Millers edged out by Rovers

A flat game was decided by an own goal from Luke Hyam on the half-hour mark and despite making the home side sweat until the end, the Millers couldn’t find an equaliser.

Both teams struggled to rise above the ordinary in a fairly dull first half.

Home defender Grant Hanley came to Rovers’ rescue early, first heading Hyam’s lob clear of an open goal and then blocking Lee Frecklington’s follow-up.

Lee Camp had to be smart to foil David Marshall at his near post but could do nothing to keep out the opener on 30 minutes. Craig Conway crossed and Hyam, attempting to clear, only succeeded in diverting the ball inside the far post. It was also the midfielder’s first start on loan from Ipswich.

That strike left the Millers having to chase the game and they cursed their luck when Joe Newell’s shot was parried and the loose ball fell to a blue and white shirt.

Hyam had a chance to atone when he put a half-chance wide from a slick move soon after the re-start but the match still lacked any real tempo until the last 20 minutes.

As Blackburn finally warmed to it, Camp excelled to turn over a powerful header from Shane Duffy but they weren’t able to nail a second and were nearly punished by Jonson Clarke-Harris from Newell’s corner.

Clarke-Harris was given support up front by Matt Derbyshire in the later stages and Rotherham pressed in five minutes of stoppage time but the nervy  hosts hung on.

Blackburn: Steele, Henley, Olsson, Hanley, Duffy, Akpan, Conway, Evans, Lawrence (Brown 66), Marshall (Taylor 81), Rhodes (Guthrie 89)

Millers: Camp, Buxton, Mattock, Broadfoot, Collins, Grant Ward, Hyam (Derbyshire 69), Frecklington,  Smallwood, Newell (Barker 88), Clarke-Harris

Referee: Tony Harrington (Co Durham)

Attendance: 13,045 (653 visitors)