Millers outclassed ... on-the-whistle report: Leeds United 3 Rotherham United 0

Patrick Bamford had just put Leeds United in front but man in the middle Andy Madley had missed a clear infringement at Elland Road.

The striker had scored via his elbow.

Despite the visitors' protestations the goal was allowed to stand and another Championship afternoon was going awry for the bottom-placed Millers.

It set them on their way to a defeat that saw the gap between them and survival remain at a virtually insurmountable 12 points.

Leeds were ahead in the tenth minute when Junior Firpo's cross from the left deflected into the path of Bamford who directed the ball in by unfair means.

Soon afterwards, Jordan Hugill was fortunate to see only yellow when he slid in from behind and applied his boot to Joe Rodon's ankle.

The Millers could have fallen further behind on 25 minutes when Firpo dispossessed Hakeem Odoffin only for Crysencio Summerville to then fire over the bar.

The clash pitted the division's basement club against a side in third spot and stepping up their promotion push.

The size of the challenge facing Leam' Richardson's men was underlined by the teams' respective records in 2024: Rotherham had yet to taste victory while Leeds had won seven and drawn one of their eight matches since the turn of the year.

Away supporters had boycotted the match in protest at £45 ticket prices but 611 of them still made the short journey across the M1.

They were given little to cheer as the home side dominated the first half and it needed sharp saves from Viktor Johansson to parry shots from Archie Gray and Wilfried Gnonto and keep his team in the contest.

Boss Richardson had named an unchanged starting 11, which meant that all three deadline-day loan signings, Charlie Wyke, Andy Rinomhota and Femi Seriki, were on the bench for the second week running.

Winger Shane Ferguson, who has yet to play this season after three hernia operations, missed out on a place in the squad even though he has now returned to fitness.

Minutes after the break, Bamford - playing by the rules this time and using his foot - hit the bar and Gnonto somehow put the rebound over when it looked easier to score.

However, it was game over for the Millers in the 52nd minute when Summerville broke clear and a player of real class produced a moment of real quality as he lifted the ball over Johansson into the net.

The way he converted a penalty on the hour mark was even better: a nerveless dink straight down the middle as Johansson dived to his left. He'd earned the spot-kick himself, going down under a challenge from Peter Kioso.

Gnonto fired wide, Sam Clucas forced a first save from Illan Meslier and Joel Piroe was just off target as the game petered out to its inevitable conclusion, with the home side in total control but not adding to their total.

Leeds could be in the Premier League next season, Rotherham will go in the other direction.

By the end, that tenth-minute incident which had mattered so much at the time had become a footnote in a one-sided affair.

Leeds (4-2-3-1): Illan Meslier; Archie Gray, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, Junior Firpo (Sam Byram 63); Ilia Gruev (Connor Roberts 75), Glen Kamara (Charlie Cresswell 84); Wilfried Gnonto, Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville (Joel Piroe 63); Patrick Bamford (Mateo Joseph 75). Subs not used: Kris Klaesson, Liam Cooper, Jaidon Anthony, Joe Gelhardt.

Rotherham (3-5-1-1): Viktor Johansson; Hakeem Odoffin, Sean Morrison (Cameron Humphreys 79), Lee Peltier; Peter Kioso, Jamie Lindsay (Andy Rinomhota 63), Christ Tiehi (Ollie Rathbone 87), Sam Clucas, Seb Revan; Cafu (Tom Eaves 63); Jordan Hugill (Sam Nombe 63). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Arvin Appiah, Femi Seriki, Charlie Wyke.

Goals: Bamford 10, Summerville 52, pen 60 (Leeds).

Referee: Andy Madley (Huddersfield).

Attendance: 35,261 (611).