Shot-shy Millers suffer against the Baggies ... on-the-whistle report: West Bromwich Albion 3 Rotherham United 0

Ben Wiles in first-half action. Picture by Jim Brailsford

IT wasn't as bad as their previous trip to The Hawthorns yet Rotherham United still fell to a heavy Championship defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

The last time the Millers visited this part of the West Midlands, in April 2019, they were relegated from the second tier by a 2-1 defeat.

They still have plenty to play for in the division this term, but a 3-0 reverse did their prospects no good in the final match before the festive period.

They were well beaten by a Baggies side who are marching up the table and have now won five matches on the trot.

Rotherham slipped one place, to 19th, and remain two points above the drop zone.

They made a decent start as their campaign reached the halfway point but it was the home side who had the game's first real chance as Matt Phillips forced a sharp save from Viktor Johansson with a 14th-minute shot.

Ten minutes earlier, applause had rung out around the ground in memory off the four children who tragically died after falling into an icy lake in nearby Solihull last Sunday.

Millers followers played an exemplary part in the tribute.

Okay Yokuslu flashed a header over on 18 minutes and the Baggies needed only two further minutes to make the breakthrough.

Jed Wallace was sprung clear by Tom Rogic's pass and raced in on goal to coolly slot the ball beyond Johansson.

Yokuslu drove an effort just wide as the half-hour mark approached with the Millers coming under increasing pressure against opposition who were in the Premier League less than two years ago.

Only one place had separated the teams before kick-off but it was the Baggies who were on a roll under new boss Carlos Corberán following the early-season troubles of Steve Bruce's tenure.

Johansson saved from Wallace before the contest went flat and Rotherham, despite having had their fair share of possession, went in at the break without having had an attempt on goal.

Captain Richard Wood had been dropped from the squad after last week's home loss to Bristol City and Cameron Humphreys, fit again after a chest infection, took his place at the heart of the defence.

In midfield, there was a first league start for Huddersfield Town loanee Scott High as Ollie Rathbone was left out and had to settle for a place on the bench.

Millers old boy Semi Ajayi had picked up a shoulder injury and the centre-half missed out on the chance to face his former club for the first time since his 2019 move to The Hawthorns.

Rotherham hadn't got Chiedozie Ogbene into the match in the first half but within minutes of the restart High put the attacker through on goal and keeper Alex Palmer had to react quickly to keep Albion ahead.

The visitors were enjoying their best spell of the match but that came to an abrupt end on 57 minutes when West Brom struck again.

Scorer turned provider as Wallace crossed and substitute Grady Diangana turned the ball in with his first touch of the match.

Johansson denied Brandon Thomas-Asante with a great stop and Lee Peltier's block prevented Diangana from converting the rebound but a third Baggies goal wasn't long in coming.

Brandon Thomas-Asante got up to take the penalty after Humphreys had been adjudged to have brought him down. Johansson kept it out only for the sub to ram home the loose ball.

Peltier scuffed a shot wide and the match drifted to the final whistle with the Millers having never forced a save out of Palmer in the Albion net.

West Brom (4-2-3-1): Alex Palmer; Darnell Furlong, Dara O'Shea, Erik Pieters, Conor Townsend; Okay Yokuslu, John Swift (Taylor Gardner-Hickman 67); Jed Wallace (Karlan Grant 74), Tom Rogic (Jayson Molumby 74), Matt Phillips (Brandon Thomas-Asante 56); Daryl Dike (Grady Diangana 56). Subs not used: David Button, Martin Kelly.

Rotherham (3-5-1-1): Viktor Johansson; Lee Peltier, Cameron Humphreys (Grant Hall 74), Wes Harding; Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Georgie Kelly 65), Scott High (Conor Washington 82), Dan Barlaser, Jamie Lindsay (Ollie Rathbone 65), Cohen Bramall; Ben Wiles; Chiedozie Ogbene. Subs not used: Josh Vickers, Hakeem Odoffin, Tom Eaves.

Goals: Wallace 20, Diangana 57, Thomas-Asante 71 (West Brom).

Referee: John Busby (Oxfordshire).