Millers second best to Owls

Two goals in five minutes at the start of the second half left the Millers up against it and although Tom Thorpe replied in stoppage time, it came too late to salvage a point as they went down 2-1.

There was precious little for a packed crowd at the AESSEAL New York Stadium to get excited about for the first half-hour.

Matt Derbyshire had a glacing header saved and Jonson Clarke-Harris forced Kieren Westwood to parry before Wednesday began to get into their stride in the latter stages of the half.  They should have taken the lead when Barry Bannan,  ten yards from goal, could only head onto the top of the netting. Kieran Lee also failed to finish off a slick counter attack and Fernando Forestieri couldn’t capitalise when Lee Camp was caught out of his goal.

The Millers needed half time but the second period was only 33 seconds old when the Owls struck. Forestieri robbed Thorpe and when his shot was parried by Lee Camp,  Lucas Joao tapped in.

The home supporters were only just digesting that blow when the visitors added their second. Camp couldn’t hold a header from Daniel Pudil and Fernando Forestieri pounced to score.

Struggling to hit the standards of their second half aganist Reading early in the week, the Millers never really threatened to get back into it. Substitute Jordan Bowery, introduced with Chris Maguire to add more pep to the attack, had Westwood scrambling from close range and there was a strong penalty shout but Bannan missed two good chances to increase the damage.

Seconds after Thorpe turned in Maguire’s free-kick at the far post, the final whistle sounded.

Wednesday are now unbeaten in eight while Rotherham remain in the Championship’s bottom three.

Millers: Camp, Buxton, Toffolo, Rawson, Collins, Thorpe, Grant Ward, Green (Bowery 62), Andreu (Maguire 48), Derbyshire, Clarke-Harris

Wednesday: Westwood, Hunt, Loovens, Lees,  Pudil, Wallace, Hutchinson (Semedo), Lee, Bannan, Forrestieri (Bus 90), Joao (Nuhiu 74)

Referee: Mike Jones (Chester)

Attendance: 11,658 (2,587 visitors)