MATCH REPORT: Millers mauled by Rams

The Millers were second best throughout as they went down 3-0 and it could have been more but for a penalty save from goalkeeper Lee Camp.

Manager Kenny Jackett had shaken up his side, re-introducing Greg Halford, Tom Adeyemi and Jake Forster-Caskey and handing a first start to Peter Odemwingie in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but it didn’t cure the long-standing defensive problems.

The hosts looked nervous early on but settled to boss the first half once they got in front on 15 minutes. Darnell Fisher upended Tom Ince and although the Derby forward’s penalty attempt was parried by Camp, he swooped to bury the rebound.

The Millers were still digesting that blow when they slipped 2-0 behind four minutes later. They were cut open on the counter attack and Darren Bent capped the raid by drilling in hard and low.

A stunning relfex save by Camp prevented Alex Pearce heading a third goal and it wasn’t until the 42nd minute that the Millers really worried the home side, Joe Newell smacking a shot straight at goalkeeper Scott Carson from a few yards out.

Rotherham looked steadier at the start of the second half until Ince nipped in to tuck away his second of the day on 63 minutes. He was denied a hat-trick shortly after when he was fouled by Joe Mattock but this time Camp outdid him from the spot, diving low to keep out his penalty.

Jackett’s men kept battling but struggled to lay a glove on the slick-passing hosts, this defeat being the Millers’ ninth in the last ten.

Derby: Carson, Baird, Keogh, Russell, Pearce, Johnson, Butterfield, Hughes, Lowe, Bent, Ince

Millers: Camp, Fisher, Mattock, Halford, Wood, Adeyemi, Forster-Caskey (Brown 61), Taylor (Vaulks 61), Newell, Odemwingie, Ward

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)

Attendance: 28,191