Lack-lustre Millers suffer deserved loss ... on-the-whistle report: Cardiff City 1 Rotherham United 0

A second-half goal settled a scrappy contest in which the Millers were second best to the Bluebirds.

They failed to muster a single effort on target as they dropped a place to 13th in the table.

They had more than 25 minutes to try to find an equalise but the lack of penetration that had characterised their display before they fell behind continued to the final whistle.

Only 78 seconds were on the clock when Rotherham had a real escape.

Mark Harris's shot was parried by Viktor Johansson and Sheyi Ojo thought he'd opening the scoring only to be ruled offside as his follow-up tap-in hit the back of the net.

Cardiff's width up front was troubling the Millers who were relieved to see Callum O'Dowda's 11th-minute attempt hit the side-netting when the Republic of Ireland international ran in from the left.

All the visitors had to show for their efforts was a wildly off-target volley from just outside the area by Ben Wiles.

It was 1998, in the Ronnie Moore management era, when Rotherham last won on City soil but their hopes of a result were raised by the fact that the managerless Bluebirds had lost their last three matches coming into this encounter.

By the half-hour mark, on a mild afternoon in South Wales, the Millers had established a foothold in the contest.

However, they had another let-off when O'Dowda changed flanks and delivered an inviting cross straight into the path of Ojo who somehow let a headed opportunity from point-blank range slip by.

Solid defending from the home side was keeping the game goalless and Johansson's presence at his near post denied Harris from a tight angle close to half-time.

Rotherham had made two changes to the side that had been deprived of a midweek win at Coventry City by a 90th-minute penalty.

Skipper Richard Wood was back at the heart of the defence and Ollie Rathbone returned in midfield after a groin niggle.

Central defender Grant Hall missed out because of a one-match ban incurred for accumulating five yellow cards.

The Millers fell behind 20 minutes into the second half as substitute Jaden Philogene conjured up a moment of quality out of keeping with the rest of the match.

He showed twinkling footwork as he was allowed too much time in the penalty area before picking his spot and bending a superb shot beyond Johansson into the far corner.

Rotherham had it all to do now if they wanted to extend their unbeaten run on their travels as they hadn't looked like scoring all afternoon.

Sub Brooke Norton-Cuffy shot wide for them before Ryan Wintle missed a glorious chance to double Cardiff's advantage, blazing over the bar in the 82 minute when he seemed sure to score.

The match petered to its conclusion, bringing an extension to the Millers' poor record in the Welsh capital.

Cardiff (4-3-3): Ryan Allsop; Tom Sang (Mahlon Romeo H-T), Perry Ng, Cedric Kipre, Niels Nkounkou (Jaden Philogene H-T); Andy Rinomhota (Romaine Sawyers 62), Ryan Wintle, Joe Ralls; Sheyi Ojo (Gavin Whyte 89), Mark Harris (Kion Etete 90+1), Callum O'Dowda. Subs not used: Jak Alnwick, Jack Simpson.

Rotherham (3-5-2): Viktor Johansson; Lee Peltier, Richard Wood (Jamie McCart 77), Cameron Humphreys (Brooke Norton-Cuffy 59); Wes Harding, Ben Wiles, Dan Barlaser, Ollie Rathbone (Jamie Lindsay 71), Cohen Bramall Conor Washington (Scott High 77), Georgie Kelly (Tom Eaves 71). Subs not used: Josh Vickers, Hakeem Odoffin.

Goals: Philogene 65 (Cardiff).

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).