was called into action late on to foil Andre Vidigal and Cohen Bramall had to turn on his turbo to race back and clear the danger when a slip from Seb Revan invited Stoke to break clear.

Richardson, still waiting for January reinforcements to his injury-hit squad, could only envy what the opposition have and reflect on what his own side haven't.

“With the level that we're at, we need those moments of quality,” he said. “We need those individual moments - like the one you've seen from Stoke - that can win you games.

“I wouldn't have anyone knock the lads' effort. You can see the size of the challenge. You can see the squad that Stoke bring here and the subs that they bring on. Congratulations to them, they won the game, but I thought we were very competitive throughout.”

MISSING MAN

There was more talk about a player not even at New York than there was about any of those out on the pitch.

The name of Peter Kioso wasn't listed on the team sheet, despite the right-back's loan recall from Peterborough United who say they want him back and that the player wants to return there.

Rumours about the reason for his absence flew around the stadium faster than Bramall's goal-saving track-back.

“Ill,” said Richardson who made it clear he was in no mood for any further discussion on the topic. If only Johansson could have shut down that stunning Baker free-kick with such effectiveness.

It was an edgy end to an edgy day.

As the boss made his media-suite exit, the Stoke racket from the dressing room showed no sign of abating.

Much like the Millers' relegation woes.

Rotherham (3-5-2): Viktor Johansson; Hakeem Odoffin, Sean Morrison, Seb Revan; Lee Peltier (Arvin Appiah 73), Ollie Rathbone (Cafu 64), Christ Tiehi, Sam Clucas (Jamie Lindsay 73), Cohen Bramall; Sam Nombe (Georgie Kelly 83), Jordan Hugill (Tom Eaves 64). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Tolaji Bola, Ciaran McGuckin.

Stoke (4-2-3-1): Daniel Iverson; Ki-Jana Hoever, Luke McNally, Michael Rose, Jordan Thompson; Luke Cundle (Ben Pearson 90), Wouter Burger; Andre Vidigal, Lewis Baker, Sead Haksabanovic (Nehdi Leris 64); Ryan Mmaee (Tyrese Campbell 80). Subs not used: Jack Bonham, Dwight Gayle, Daniel Johnson, Ben Wilmot, Wesley, Nathan Lowe.

Goals: Baker 45+4 (Stoke).

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).

Attendance: 11,002 (2,184).