Millers ruffle Rams

Leading 3-1 early in the second half through Paul Green, Richie Smallwood and Matt Derbyshire, the Millers looked on track for a head-turning victory only to be pegged back.

Missing skipper Craig Morgan to illness, they survived a few scares along the way but were well worth their point.

After a lengthy stoppage for injury that ended with loan man Jack Hunt being stretchered off, Rotherham seized the lead ten minutes before half time.

Ben Pringle swept in a searching cross, Kirk Broadfoot headed back across goal and Green, the former Derby man, stole in to knock the ball past Lee Grant.

Within a minute the scores were level courtesy of a superb angled shot from Tom Ince that dipped over Adam Collin.

Eyeing a victory to take them into top spot, the visitors were instead rocked by two goals in six minutes at the start of the second half.

Smallwood fired in a free-kick that beat everyone to drop in the far corner, registering his first goal for the club. The home fans in an 11,000 plus crowd were brought to their feet again when Derbyshire seized on a loose pass to drive home his fourth in five games.

The visitors got back in it when the outstanding Ince claimed his second midway through the half, shooting in off a post, and their incessant pressure finally told when sub Jesse Lingard drove through and crossed for Darren Bent to turn the ball in.

The draw was still enough to inch Steve Evans’ battlers four points clear of the bottom three.

Millers: Collin, Hunt (Richardson 31), Fryers, Broadfoot, Arnason, Green, Smallwood, Milsom (Hammill 77), Pringle, Derbyshire, Ward

Referee: N. Miller

Attendance: 11,035 (2,601 visitors)