Leon Best’s goal a minute before half-time saw Rotherham United to a 1-0 victory over the Blues at Portman Road. The former Irish international scraped home from close range from a Matt Derbyshire cross, the Millers having caught Town on the break after they had lost possession from a freekick in the visitors’ half.

Boss Mick McCarthy named the same team which beat Blackburn 2-0 on Tuesday with new loan signing Liam Feeney amongst the subs.

Also on the bench were ex-Miller Ben Pringle and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who came in for the injured Luke Varney, while Michael Crowe took the place of the ill Dean Gerken as the sub keeper.

Rotherham included former Town loanee Paul Green on their bench, while Paddy Kenny, who was on a short-term deal with the Blues last season without making an appearance, was the Millers’ sub keeper.

The Blues created the game’s first opportunity in the fifth minute when skipper Luke Chambers crossed from the right and Freddie Sears, playing on the left of a front three with Daryl Murphy on the right and the more central Brett Pitman dropping deeper, headed over.

Town had the better of the opening quarter of an hour but without threatening again until the 16th minute when, after good work down the left from Jonathan Douglas, Pitman teed up Sears, but his shot failed to test Lee Camp in the Rotherham goal.

On 21 Lee Frecklington claimed he’d been fouled by Douglas as he broke into the area chasing a pass over the top but the former Peterborough man appeared just to have been out-muscled.

A minute later, with the visitors now on top, Richard Smallwood brought the ball in from the left and hit a low shot which Bartosz Bialkowski claimed easily.

In the 37th minute, after Bialkowski had been crowded out as a long throw came in from the right, Frecklington looped the loose ball wide.

Two minutes later, the Blues carved out an opportunity but Camp confidently dealt with Chambers’s shot, to ironic cheers from a section of the Town support in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

At the other end, Grant Ward struck a deflected effort from the edge of the box which Bialkowski pushed behind to his left.

Rotherham had shaded a not overly engaging half and a minute before the break they went in front.

Following a Town freekick in the Millers’ half, Douglas played a loose pass on halfway and Derbyshire broke away down the right before crossing to the unmarked Best, who turned home before Christophe Berra could get back to intercept.

There was no time for the Blues to hit back before referee Stephen Martin blew his final whistle, signalling boos from a frustrated Town support.

Even before the goal it had been a disappointing half from Town, who after starting positively had allowed the visitors to get on top and on the balance of the half overall they deserved their lead.

Unsurprisingly, the Blues made a switch of personnel at the break with new loan signing Feeney handed his debut and Douglas making way.

Town began the half brightly and soon after the restart Chambers fed Sears on the right of the area and the former Colchester man hit a low shot which was cleared from inside the six-yard box.

The Blues kept up the early pressure, Pitman forcing Camp into a brave save as he sought to latch on to a loose ball in the box.

On 53 Feeney whipped over a cross from the right which Jonas Knudsen headed against a defender and out for a corner. From the flag-kick, the ball reached Chambers but the Town captain was unable to make significant contact with his header. Seconds later, as Rotherham looked to break, Knudsen was booked for a foul on Ward.

In the 57th minute Feeney battled for the ball with Joe Mattock on the right before sending over a cross which Knudsen headed straight at Camp.

As the game moved past the hour, Pitman did well to find Sears on the left as he was fouled by Greg Halford, referee Martin waving play on. Sears took the ball into the area and shot well wide before Halford was yellow-carded for the foul.

Town were still less than convincing with the ball being given away cheaply on too many occasions, while cross after cross was claimed by Camp in the air.

But on 67 Pitman worked himself a chance on the edge of the area and was fouled by Lloyd Doyley as he hit a shot which was deflected wide.

Town’s top scorer took the freekick himself but blazed well over. Three minutes later, ex-Miller Pringle took over from Pitman.

On 74 Kevin Bru replaced Hyam for Town and four minutes later Joe Newell came on for Derbyshire for the Millers.

The Blues continued to make little headway and on 88 Rotherham created their first chance of the half, Halford cutting back to Ward, who screwed his shot wide.

The fourth official’s board indicated an additional four minutes with Town still rarely looking like getting back on terms.

Feeney, the Blues’ main second-half threat, broke away on the left and cut the ball across when he might have shot but won a corner from which Town came as close to a goal as they had all match.

A loose ball fell to Pringle beyond the far post but he hit his shot from a tight angle across the face of goal and wide with none of his team-mates able to add a final touch.

Soon after, the referee blew his whistle signalling boos and chants of ‘What a load of rubbish’ from the home support.

Manager Mick McCarthy immediately made his way down the tunnel, unusually not staying on the pitch to shake his players’ hands along with assistant boss Terry Connor.

As at Cardiff last week, having gone behind, the Blues were huffed and puffed but - after their post-half-time flurry - were devoid of ideas and were unable to seriously threaten Rotherham’s lead, a couple of Feeney crosses aside.

It was as poor a performance as Town have put in at home in what’s generally been a disappointing season at Portman Road.

Given the toughness of the Blues’ remaining away games, missing out on three points from what looked on paper to be a very winnable home match is a significant bow to Town’s up and down play-off aspirations.

Rotherham, now unbeaten in five, winning four, are out of the bottom three and up to 10th.

The result sees the Blues stay eighth but now four points - plus goal difference - from the play-offs ahead of the two-week gap for the international break with Town next in action at Wolves on April 2nd.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Hyam (Bru 74), Douglas (Feeney 46), Sears, Murphy, Pitman (Pringle 70). Unused: Crowe, Maitland-Niles, Digby, Foley.

Rotherham: Camp, Mattock, Broadfoot (c), Frecklington, Kelly, Halford, G Ward, Derbyshire (Newell 78), Smallwood, Doyley, Best (Clarke-Harris 84). Unused: Kenny, Wood, D Ward, Green, Burke. Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire). Att: 20,318 (Rotherham: 344).

Photo: Action Images

Surco72 added 09:11 - Mar 20 Same tired old excuses being made for MM again by some , no money best we can do , that's all crap . Pringle , Bru and Filey have all scored or created goals recently and for that they get dropped for as soon as favourites Skuse and Douglas are back when they offer nothing ? Parr was a better full back than either of the two we have play ing week in week out . MM does not like to be proved wrong, but he is wrong as this team is capable of promotion but his selection and tactics are holding us back exa ctly why he lost the Ireland job

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BanksterDebtSlave added 09:11 - Mar 20 It's all very well saying to start with Feeny but who is capable of getting the ball to him out of our back four and usual centre mid options.....Foley is the only one I've seen that may be up to it. Unsure about Bru who blows a bit hot and cold.
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Kirbmeister added 09:13 - Mar 20 Apart from November when he scored 5 past Rotherham and 3 past Charlton, we haven't scored more than 2 in any game this season. Hopefully MM has finally realised we can only play one out of Hyam Douglas and Skuse. In any case this squad is mid table at best so unless money is made available in the summer which I doubt, we're in for another long hard season next year.

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karls_dad added 09:20 - Mar 20 Everybody says the same, that enough is enough! will ME listen i very much doubt it, Please Mick move back to Barnsley and retire, you helped us in the beginning but now its same old same old, nil inspiration and so on! When he was appointed everyone was delighted but me! there were two men chosen for the job, the wrong one was picked, my money was on Holloway, so disappointed we did not get him, at least he would make us all smile win or lose! He is out of a job apart from SKY and i,m sure would come if asked, so can someone please ask him!!

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planetblue_2011 added 09:34 - Mar 20 Feeney Feeney Feeney!! What a player please play him next game👍🏻
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superblue70 added 09:52 - Mar 20 Unfortunately we have to many people at the top end of our club who know absolutely nothing about football and have no football experience at all, when mm goes (and let's hope it's soon) evens will only look at past achievements no matter how long ago they happened to appoint the next past it dinosaur.
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Dissboyitfc added 10:18 - Mar 20 Grumpyoldman...good post and i agree with what you but i feel the boos ( i never have and never will) were born out of frustration and disbelief at what had just been witnessed, further more i believe the players were not the intended target.
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Dissboyitfc added 10:23 - Mar 20 Karlsdad... holloway gets my vote, he would put the smiles back that are so sadly missing. Oh and i believe he would get the results as well, imho.
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Bob7881 added 10:49 - Mar 20 We are just off the playoff spots and yet we all feel so dejected. Getting promotion will be every Town fans dream but seeing decent football would help soften the blow of not acheiving going up. I remember under George Burley suffering disappointment but we were always entertained same with Joe Royal. 20000 there yesterday he puts a team out there to sit back and hoof any partime fans will look at that and stay away and who could blame them. I you had a favorite restaurant and they kept serving up poor meals would you go back. Wake up Evans you have cocked up yet again wrong man for the job.

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TimmyH added 11:08 - Mar 20 Noticed Knudsen was still persisting with his long throws yesterday - why? they always come to nothing, actually thought he wasn't vey good yesterday (got skinned a couple of times).The game was very compact yesterday in the middle 1/3 and we only passed into players who were in no space or Smith/Chambers/Hyam or Skuse just hoofed the ball (don't know what Douglas did) forward beyond the midfield to no avail. What ever happened to off the ball movement from players? or even players attempting to run with the ball to create openings? the game was so so sterile...it has to be the way Mick manages them.

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dirtydingusmagee added 11:08 - Mar 20 I think Dissboyitfc is probably right, the booing was directed at MM,and IF he was at game ME..we had players on bench that should have been in from start and it must frustrate them,it also must frustrate players when they have to play out of position.It is obvious that you cant expect to get best out of players like that,but nothing changes.Freddie Sears is a good example. Last season we missed out on promotion but i like most thought we could build on that and go the extra mile this season,but we have gone backwards ,and i cant see that changing .

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senduntd added 11:58 - Mar 20 First time I have left the ground not caring about the result. Total disgrace, What surprised me was all the fans that went for half time pie and a drink actually came back for the second half.
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Knightsy added 12:21 - Mar 20 Well I've written to the ticket office, I won't be watching this cr*p next season. I've been going since 1986 , 22 years as a season ticket holder. I'm just not enjoying the hoof ball and the tactics of a dinosaur. I thought the John Duncan days were bad with the football, but this is really bad. I'm off to watch Ipswich Wanderers.
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essex57 added 14:17 - Mar 20 Karl Dad every one is saying the same!! please don't speak for all the fans if you look on the forum I think you will find that not all fans are saying the same.
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Elto added 14:46 - Mar 20 It was repeat of the Cardiff game a few weeks back. Mind numbing nothingness. As I watched I felt my life slipping away along with season. It reminded me of a dreadful game 20 years ago, a 2-0 home defeat to Tranmere. That was early Burley I think. Looking to be positive things did improve after that, 5 years later we were promoted, so all is not lost. COYB.
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Walk_the_Wark added 14:49 - Mar 20 Karl's Dad- I think there were others including myself who thought McCarthy was a bad appt. should've been given if anything a year to keep us up then got rid. I'm just pleased that finally the tide is turning on here. The new contracts had me thinking that all the hierarchy at the club was content with us being safe and 'nearly' men. We all know MM can't hack it in the Prem and is probably quite happy to see his career out here. Hopefully now we are talking months rather than years. Surely Evans has to listen if the die hard 'In MM we trust' brigade begin to turn to!

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essex57 added 15:32 - Mar 20 Whilst I will agree the last two matches have been particularly poor and yesterday's team selection strange I'm still of the opinion be careful what we wish for and as for people saying Holloway would be better I wonder if they would find his comments funny when we are anchored in a relegation battle we might not win.
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essex57 added 15:32 - Mar 20 Whilst I will agree the last two matches have been particularly poor and yesterday's team selection strange I'm still of the opinion be careful what we wish for and as for people saying Holloway would be better I wonder if they would find his comments funny when we are anchored in a relegation battle we might not win.
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blueherts added 15:55 - Mar 20 Mowbray and venus
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Cakeman added 15:55 - Mar 20 For one reason or another that was the first game I had Seen since January so I went to the match full of eager anticipation. For the first 15 minutes I thought we did ok and with Rotherham's defence looking decidedly shaky one goal would have set us up for a good win. For reason unknown to me we stopped playing and then the ball got stuck in the most boring midfield three I could ever imagine, namely Skues, Douglas and Hyam. It was like watching a pin ball getting stuck at the top end of the table. I missed the goal as I had already left my seat at 40 minutes to get a half time anaesthetic pint. Second half thankfully saw the much needed Feeney who did very well andcsllbthst could be asked of him. Shock and double shock we actually saw him deliver some excellent crosses from the right wing! Sadly none of our players attacked any of these crosses with purpose. Once Rotherham closed Feeney down that was game over. What a bore. Dreadful and it's all been said by most of the previous posters. Worst of all there was around 30 youngsters sat near me, my daughter and son-in-law in the Sir Upper and they lost interest very quickly. After about 30 minutes one young lad got his I-Pad out to play a game on that. That just about sums it up. Undecided about renewing season ticket as all interest has evaporated.

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Wonky added 16:05 - Mar 20 For anyone reading down this far, here's another comment, to add the big tally. I was as disgusted as anyone, it's the attitude to the game, the negativity. I like MM but I miss passing football more and more.
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brendenward35 added 16:29 - Mar 20 Think we need to be realistic MM and TC been given new contracts so do you really think ME is going to sack them or MM quit I don't think so. So we had better just get used to the fact MM is here for sometime to come. MM has admitted he picked the wrong team so hopefully he'll learn from his mistake maybe not time will tell.
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Seasider added 16:38 - Mar 20 When us shareholders were duped by Sheepshanks to let Evans buy the club,everybody thought that things could only get better. Well they are far worse in my opinion and it appears many others now agree. Essex57 may have a point in saying be careful of what you wish for because Evans record of appointing managers and chief executives is the worst I have experienced in over 50 years.Keen,Jewell and now this Dinosaur. McCarthy's vocabulary consists of terms like grinding out results,this is not the time to play tippy tappy football,fighting/scrapping for a result.This arrogant Yorky also got upset at the ironic cheers when head tennis was played between the sides in the first half last Tuesday;saying that when a Blackburn player finally brought it down,Murphy robbed him,and if it had been his player he would have got a rollicking.Never mentions attacking teams etc,always negatives! I thought we would get this kind of football when he was appointed,and boy he hasn't disappointed;but how anyone can defend him is beyond me.I cannot remember Ipswich playing as badly as this at home going back as far as Alf Ramsey.Yes you got the occasional bad result;but the team was set up to try and win each time unlike now. With sideways Skues and dreadful Douglas alongside backwards Hyam,any fool would know that you wouldn't see much in the way of attacking,which played into 'Colins' hands,and boy did he enjoy it! I don't know what is going to happen as McCarthy doesn't seem able to change his out look on the'beautiful game';and Evans has just given him a massive endorsement. I think that fans should vent their anger/frustration in any way they think fit(legally)without fear or retribution.I have had the guts to ask an awkward question of McCarthy before but few do including those from press and radio.Maybe because they fear being banned from the ground as has happened previously.

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DerryfromBury added 17:19 - Mar 20 We should have started with the team which finished the game, things could have ended so much differently. Surly you start out with the intention to score first, build up a decent cushion and then worry about seeing the game out. I can't believe how easily the players let Rotherham bully them. With Season Tickets landing through most STH letterboxes this last week, you would have a least expected a reasonable performance on the pitch. Why did MM wait until the 2nd half to change the shape of the team, surly he could see like the rest of us after 20mins how bad the mid filed were. If MM showed the same level of passion when selecting his team as he did when having a go at the ref when Rotherham were timewasting , he could have saved himself a great deal of embarrassment with the post match interviews. As for Simon Milton's response to a fan who ultimately pays towards his wages was a disgrace, I agree the guy was quite vociferous with his criticism towards ME, but at no time did he result to using abusive language. I'm sure on reflection Mr Milton will endeavour to make an apology to the person in question. Whilst mathematically we can still make the play offs, on recent performances, I like so many can't really see that happening, on that basis wouldn't it be a good time to give a few of the up and coming promising youngsters a run out.

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Bob7881 added 18:10 - Mar 20 Derryfrombury the fan your refer to May have to wait a long time for an apology the powers to be at the club don't have much time for the fans believe me from someone who knows. ITFC was a club founded and run by gentlemen now I'm afraid that's not the case .Town has become a investment that has gone wrong I'm sure if Evans could find a way out he would. As for Milton he's shown his intelligence he must of forgot his role at the club.

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