Ref ruins an emotional day for Paul Warne ... the story of Rotherham United 1 Norwich City 2

The occasion, not the performance of referee Oliver Langford.

Encounters against Norwich City resonate with lifelong Canaries fan Paul Warne more than any other, particularly now that dad Russell, who took him to his first boyhood matches, is too ill to attend games.

The Rotherham United manager had asked for a performance against the Championship leaders and he got one.

The Millers, hit by injuries and suspensions, lost 2-1 and go into the international break in the bottom three, but defeat was harsh, they remain right in the survival mix and there is every reason to hope they will still be in the second tier at the end of the season.

"I am an emotional guy," Warne said. "I started speaking to the lads afterwards and I broke down."

Norwich, arriving at AESSEAL New York Stadium after five successive wins, no doubt expected an onslaught from a team fighting for their lives, although nothing had quite prepared them for the ferocity of what was to come once Warne had made his pre-match dressing-room appeal.

His men listened, they responded, they ran themselves to a standstill. Warne knew that, in some part, they had done it for him, for his dad and for what his dad means to him.

"I asked them to perform for people I love and they did me proud," he said.

Langford, meanwhile, dire, dreadful, dismal Langford, was doing his best to make Trevor Kettle look like Howard Webb.

THE GAME

The centre-half who is playing in midfield now has one of the best strike rates in Europe.

Semi Ajayi bagged his sixth goal in five games in the 53rd minute to draw Rotherham level after they had been the more dangerous side in the opening period but had conceded on the stroke of half-time.

Six goals in five games as Semi Ajayi scores again

Teemu Pukki produced a clever 45th-minute chip that turned Richard Wood and teammate Kenny was McLean through to steer a bouncing ball past Marek Rodak who had wandered off his line to no effect.

Ben Godfrey, a Millers loan target last summer, scored the winner soon after Ajayi had continued his amazing hot streak in front of the North Stand.

The Canaries didn't enjoy the physicality of the clash and at times were quick to crumple and complain, but they were bursting with class, cunning and pace, leaving Warne to reflect on the size of the challenge his side had faced.

"If Norwich have their best day and we have our best day, we are always going to struggle," he said. "They are a formidable outfit. I thought our lads were great.

"It's easy to say when they have won but a lot of the Norwich players, when I shook hands with them, told me we deserved more out of the game."

The effort of his own players meant everything to him and his lip wobbled in his press conference.

"You know the history of this game and about my life at the moment," he said. "I am not afraid to be open with the lads."

Millers dejection as Norwich go 2-1 ahead

Langford - having ignored dives, having given fouls where there were none, having not blown where infringements were obvious - made his biggest error of all when Richard Wood suffered a group attack in the visitors' box as he went up for a second-half header

No penalty and echoes of the 1-1 home draw with Wigan Athletic in February when the same official made the same decision after seeing the same player pulled to the ground by Chey Dunkley.

"I thought there was a foul on Woody in the set-piece," Warne said. "But oddly enough the officials didn't. That is their choice."

The manager's face was a picture when he was asked about the referee's display. There were 100 things he wanted to say and 99 he chose not to.

"It's a question I struggle to answer," he said after a considered pause. "People have good days and bad days at the office and I just don't think it was a good day."

After fighting their way back into contention with Ajayi's curling shot on the turn, Rotherham needed to retain parity for longer than the four minutes it took for the Canaries to win a corner and Godfrey to head home unmarked at the back post.

"If we'd have held on to it for 35 minutes that would have been ace," Warne said, "I'd have taken a point. Norwich pressed, won a corner and scored. It's a good finish but we should mark better than that. That's inexcusable.

"Overall, the lads were virtually blemish-free. It's difficult - this league is a really tough league - but my honest view is that if you come and watch us play we are good entertainment."

The Millers threw all they had at Norwich in the closing stages yet were grateful that Pukki's finish was less than pukka when the Finnish striker broke free on the break.

The exchange was honest and telling when Pukki bumped into Norwich owner Delia Smith in the corridor outside the away changing room.

"That is one of the toughest games we've had all season," he told her.

THE REF

The three steps to fury ...

First, he was a picture of animation, arms and objections flailing in all directions as another decision went against his team.

Later, his head was disbelievingly in his hands.

Finally, Warne stood, arms folded in seething, silent wrath, and allowed his staff to vent their spleen on his behalf.

Assistant manager Richie Barker and coach Matt Hamshaw made a beeline for the fourth official on the final whistle and Barker was banging on the referee's door half an hour later.

"I have sent in my terrier," Warne said.

The air was filled with boos as Langford walked off, just as it had been after the Wigan game. He must hate New York as much as New York hates him.

Maybe, with a different official, with a ref getting most things right rather than so much wrong, Rotherham would have taken the point they deserved.

We'll never know. And, following a day of tears, that is a crying shame.

Rotherham United (4-1-4-1): Marek Rodak; Zak Vyner, Michael Ihiekwe, Richard Wood, Billy Jones; Semi Ajayi; Anthony Forde, Matt Crooks, Ben Wiles, Joe Newell; Michael Smith. Unused: Lewis Price, Matt Palmer, Joshua Kayode.

Subs: Richie Towell (for Crooks, 62), Jon Taylor (for Forde, 62), Jerry Yates (for Wood, 83).

Norwich City (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul; Max Aarons, Christoph Zimmerman, Ben Godfrey, Jamal Lewis; Tom Trybull, Kenny McLean; Emiliano Buendia, Marco Stiepermann, Onel Hernandez; Teemu Pukki. Unused: Michael McGovern, Moritz Leitner, Grant Hanley, Todd Cantwell.

Subs: Jordan Rhodes (for Pukki, 90), Timm Kose (for Hernandez, 90+1), Mario Vrancic (for Buendia, 90+2).

Goals: Ajayi 53 (Rotherham), McLean 45, Godfrey 57 (Norwich).

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).

Attendance: 11,026 (2,615).