An ovation for one boss, just frustration for another ... the story of Rotherham United 0 Cardiff City 3

Kick-off was just minutes away and Ronnie Moore was being honoured on the pitch at AESSEAL New York Stadium after being voted Rotherham United's greatest-ever manager.

The club legend has always revelled in the regal nickname bestowed on him by fans for his exploits as a player and then in the hot-seat.

Ronnie being Ronnie, he had acquired appropriate headwear for the occasion and the crowd roared and sang its approval as he acknowledged the love showering down from the stands.

That's when the fun stopped.

What followed was a supine Millers display that he would never have accepted in his managerial days and present boss Matt Hamshaw wasn't accepting now.

True, Cardiff City are far and away the best League One team to pay a visit to S60 this season. But the Millers didn't have to look like virtually the worst, particularly as they spent most of the contest playing against 10 men.

After Saturday's events, Hamshaw took a long, long time to leave the confines of the dressing room and head to the media suite to address a failure in attitude and application no-one was anticipating after the 4-0 triumph at Exeter City the previous weekend.

“I've spoken to the players,“ he said. “We can't have Jekyll-and-Hyde performances. It's hard against a really good team who have players who are all comfortable on the ball. We've got younger players learning their way.

“But, at the same time, those battling qualities that we had last week weren't there this week. It's on me, as manager, to sort that out - I will, and we'll get there.

“But it just feels like every time we get to the point where something is positive we let ourselves down."

For 20 minutes, the clash was relatively even. Then, Ryan Wintle halted Harry Gray's progress into the penalty area by illegal means, saw red and things were never the same again.

Ten talented triers saw off 11 players who wilted in the face of a big opportunity to do damage to the division's leaders and improve their own standing at the other end of the table.

“I was delighted, to be honest,” said Hamshaw about the sight of the Bluebirds skipper trudging miserably to the dugout. “I thought: ‘Here we go.’ I know how important he is to them. Everything kind of goes through him. It was a real positive.”

It turned out to be no positive at all. By the time the interval arrived, Rotherham were behind and remained second best for the rest of the afternoon.

Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, the ball was pinged to the flanks by Cardiff and the home side couldn't cope. Ollie Tanner crossed low for Omari Kellyman to run in unopposed to slip the ball into the corner of the North Stand net.

“The way to sort that is for your two wide centre-backs to look after their wide players,” said Hamshaw who, at half-time, ditched the three-at-the-back formation so many fans don't like and still saw his side ship two more goals.

Ronnie, having been given the Millers' version of the freedom of the town, was watching from the West Stand when Chris Willock was given the freedom of New York by Emmanual Adegboyega's lack of awareness of what was happening behind him and coolly doubled City's lead.

Time was almost up when Isaak Davies scampered from the halfway line down the right flank, cut inside and - taking full advantage of Ar'Jany Martha's decision that attempting a tackle was more trouble than it was worth - slipped the ball past Cameron Dawson.

Things might - just might - have been different had Gray not been foiled by the right leg of Nathan Trott when he worked himself clear near the end of the first half and sent a shot heading towards the far corner that would have made the score 1-1.

“Harry has a great chance and does everything right,” said Hamshaw. “It's a great save. When you're down to 10, you need that.

“When you're down to 10, you'd expect your keeper to be man of the match. I don't think he was. We didn't make him do anywhere near enough.”

The result dropped Rotherham, who gave debuts off the bench to three deadline-day signings, two places in the the table to 23rd. The manner of the defeat - after an encouraging run of a draw and two wins - sent spirits sagging more than the league position.

“We looked a threat last week,” Hamshaw said. “To be fair, Cardiff stopped us doing anything we wanted to do today. At the same time, everybody performed miles below the standard that we expect and that we've had. It's just a frustration for all the fans and, obviously, myself as well.”

At the end, Ronnie looked as fed up as anybody of a red-and-white persuasion.

On the day The King was crowned, the Millers had been a right royal let-down.

Rotherham (3-5-2): Cameron Dawson; Emmanuel Adeboyega (Gabriele Biancheri 65), Zak Jules, Jamal Baptiste; Joe Rafferty (Brandon Cover H-T), Kian Spence (Dru Yearwood 74), Shaun McWilliams, Joe Powell (Ar'Jany Martha H-T), Reece James; Sam Nombe, Harry Gray (Duncan Watmore 90+2). Subs not used: Ted Cann, Lenny Agbaire.

Cardiff (4-1-4-1): Nathan Trott; Perry Ng, Will Fish, Gabriel Osho (Calum Chambers 90), Joel Bagan, Ryan Wintle; Ollie Tanner (Isaak Davies 76), Joel Colwill, Alex Robertson (Ronan Kpakio 76), Chris Willock (Cian Ashford 64); Omari Kellyman (David Turnbull 64). Subs not used: Calum Scanlon, Callum Robinson.

Goals: Kellyman 42, Willock 58, Davies 90+5 (Cardiff)

Red card: Wintle 20 (Cardiff)

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge (Tyne and Wear)

Attendance: 8,786 (1,395)