A SHOCKING first-half performance condemned Rovers to a desperately disappointing and ultimately deserved defeat at the New York Stadium last night.

Struggling Rotherham were by far the better team in the opening period and Gary Bowyer’s side could have had no complaints had they found themselves more than two goals down, which were scored by Kari Arnason and, following a horrible goalkeeping error by Jason Steele, Luciano Becchio, at the break.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Rovers, who lost top-scorer Rudy Gestede to a hamstring injury in a torrid opening period, had to improve after the restart – and they did so.

But despite some prolonged periods of pressure, they were unable to find the back of the net for the first time in a Championship fixture this season.

Rovers boss Bowyer, who was returning to the club he played two seasons for before retiring through injury at the age of 25, made three changes to the side that had started the 2-2 home draw with Watford three days earlier.

Two were expected as Craig Conway came in for the injured Alex Baptiste, with left winger Ben Marshall switching to right back, while Ryan Tunnicliffe, having come off the bench to equalise against the Hornets, was preferred to Millers old boy Lee Williamson.

But Bowyer was also forced to hand Chris Taylor his first league start in six months after Tom Cairney, who linked up so well with Marshall down the right-hand side of midfield in Saturday’s spirited second-half fight back, was ruled out with a groin problem.

And it swiftly became clear that Rovers, for the second successive game, were going to have to come from behind to take any points at all.

Such was Rotherham’s storming start it came as no surprise when they opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

And no surprise, either, that their goal came from a set-piece, as right from the first whistle Rovers found it difficult to deal with corners, free kicks and throw-ins into their box.

A corner from Paul Taylor was cleared as far as Arnason who, from just inside the area, dragged a left-footed shot past Steele into the bottom corner.

Rovers were rattled whereas the Millers looked anything but a side who came into the game having failed to win any of their previous six matches.

And they went close to doubling their advantage when captain Lee Frecklington fired into the side-netting, following another long throw, before Becchio headed an inviting cross from strike-partner Alex Revell inches wide after Corry Evans had needlessly given away possession in the middle of the field.

Evans was later looked booked, meaning he will miss Saturday’s home clash with Huddersfield Town.

It took until the 20-minute mark for Rovers to threaten as Marshall curled a free kick around the wall and into the side-netting.

Gestede then rose highest to meet a Conway cross only to direct his header high and wide.

Soon after, the towering targetman hobbled off and was replaced by Luke Varney.

Matters then went from bad to worse for woefully out-of-sorts Rovers when they fell further behind in farcical fashion in the 32nd minute.

All credit to Ben Pringle for the pressure he put on Tunnicliffe in his own box, forcing him to knock a pass, fraught with danger, back to Steele.

But what happened next was nothing short of a disaster as the Rovers goalkeeper’s attempted clearance hit the unaware Becchio and rebounded into the empty net.

Pringle’s desire summed up the difference between the teams, who were meeting for the first time since 2002, in the first half.

Rotherham simply wanted it more.

The 1,305 Rovers supporters behind the goal deserved much, much better.

Their team had failed to trouble Adam Collin.

But, with Josh King on for Conway, that changed within two minutes of the restart.

Tunnicliffe’s corner found Shane Duffy whose downward header was just stopped on the goal-line by the recalled Millers keeper.

Varney then failed to test Collin after Marshall sent over a terrific first-time cross into the area.

Rovers, with King and Varney playing either side of Jordan Rhodes, had clearly been given a deserved half-time dressing down and they thought they should have been awarded a penalty, firstly when Markus Olsson went down in the box, and then when a King cross appeared to hit a hand.

Rotherham, despite having to play more on the counter-attack, remained a goal threat, however, and Becchio should have done better with an opportunity that all too easily came his way from a free kick.

Revell did better when he cut inside on to his right foot, 25 yards from goal, moments later.

But Steele was equal to the thunderous strike from the forward, who then hooked a cross from substitute Craig Morgan just past the post.

Rovers were still not troubling Collin and a looping King header, from a Marshall cross, landed safely on top of his net.

Collin should have been beaten in the 73rd minute, though, when Olsson skipped past Frazer Richardson and fired over a cross that Varney flicked on to the back post toward Rhodes who, incredibly, side-footed well wide with the goal at his mercy.

Duffy went closer still in the 80th minute when his powerful header from a Tunnicliffe corner was headed off the line by Pringle before Collin adjusted his feet to collect an overhead kick from Rhodes which took a deflection.

But it was Steele who made the final save of the night when he denied sub Anthony Wordsworth.

Rotherham: Collin, Richardson, Arnason, Broadfoot (Morgan 10), Skarz, Frecklington, Green, Pringle, Taylor (Wordsworth 60), Revell (Bowery 83), Becchio. Subs not used: Loach, Hall, Derbyshire, Clarke-Harris.

Booked: Frecklington.

Goals: Arnason 5, Becchio 32.

Rovers: Steele, Marshall, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson, Taylor (Henley 76), Evans, Tunnicliffe, Conway (King 46), Rhodes, Gestede (Varney 32). Subs not used: Eastwood, Kilgallon, Williamson, Songo’o.

Booked: Hanley, Duffy, Evans.

Referee: Simon Hooper.

Attendance: 9,525 (1,305 away).