Burnley too strong for Millers

A first-half penalty from Sam Vokes and a late strike from Scott Arfield condemned the Millers to a 2-0 defeat which leaves them deep in relegation danger with 14 games to go.

Manager Neil Warnock fielded a back line containing new signing Lloyd Doyley and Greg Halford, in for his first start in five months, and they kept the home side at bay until the breakthrough came just before the half-hour.

Doyley caught George Boyd just inside the area and Vokes sent Lee Camp the wrong from the penalty spot.

There was a lucky escape when top scorer Andre Gray’s header shaved the crossbar and Burnley’s first-half control was only threatened when Grant Ward, on for the injured Danny Ward, tried his luck from distance.

The pattern of the match didn’t change in the second half although the home side got edgier as it  progressed and Kirk Broadfoot nearly punished them with a header which was saved on the line.

Gray missed two big chances to put the game to bed and Joe Newell should have equalised late on when  he stole in behind the defence but steered wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Burnley made sure on 86 minutes when Gray freed Arfield to lift the ball past Camp.

Burnley: Heaton, Lowton, Keane, Mee (Tarkowski 33), Ward, Arfield, Barton, Jones, Boyd, Vokes, Gray

Millers: Camp, Halford, Richardson, Broadfoot, Doyley (Best 72), Burke (Shinnie 46), Green, Smallwood, Newell, Danny Ward (Grant Ward 40), Clarke-Harris

Referee: T. Robinson

Attendance: 15,849 (644 visitors)