Despite having the vast majority of the game and creating far more chances, Town once again dropped three points at home. Rotherham came with a physical and gritty approach but more individual errors, this time from skipper Matt Holland, gifted the Millers two goals.

The Blues lined-up as last week at Nottingham Forest but with Pablo Couñago up front with Darren Bent. There was no place even on the bench for Tommy Miller who had impressed at Anfield in midweek.

The early stages were all Town and Matt Holland had the first shot of the game from a Hermann Hreidarsson knockdown but it was easy for keeper Pollitt. Five minutes later Richie Barker hit the opening salvo for the visitors but it troubled Paul Gerrard little.

On seven it was back to the Town of old as a fine passing move involving several players ended with Jim Magilton putting a Pablo Couñago low cross wide of the post. The Northern Irishman should have at least hit the target but the passing had been impressive. Shortly afterwards Hermann Hreidarsson headed wide.

The goal Town's dominance deserved took only 11 minutes to come, from the unlikely foot of Fabian Wilnis. Darren Bent had been played in one-on-one with the keeper by the busy Couñago but keeper Pollitt came out quickly and cleared as far as the edge of the area. The Dutch wing-back seized his opportunity and hit a right-foot shot over the out of position keeper and into the roof of the net. It was his first goal since the winner at Coventry in November 2000.

Such was Town's grip on the game at this stage it looked as if a second goal might not be too long in coming. Only a minute after the goal Darren Bent broke through after more shocking defending from the Rotherham centre-halves but his low shot was saved by Pollitt to his left.

John McGreal did well to block an Alan Lee shot from the edge of the area in the 13th minute and not long after Nick Daws put a 20-yard freekick well over the bar.

With Town continuing to have the best of the game Magilton hit a 20 yarder but it was too close to the keeper who gathered.

Despite all the possession the second goal hadn't come and on 23 the Blues were made to pay. Referee Steve Tomlin inexplicably gave the Millers a corner after a deep cross had evaded everyone and had been left by Paul Gerrard. From John Mullin's kick Stuart Talbot got away from marker Matt Holland headed powerfully home at the far post despite Fabian Wilnis' desperate attempts to keep it out.

Referee Tomlin was not proving a popular man with the Town support and in the 27th minute the Blues had further cause for complaint. Jim Magilton played in Couñago on the right of the area and Paul Hurst sent him tumbling to the ground. It looked an obvious penalty but Tomlin waved the protests away.

Two minutes later Couñago was tripped on the edge of the area, although Rob Scott felt he had dived and made his opinion clear, so clear that he was spoken to by the referee. Magilton took the freekick and his curling effort was tipped onto the bar by Pollitt before it fell to a Rotherham player.

Since their goal Rotherham had been more in the game and on 34 Chris Sedgwick hit a shot just by a post from a tight angle on the right.

There was another scare for the Blues two minutes later as Lee picked up the ball on halfway and ran goalwards. Eventually he got a shot in which went straight at Gerrard, although he spent some while complaining that McGreal had impeded him as the two had tussled in the centre-circle for the ball. Not long afterwards McIntosh picked up a yellow card for a foul on Couñago.

Some Town fans in the Cobbold Stand thought the Blues had got a second goal in the 37th minute as Matt Holland's header rippled the sidenetting from a John McGreal cross.

Referee Tomlin's observational ability was again highly questionable on 38 as Fabian Wilnis appeared to be studded by Daws well after the ball had gone, an incident the officials entirely missed.

With five minutes left before the break a Rotherham freekick sent in from just inside the Town half came to nothing but as the players moved out of the penalty area Alan Lee had to be restrained by Hermann Hreidarsson as he attempted to confront John McGreal. The only man in the ground oblivious to the incident once again appeared to be the referee.

Less than a minute later Lee was toe-to-toe with Thomas Gaardsøe after the two had challenged for the ball. This time referee Tomlin had noticed something untoward and spoke to both players.

Frustration at some of the challenges and refereeing decisions got to Fabian Wilnis on 43 as he picked up a yellow card for dissent after what had looked like a foul on him was given the opposite way.

The game was in danger of spilling over and, with a minute of the half left, Chris Sedgwick picked up a yellow card after retaliating after a challenge from Mark Venus. Although the Town veteran's tackle had been hard he had won the ball fair and square.

As most were getting ready for a half-time chat, Rotherham went in front. Town skipper Matt Holland poked a loose midfield ball back in the direction of his defence but out of the reach of Thomas Gaardsøe. Richie Barker reacted quickly and took the ball into the area with the Dane in his wake and hit a right-foot shot across Gerrard from 10 yards out.

The whistle went shortly afterwards with Town fans wondering how they could ind themselves behind and a number of Town players surrounding the referee who was booed off by the Blues' support.

With five minutes of the second half gone Alan Lee picked up the yellow card much his earlier behaviour had deserved for a poor tackle on Fabian Wilnis. Not long after the Dutchman got on the end of an excellent Thomas Gaardsøe ball and he sent in a cross which flashed across the Rotherham area and was headed out by Sedgwick.

A minute later the Blues came as close as is possible to scoring. Keeper Pollitt flapped at a corner and the ball was loose practically on the goal line. As Matt Holland attempted to scramble it home Daws dug it up and over the bar for another corner to Town. It was an amazing escape for the visiting side and Daws was rightly congratulated on his efforts by his team-mates.

Mark Venus got himself in the book on 55 after a foul on Lee, referee Tomlin allowing play to continue for some while before showing the card. Rotherham had a goal disallowed a minute or so later after Lee had jumped into Gerrard as a cross was sent into the Town box.

Joe Royle decided on a change of personnel in the 57th minute, Darren Ambrose replacing Mark Venus and Matt Holland reverting to a role on the left of the back three. Ambrose was quickly in the action, his weak 18 yard shot giving Pollitt little trouble and a later header too close to the Millers' custodian.

On 63 the Blues hit the woodwork for the second time, Pablo getting a near post header on Ambrose's left-wing corner. The Blues were by no means as fluent as they had been in the early period of the first half and the game was taking up the look of all-too-many home games in recent years with Town attempting break down a massed visiting defence and having little to do at the back themselves.

With 23 minutes left on the clock Hermann Hreidarsson created an opening on the left. He sent in a low ball to Ambrose but Pollitt got down to his low shot and saved.

In the 73rd minute Alun Armstrong replaced Wilnis, Ambrose taking up a role wide on the right. In addition to the referee, linesman Perkin was irking Blues' fans after several very harsh offside calls against Couñago. Soon after he gave a freekick against Jamie Clapham on the byline which was also highly dubious.

It was getting to the desperate stage by now but with eight minutes left Pollitt again failed to hold onto a high ball under pressure from Couñago. Alun Armstrong hit a shot towards the keeper-less goal but Scott cleared.

Time was running out for the Blues and final headers wide from Thomas Gaardsøe and Darren Bent twice were the final attempts to get Town back on terms. In injury time Jim Magilton was booked for a foul on Warne and after four more frustrating minutes Town were consigned to another home loss and a drop to 19th place.

While away from home Town are picking up the required haul of points, despite the loss at Forest last week, the continued failure to get results at home is a big concern and the reason the Blues are not making any impression on the league.

Although Town suffered most from some execrable refereeing, bad defensive errors once more gave the goals away while the Blues failed to take their chances or make the most of their possession. It is difficult to recall more than the single corner for Rotherham while their serious goal attempts can have hardly numbered higher than their two goals.

Joe Royle has indicated that he would consider bringing in a loan striker if his existing players were not finding the net and it wouldn't be a surprise if he returns to his search this week. Alternatively Marcus Bent looks set to be involved with the reserves this week and may not be too far from a return to the first team.

Another three points down the drain and promotion by the play-offs now looking an increasingly distant dream.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls