Millers off to a flyer

A bumper crowd of 11,441 saw Steve Evans’ side beat Burton Albion 3-0, with Daniel Nardiello, Kayode Odejayi and Ben Pringle all on target.

The club’s new £20 million home had to wait only four minutes for its first competitive goal.

Nardiello, one of eight new signings in the starting line-up, was nudged in the penalty area and then picked himself up to tuck in the resulting spot kick.

The New York Stadium erupted again six minutes later when the Millers doubled their lead. Pringle’s corner created confusion in the Burton box and Odejayi swooped to guide a header inside the post.

Pressing to get a goal back, Burton went on to boss the half and there were a few close calls, with Zander Diamond and Adi Yussuf both having goalkeeper Scott Shearer scrambling, before the interval offered the Millers time to regroup.

They were handed a lift just before the hour mark when the visitors had Lee Bell sent off for two bookable offences.

Backing in the ascendency, the Millers went for a third goal and David Noble and Odejayi went close before Pringle made sure of the points on 74 minutes with a deflected effort that looped over the keeper and inside the far post.

Millers: Shearer, Mullins (Bradley 46)j, Wilson, Arnason, Sharps (capt), M. O’Connor (Ainsworth 64), Noble, Taylor, Pringle, Odejayi, Nardiello (Revell 83)

Burton: Atkins, Stanton, McCrory, Diamond, A. O’Connor, Taylor (Dyer 61), Weir, Maghoma, Bell, Kee, Yussuf (Richards 61)

Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire)

Attendance: 11,441