Magic Millers slam Dons

Goals from Matt Derbyshire, Leon Best, Kirk Broadfoot and Richie Smallwood capped a 4-0 victory that puts Neil Warnock’s side nine points clear of the drop zone with only five games to go.

Backed by 2,934 travelling supporters, they took a stranglehold from the off and were full value for a sixth win in the last eight, a remarkable statistic for a team that was six points adrift not so long ago.

The Dons were caught napping after only 54 seconds when Grant Ward surged down the flank and found Derbyshire. His back flick was clawed out by goalkeeper Cody Cropper but the striker reacted first to rifle the loose ball high into the net.

The home side had only just recovered from that blow when they conceded again on 16 minutes. Cropper impeded Richard Wood and Best slotted the subsequent spot kick into the bottom corner.

Dean Bowditch went close with a header in between times but the Dons laboured and their small pockets of pressure in the first half came to nothing.

The retirement of the influential Lee Frecklington just before the break didn’t harm the Millers’ rhythm and they added a third goal ten minutes into the second half. Frecklington’s replacement, Joe Newell, swung in a free-kick and  Broadfoot scored with a well timed header.

Dons looked a beaten team and Derbyshire, Danny Ward and Smallwood could easily have added to lead. Jake-Forster Caskey forced Lee Camp to tip over and then clobbered the bar in the space of a minute as the hosts tried to rally but Rotherham made absolutely sure of the points near the end when Smallwood sent a lovely effort dipping over Cropper.

MK Dons: Cropper, Lewington, Kay, Potter, Forster-Caskey, Murphy, Walsh, Potter, Baldock, Bowditch, Revell

Millers: Camp, Kelly, Mattock, Broadfoot, Wood, Halford, Smallwood, Grant Ward, Derbyshire (Thomas 80) (Newell 41), Frecklington, Best (Danny Ward 56)

Referee: Iain Williamson

Attendance: 13,048 (2,934 visitors)