MATCH REPORT: Beaten Millers make wrong kind of history

ROTHERHAM United were shown no mercy by in-form QPR as they were condemned to their 29th league defeat of the season, a club record.
Jon Taylor and Semi Ajayi battle in vain on a bad day at Loftus Road. Photo: Trevor PriceJon Taylor and Semi Ajayi battle in vain on a bad day at Loftus Road. Photo: Trevor Price
Jon Taylor and Semi Ajayi battle in vain on a bad day at Loftus Road. Photo: Trevor Price

Results earlier in day mean relegation will be postponed until after the international break but there was precious little consolation in the match as the hosts cancelled out a superb Joe Newell strike to win 5-1.

Ben Purrington, Jon Taylor and Jerry Yates were back in the starting line-up but had barely broken sweat when Rangers took the lead on five minutes. Goalkeeper Lewis Price hesitated as a ball was played through and Matt Smith drove the ball across him and into the bottom corner.

Newell’s equaliser on 13 minutes was a stunner, thrashed in from 25 yards past a startled Alex Smithies, but the celebrations of the 262 away supporters had barely died down when Luke Freeman stole into the penalty area to prod home and that proved to be the last meaningful action of an otherwise dire first half.

A 12th straight away league defeat moved a step closer shortly after the restart when Aimen Belaid impeded Smith and Yeni Ngbakoto sent Price the wrong way from the penalty spot.

 

 

Joe Newell: fine strike in heavy defeat.

Ngbakoto had an effort clawed out by Price and then turned provider on 57 minutes, crossing for Massimo Luongo to guide home a header to make it 4-1 as the fight went out of Rotherham.

There was a long-awaited first climpse of Norwich City loan man Carlton Morris when he came on as a late substitute and he could have scored with his first touch, only to pull a decent chance wide, but it was Rangers, chasing a fifth win in six, who continued to ask the questions.

Substitute Conor Washington clobbered a post and Nedum Onuoha capped a bad day by tapping in the hosts’ fifth goal in stoppage time to leave interim boss Paul Warne and his players with plenty to chew over before the season resumes against Fulham in a fortnight's time.

QPR: Smithies, Freeman (Morrison 63), Bidwell, Hall, Onuoha, Lynch, Luongo (Goss 74), Ngbakoto, Furlong, Sylla, Smith (Washington 63)

Millers: Price, Vaulks, Purrington, Ajayi, Belaid; Taylor (Forde 64), Adeyemi, Frecklington, Newell; Ward, Yates (Morris 70)

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands)

Attendance: 13,383 (262 visitors)