Derby County fell to a 3-0 defeat against Rotherham United at AESSEAL New York Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The defeat saw Derby County’s three-game winning run come to an end as the Millers found the back of the net three times in the second half. It is also the first time in four games that Wayne Rooney’s side conceded a goal.
Lee Gregory, Patrick Roberts and Beni Baningime all made their Rams debuts on the night after joining the club on Deadline Day, with Gregory coming close to opening the scoring immediately after coming off the bench.
After 12 minutes, the first opening for the Rams came as Martyn Waghorn dinked the ball forward down the right side of the area for Jason Knight to run on to. Colin Kazim-Richards was free at the back post, but Viktor Johansson met the square ball across the mouth of the goal.
Just two minutes later, and Waghorn from a similar position flicked on for Nathan Byrne with Kazim-Richards waiting in the area again, but a crucial touch from Richard Wood diverted the cross behind.
On the 25-minutemark, it was then Waghorn who looked to take aim spectacularly. Graeme Shinnie delivered a corner to the near post which was met by Kazim-Richards’ head to flick towards the back post for Waghorn to meet with an acrobatic bicycle kick that went just over the crossbar.
The scrappiness of the game intensified as the game went on with Rotherham forcing the Rams into a fight. The Millers looked a threat with their set pieces with a deep free-kick then a corner within a minute of each other causing the Rams to tighten their defence.
The first save of the game came after 36 minutes and it was Derby’s David Marshall who made the stop. Rotherham won the ball back deep in Derby’s half and Max Bird looked to be fouled as he defended Matt Crooks, but play went on and Michael Smith received the ball 25-yards out and drilled an effort on target, forcing Marshall to dive and tip the effort wide.
Gregory almost made an instant impact when he entered the game in the 72nd minute. His fellow Rams debutant, Roberts set Byrne, who fired across goal to Gregory who couldn’t quite divert on target.
But just moments later, it was the home side who broke the deadlock when a longball over the top was flicked on by Smith for Ihiekwe to poke in.
With just under ten minutes left to play, the Millers extended their lead. Crooks was played the ball down the left flank and drove into the side of the box and combined with Smith to tap in at the near post.
Their third goal came with two minutes left to play when Giles cut across the goal and fired with his left foot into the far corner.
Knight immediately looked to pull a goal back and took aim from outside the area. His shot took a big deflection and landed on the roof of the net. However, the Rams couldn't find a way back into the game and will return to Yorkshire on Saturday to face Barnsley.
Rotherham United: Johansson, Wood (C), Wiles (S.MacDonald, 90), Robertson, Lindsay (Ladapo, 84), Harding, Ihiekwe, Olosunde (Giles, 68), Smith (A.MacDonald, 84), Crooks, Barlaser (Wing, 68).
Substitutes: Vickers, Hirst, Clarke, Cooper.
Derby County: Marshall (C), Wisdom, Shinnie (Sibley, 87), Jozwiak (Roberts, 72), Bird, Waghorn (Gregory, 72), Byrne, Kazim-Richards (Baningime, 87), Clarke, Buchanan, Knight.
Substitutes: Roos, Forsyth, Mengi, McDonald, Watson.
