MATCH REPORT: Battling Millers end win drought

ROTHERHAM United’s long wait for a league win is over.

A first-half strike from Izzy Brown was enough to beat QPR and earn the Championship’s bottom side a first victory since August in front of an ecstatic crowd at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

The Millers fought like tigers to take the victory, giving their absolute all for caretaker manager Paul Ware in a highly entertaining contest.

Skipper Lee Frecklington marked his long-awaited return to the starting line-up by demanding an early save from Alex Smithies while Lewis Price tipped over a goal-bound curler from Conor Washington, the first of three good stops in the first period from the stopper.

Chelsea loan man Brown’s goal on 24 minutes was a throwback to his inspired play in his early matches. He dropped a shoulder to pull away from his marker and a smart one-two with Danny Ward sprung him in behind the QPR defence to lash home.

Rotherham put their bodies on the line to keep a lively QPR at bay before half time and with more luck, Ward and Anthony Forde might have earned the rare luxury of a two-goal cushion.

The teams traded blow for blow in the second half also. Another flying save by Price denied Tjaronn Chery and Frecklington had a glancing header smothered.

The points should have been sealed 15 minutes from time when Ward crashed an effort against the bar and Joe Newell spooned the rebound into the kop.

Rotherham had QPR on the rack for a spell and cursed their luck when Richard Wood had a header shovelled off the line.

It kept the tension high but as the visitors ran out of ideas, the Millers did enough to close out the match and chalk up their first win in 16 matches.

Millers: Price, Fisher, Mattock, Wood, Belaid, Forde, Adeyemi (Vaulks 85), Frecklington, Newell (Kelly 90), Brown (Taylor 85), Ward

QPR: Smithies, Bidwell, Lynch, Hall, Onuoha, Luongo, N'Gbakoto (Polter 59), Sandro (Gladwin 72), Cousins, Chery, Washington

Referee:  Jeremy Simpson (Lancashire)

Attendance: 8,704 (872 visitors)

Related topics: