The Santas, the defending, the fans ... the story of Leicester City 3 Rotherham United 0

This wasn't Rotherham United's defence, this was the quartet of away fans all wearing Santa Claus outfits as the festive schedule got under way.

Out on the pitch at the King Power Stadium, the Millers were playing with a three-man rearguard which, with the considerable help of everyone else in the team, held out for an hour as the Championship's basement side did battle with the club in pole position.

New head coach Leam Richardson had been out early to clap the travelling faithful before Saturday's kick-off against a Leicester City outfit on course for an immediate return to the Premier League and there was plenty he could applaud about his new charges for two-thirds of the contest.

Leicester, quick, slick and penetrating particularly down their left flank through Stephy Mavididi, could have scored, should have scored but didn't score, and that was all down to robust, organised defending by the visitors whose injury situation is so severe that they could fill only six of their nine substitute berths.

Richardson, three games into the job, is having an effect. The question is, will it be enough to salvage a sorry season?

“For 60 minutes we were very good value,” he said. “I was hoping we could take it into the latter stages and get a couple of bodies forward and possibly counter on them.

“Leicester are full of quality and up there for a reason. We're in a really challenging division and we're stretched for bodies at the minute. I thought the lads dug deep. I thought they were fantastic in the first half. They stuck to the game-plan.”

The pressure finally told after the break when Viktor Johansson saved from Wout Faes and the ball eventually fell for Patson Daka to pounce from close range.

Just a further five minutes had elapsed when Seb Revan handed out more than glad tidings and made a present of the Foxes' second goal.

The young loanee sold Johansson short with a weak back-pass and the keeper upended Daka who picked himself up to double his tally from the penalty spot.

Revan had been rescued by Sean Morrison's superb goalline block when he'd made an earlier error while trying to dribble out of his own box, but Richardson refused to point any fingers, saying firmly: “No, no, it's not his fault.

“We're playing two players out of position at centre-half. We've got a midfielder (Hakeem Odoffin) and a left-back (Revan) there.

“We're stretched at the minute and struggling to fill our bench. I'll never get after the lads out there giving their all for the shirt. I thought he performed very well, as did many others in a really testing environment.”

Cesare Casadei's header wrapped up proceedings in the 72nd minute but the large, vocal away following continued to stick by their team. “I think they could see the effort,” Richardson said.

By the final whistle, his side had managed two attempts on goal - I can't recall either - while Leicester had racked up 24

It was a mismatch. Mavididi, the game's most potent attacker, came to the Foxes by way of Juventus and Montpelier. Striker Sam Nombe came to the Millers by way of MK Dons and Exeter City. Such is life for the Millers in the second tier.

They have just 13 points at the halfway point of the campaign and it feels much like that first Paul Warne season of 2016/17 when a good man took over after the damage had already been done.

“Have a good Christmas,” was Richardson's parting shot to journalists.

That's exactly what his team are in need of if they are to finish anywhere other than bottom of the tree.

Leicester (4-1-4-1): Mads Hermansen 6; James Austin 7 (Harry Souttar 78), Jannik Vestergaard 7, Wout Faes 7, Ricardo Pereira 7 (Hamza Choudhury 78); Wilfred Ndidi 7 (Cesare Casadei 69, 7); Abdul Fatawu 6 (Yunus Akgun 55), Harry Winks 6, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 7 (Dennis Praet 69, 6), Stephy Mavididi 8; Patson Daka 8. Subs not used: Jakub Stolarczyk, Conor Coady, Kelechi Iheanacho, Tom Cannon.

Rotherham (3-5-2): Viktor Johansson 7; Hakeem Odoffin 7, Sean Morrison 7, Seb Revan 6; Dexter Lembikisa 6, Jamie Lindsay 6 (Sam Clucas 78), Ollie Rathbone 6, Christ Tiehi 6, Cohen Bramall 6; Sam Nombe 6 (Tom Eaves 69, 6), Jordan Hugill (Georgie Kelly 69, 6). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Arvin Appiah, Ciaran McGuckin.

Goals: Daka 60, pen 65, Casadei 72 (Leicester).

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).

Attendance: 31,175.