The run goes on for the Millers ... on-the-whistle report: Middlesbrough 0 Rotherham United 0

Tonight's result means the Millers have lost just once in their opening nine league games.

They never tested Zack Steffen in the Boro goal as they relied on a strong defensive display to take a share of the spoils.

The home team had chances to win the contest but Paul Warne's men were worthy of their hard-fought point.

After an uneventful opening 15 minutes, Boro were gifted a chance as Rotherham skipper Richard Wood made maybe his first mistake of the season.

His failure to clear gave Duncan Watmore a clear sight of goal and, fortunately for the Millers, the Boro man could only fire over the bar.

On a mild night on Teesside around 500 visiting fans were making themselves heard as their side held firm and looked to break quickly on the counter-attack.

In the Middlesbrough side were Rotherham old boy Matt Crooks and two former Millers loanees Ryan Giles and Dael Fry.

The home team, seeking to hit back from a first defeat on home soil earlier in the week, went close to taking a 28th-minute lead.

Watmore too easily weaved his way into the area and set up Isaiah Jones who shot the wrong side of the post when he should have found the net.

Soon afterwards, a Giles' curler was palmed away by Viktor Johansson and at the other end Wood was inches away from connecting with Conor Washington's low ball after a clever free-kick routine.

Rodrigo Muniz was off target just before the break as the Boro crowd began to vent their frustration and Rotherham went in at half-time the happier of the two sides.

The Millers had made one change to the starting 11 from the convincing win over Blackpool in midweek.

They were unable to select loan centre-half Grant Hall who was ineligible to face his parent club so Cameron Humphreys came  in for his first start since a hamstring injury.

A hamstring issue prevented defender Lee Peltier lining up his former side while wing-back Shane Ferguson had failed to recover from a groin complaint and also missed out.

Boro, who started and ended proceedings in the drop zone despite being one of the favourites for promotion, had looked nervy all evening.

Watmore seemed certain to ease the tension four minutes after the interval as he skipped on to Muniz's lofted pass and beyond the visitors' defence.

However, he somehow contrived to hit the post, with the ball then rolling along the goalline before finally being cleared.

The near-miss roused the crowd and Boro had their best spell of the contest, culminating in Watmore hitting the side-netting from a tight angle.

In the 70th minute spectators around the stadium rose in applause for The Queen who died last week after 70 years on the throne.

As the clash entered its closing stages, the Millers were standing firm in the face of Middlesbrough pressure.

Rotherham kept the door closed and a Giles shot,  high and wide from distance, was as much as the Teessiders could muster.

Wood, as ever, got his head on a defensive corner in time added on to avert danger and the final whistle soon followed.

It was a job well done by Warne's side.

Middlesbrough (3-5-2): Zack Steffen; Matt Clarke (Marc Bola 74), Dael Fry, Anfernee Dijksteel; Isaiah Jones, Riley McGree (Alex Mowatt 74), Matt Crooks, Jonny Howson, Ryan Giles; Duncan Watmore (Marcus Forss 74), Rodrigo Muniz. Subs not used: Liam Roberts, Tommy Smith, Paddy McNair, Massimo Luongo.

Rotherham (3-5-2): Viktor Johansson; Cameron Humphreys, Richard Wood, Wes Harding; Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Georgie Kelly 80), Ben Wiles, Dan Barlaser (Jamie McCart 80), Ollie Rathbone (Jamie Lindsay 76), Cohen Bramall (Tolaji Bola 80); Conor Washington (Scott High 60), Chiedozie Ogbene. Subs not used: Josh Vickers, Tom Eaves.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).