Matt Derbyshire’s 38th minute goal has given Rotherham a 1-0 lead over the Blues at half-time at the New York Stadium. Town’s best two chances of the half fell to Daryl Murphy, but the returning frontman failed to take them.
Murphy, back after missing the Wigan game with a calf strain, took over from Noel Hunt up front in an otherwise unchanged Town side.
Rotherham included three former Blues loanees, Frazer Richardson, Paul Green and Conor Sammon.
Murphy had a golden chance to net his 19th goal of the season after only 18 seconds when he latched onto skipper Luke Chambers’s ball down the right and outmuscled Millers’ captain Craig Morgan. The Irishman brought the ball into the area but scuffed his shot to keeper Adam Collin when he really should have scored.
On seven, Chambers scraped a weak effort wide with neither side having been able to create another clear-cut chance. The home side’s greatest threat so far had been a long throw from Kari Arnason on the left towards Sammon which the Blues defence repelled.
Murphy had another opportunity to add to his season’s haul in the ninth minute when Jay Tabb’s corner from the left landed at his feet having been missed by Christophe Berra, but the Town number 10 blazed over. The Blues striker, who complained that he had been dragged back as he unleashed his shot, again probably should have scored.
Cole Skuse picked up the game’s first booking for a foul on the breaking Paul Green in the 17th minute. From Ben Pringle’s freekick, Arnason’s downward header deflected through to Bartosz Bialkowski.
McGoldrick sent a weak shot through to Collin on 27, then a minute later Chambers exchanged passes with Bru but the Town captain’s shot was blocked.
Moments later, with the Blues briefly putting the Millers under pressure, Bru and Tabb interchanged on the left but the Mauritian international failed to find a team-mate with his low cross. The ball eventually ran out to Skuse, whose strike failed to trouble Collin.
Just after the half hour, after Town had cleared a corner, Richie Smallwood floated a ball into the area towards Matt Derbyshire but just beyond the former England U21 international.
On 33 Tabb smashed a powerful volley wide after the ball had fallen perfectly for him on the left just outside the area.
Rotherham had been at their most threatening from set pieces throughout and in the 38th minute a freekick on the left saw them take the lead. Pringle sent the ball in, Newton flicked it on, Morgan nodded it back across the area from the right and Derbyshire headed past Bialkowski from close range.
Town were unable create an opening from which they could get back on terms prior to the break.
On the balance of the half overall, the Blues probably didn’t deserve to be behind with the Millers’ goal having come from their first serious shot on goal of the afternoon.
Up to then Town, without ever really playing particularly well, had had the better of another not overly enthralling game’s opportunities with Murphy having had two very good chances to add to his 18 goals.
Rotherham: Collin, Richardson, Arnason, Morgan (c), Fryers, Newton, Green, Smallwood, Pringle, Sammon, Derbyshire. Subs: Thompson, Bowery, Broadfoot, Milsom, Ward, Hammill, Frecklington.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru, Anderson, Tabb, Murphy, McGoldrick. Subs: Kenny, Parr, Clarke, S Hunt, N Hunt, Bishop, Sears. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).