Player ratings and match stats from Lincoln City 0 Rotherham United 1

Millers (4-1-3-2)

Dillon Phillips: 8

Made two important saves just before the break that took all the sting out of Lincoln.

Joe Rafferty: 8

Strong in defence and attack. He's a very accomplished player.

Hakeem Odoffin: 8

More signs that he and Zak Jules were made for each other at the heart of the defence. Both are big, both are athletes, both can play, both compete. And they get each other out of trouble with good communication.

Zak Jules: 8

Everything I've just said about Haks.

Reece James: 6

Did little wrong but was one of the Millers' quieter performers.

Cameron Humphreys: 9

The best individual display by a Rotherham player this season. Defensive midfield suits his game. Protected the back four, instigated attacks, came close to scoring and looked so, so fluent in possession.

Alex MacDonald: 6

He can still deliver a good cross. Short of game time and didn't go the distance but he made a contribution.

Shaun McWilliams: 8

Very assured. Ran well with the ball, picked passes and got a foot in when he needed to.

Joe Powell: 8

Great to see him open his account. The smoothness of the finish matched much of his play.

Mallik Wilks: 8

Might have had a hat-trick on another day. Not everything he tried came off but Lincoln were thoroughly sick of him by the final whistle.

Sam Nombe: 7

Put in a big, big shift. Not as eye-catching as a few of his teammates, but his willingness to run, harry and try to create played a major part in the victory.

The subs

Cohen Bramall (for MacDonald 80): NA

Gave the visitors extra ‘legs’ when they needed them.

Not used: Cameron Dawson, Jamie McCart, Jack Holmes, Andre Green, Jordan Hugill, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Lincoln (4-3-3): George Wickens 9; Tendayi Darikwa 6, Adam Jackson 6, Paudie O'Connor 6, Sean Roughan 6; Conor McGrandles 5, Ethan Hamilton 5, Jack Moylan 6 (Dylan Duffy 76); Jovon Makama 6, Ben House 5 (Tom Bayliss 76), Bailey Cadamarteri 6 (Freddie Draper 65, 5). Subs not used: Jamie Pardington, Dom Jefferies, Rob Street, Zane Okoro.

Goals: Powell 85 (Rotherham)

Referee: Ben Speedie (Merseyside)

Attendance: 9,222 (963)

Opposition view

“Disappointing again. A tough, tough afternoon. There is no doubt we are in a tough spot, and we’ve got to get through it together. It’s not through a lack of effort and desire, it's just that things aren’t dropping for us.

“I thought in the first half we got down the sides of them. But in the second half we couldn’t get up the pitch. We couldn’t get down the sides of them and we couldn’t get out. We didn’t create enough.

“We started to play their game a little bit too much. We know how Rotherham play: very direct, stopping it, playing in a diamond, making it clunky, making it hard.

“We fell into that a little bit and it became a bit too direct. In the end we probably just got worn down.”

– Lincoln boss Michael Skubala

The stats

Possession: Lincoln 53 per cent, Millers 47

Goal attempts: Lincoln 7, Millers 15

On target: Lincoln 2, Millers 9

Touches in opposition box: Lincoln 10, Millers 19

Corners: Lincoln 1, Millers 2

Fouls: Lincoln 14, Millers 16

Final word

Happy new year!