Millers overpowered by Rams

Neil Redfearn’s men were unable to produce a halloween treat for their travelling supporters as the home side won 3-0 to stretch their unbeaten run to nine matches and continue the new manager’s tough baptism.

The Millers’ starting line-up showed five changes to the one beaten by Sheffield Wednesday last time out and they had to work hard to keep the Rams at bay throughout.

After Andreas Weimann stabbed them into a sixth-minute lead, they  pinged the ball around and took control. Weimann could have completed a hat-trick before the break and  Jacob Butterfield, Jason Shackell and the dangerous Johnny Russell all cursed their luck in front of goal.

Hunting alone up front, Jonson Clarke-Harris caused a couple of fleeting moments of danger at the other end but when Butterfield rounded off a slick passing passing move with a fine finish from 20 yards to make 2-0 just before the break, the Millers’ fate was all but sealed.

They showed a little more adventure in the second half without really testing goalkeeper Scott Carson and it took a goal-line clearance by skipper Danny Collins from Weimann’s lob to keep them in it.

The crossbar came to the rescue from Chris Martin’s free-kick but Derby’s pressure told again 15 minutes from time when Richard Keogh pounced to score their third in a goalmouth scramble.

The result leaves the Millers in the Championship’s bottom three ahead of the trip to another of the division’s stronger sides, Middlesbrough, on Tuesday.

Derby: Carson, Christie, Forsyth, Keogh, Shackell, Butterfield (Bryson 79), Thorne (Hendrick 62), Johnson, Weimann, Martin (Bent 75), Russell

Millers: Camp, Buxton, Mattock, Broadfoot, Collins, Newell (Green 46), Smallwood, Danny Ward, Grant Ward,  Toffolo (White 62), Clarke-Harris

Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland)

Attendance: 30,172