More derby woe on a poor Millers day ... on-the-whistle report: Rotherham United 0 Barnsley 1

The Millers had gone into the clash seeking redemption for their no-show in a 2-0 loss at November in the reverse fixture in November.

But they fell to a second-half penalty in a match littered with spot-kick incidents and extended a long, unwanted record against the visitors.

It's 43 years and 13 games since they last tasted victory over the Tykes.

Rotherham survived a penalty shout in the fourth minute when Reece James was loose in possession inside the area and then looked to have impeded Adam Phillips.

Neither goalkeeper was called into serious action in a quiet start that brought no chances in the opening 20 minutes.

A soft 27th-minute header from Phillips that gave namesake Dillon no problems at all in the Millers net was the contest's first on-target attempt on goal.

The teams had come into the contest in need of a result, with each of them having won only once in their previous seven outings.

The sun was shining on the lunch-time kick-off and there was a large crowd for the South Yorkshire showdown.

However, there were few bright moments on the pitch before the break and at times play slowed to a canter, to the frustration of both sets of fans.

Louie Sibley crossed invitingly from the left in the 41st minute but nothing developed despite a number of red-and-white shirts at the back post.

Nombe went down in the box but spot-kick appeals were waved away and then Jordan Hugill couldn't adjust quickly enough when Mallik Wilks' deflected shot flashed by him in the dying seconds of the first half.

Rotherham were without Cameron Humphreys, who missed out through illness, but had welcomed back Wilks to the starting line-up.

The attacker went close with a bending shot just after the interval that keeper Joe Gauci turned around a post for a corner.

Disaster struck at the other end soon afterwards when James, having escaped censure in that earlier episode, sold his keeper short with a weak back-header and Phillips upended Davis Keillor-Dunn.

The Phillips of Barnsley duly opened the scoring from the spot in the 52nd minute.

Not since a 1-0 home win in October 1982 in the old Division Two had the Millers tasted victory against the Tykes and an end to that sequence was suddenly looking extremely unlikely.

Just after the hour-mark, referee Ollie Yates had yet another penalty decision to make, giving nothing – to the anger of a full away end – when Zak Jules appeared to have handled.

Nombe headed Joe Powell's corner wide of the North Stand goal and Joe Rafferty sent a fierce shot wide as Rotherham tried to force their way back into proceedings.

Phillips forced a diving save from Phillips with a stinging, long-range drive as the clock ticked down and the match drifted through 10 minutes of added time to a frustrating, predictable conclusion.

Rotherham remained in 14th spot before the 3pm fixtures while Barnsley moved up a spot to 10th.

Another poor day in a poor season.

Rotherham (4-3-1-2): Dillon Phillips; Joe Rafferty, Hakeem Odoffin, Zak Jules, Reece James; Pelly Mpanzu, Louie Sibley (Jonson Clarke-Harris 63), Joe Powell (Josh Kayode 86); Mallik Wilks; Jordan Hugill (Andre Green H-T), Sam Nombe. Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Shaun McWilliams, Jack Holmes, Ben Hatton.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Joe Gauci (Jackson Smith 76); Mael de Gevigney, Marc Roberts, Josh Earl; Corey O'Keefe, Luca Connell, Jon Russell, Adam Phillips (Josh Benson 87), Neil Farrugia (Dexter Lembikisa 63); Davis Keillor-Dunn, Stephen Humphrys (Clement Rodrigues 63). Subs not used: Jonathan Lewis, Conor McCarthy, Kelechi Nwakali.

Goals: Phillips pen 52 (Barnsley)

Referee: Ollie Yates (Staffordshire)

Attendance: 10,755 (2,207)