Losing start for Jackett's Millers

The Millers showed plenty of spirit and discipline just three days after the sacking of Alan Stubbs but were undone by the only goal of the game four minutes from time by substitute Paul McShane. The visitors also missed a penalty.

 Jackett was bold, handing a long-awaited recall to Richard Wood at centre-half, a first start to Dexter Blackstock and recalling Joe Mattock. The new boss saw his team come out and boss the opening 20 minutes, with Joe Newell and Jon Taylor bringing the best out of goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi from distance and Greg Halford and Blackstock nearly profiting from the visitors’ nervousness in their own penalty area.

The promise subsided and although Reading went on to control the rest of a dreary half, a curler from John Swift, the ex-Millers loanee, was the nearest they came to a goal.

Rotherham picked up the pace at the start of the second half and would have been in front but for two super saves from by Al-Habsi, first stretching to keep out Wood’s close-range header and then rushing out to foil Danny Ward.

However the visitors missed a big chance to break the deadlock on the hour when Dael Fry upended Joey Van Den Berg and although Garath McCleary struck the resulting spot kick well, Camp stuck out a leg to keep it out.

It took some desperate defending to repel Reading as they looked to make amends and there was a let-off when Swift clobbered the crossbar before the decisive moment arrived four minutes from time. Camp clawed at a high ball and it fell invitingly for McShane to hook home.

The Millers remain six points adrift at the foot of the Championship.

Millers: Camp, Fisher, Mattock, Wood, Fry, Taylor, Halford, Frecklington, Newell (Brown 64), Blackstock (Forde 75), Ward

Reading: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Obita, L. Moore, Van den Berg, Kelly (McShane 28), Swift, Williams, Beerens, McCleary, Kermogant

Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland)

Attendance: 8,800 (664 vistors)