Football can be cruel at times and this was one of those occasions as Wanderers suffered a painful blow to their play-off hopes, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites could barely have played better bar taking at least one of a litany of chances they created in a completely dominant and largely impressive display.
And that lack of a killer instinct proved costly as Rotherham took the only opening that came their way early in the piece to leave Steven Schumacher’s men ruing another one that got away.
The statistics bore out Wanderers’ superiority in terms of balls into the box and shots at goal but ultimately they had only themselves to blame for not turning a polished performance into a winning one as they let Rotherham off the hook and handed Reading the advantage in the race for sixth spot.
With the games running out Wanderers needed to try and keep their foot on the gas and his players responded to Schuamcher’s request for a higher tempo performance in a lively start which brought the first chance for John McAtee.
Gethin Jones – back in the starting line-up along with captain George Thomson – found Aaron Collins for a flick-on which saw Josh Dacres-Cogley then pick out McAtee for an effort blocked by Millers’ keeper Cameron Dawson. Aaron Morley then curled an effort just wide but 10 minutes in Wanderers were stung by an opening goal for the visitors.
Re-vitalised Rotherham were also chasing a third successive win under interim manager Matt Hamshaw and his went ahead when Mallik Wilks released Sam Nombe to unleash an explosive finish into the roof of Nathan Baxter’s net.
That interrupted Wanderers’ rhythm but on the slick playing surface Schumacher had also requested they were soon back on the front foot.
The Whites redeployed wing-backs in a change in formation and Josh Dacres-Cogley found himself in the thick of the action on the right-hand side as Wanderers spent the rest of the first half pressing for an equaliser.
Dacres-Cogley had one header touched over the bar at full stretch by Dawson and then after combining superbly with Aaron Morley delivered a low cross which Collins slid just past the post.
When Collins then returned the favour to open up the Rotherham defence again Dacres-Cogley went for goal himself but slashed his effort well wide as the Millers made it to the break with their lead intact.
But if they were hanging on before half-time they were almost punch drunk at the start of the second half as Wanderers did everything but score as they came out all guns blazing with Josh Sheehan spraying the ball around and the hosts penetrating down the flanks.
Chris Forino, the hero at Wigan a week ago, side-footed wide following a corner before Dawson made two big saves to deny Collins what looked like a certain goal and then Dacres-Cogley as Wanderers peppered the penalty area.
It just seemed like Wanderers had to score as the ball pinged around the Rotherham goal in a superb passage of play and balls fizzed constantly across the six-yard box – often delivered by the outstanding Aaron Morley – without anyone able to make the decisive touch.
And when McAtee did get the better of Dawson after running onto a Collins’ through-ball to round the Millers’ keeper his finish found the foot of the post rather than the back of the net.
It was inevitable that Wanderers couldn’t sustain that level of ferocity but as the clock ticked down they continued to try and probe and substitute Kyle Dempsey was only inches away with a dipping effort he struck just over the bar before Schumacher made a further double change with the introduction of Joel Randall and Carlos Mendes Gomes.
Still Wanderers hammered away as George Johnston saw a long-range effort turned away by Dawson, who was having one of those nights alongside captain and defensive magnet Hakeem Odoffin in front of him as the Rotherham keeper then kept out a Collins’ header with his legs.
Dempsey was next to be denied in yet another goalmouth scramble and with referee Ross Joyce finding only four minutes of time added Wanderers were destined not to score.
The Whites could hardly have given more but must now pick themselves up for the final five games and hope their fortunes turn in time to close the gap and get back into the play-off places.
Wanderers: Baxter; Jones (Etete 84), Forino, Johnston; Sheehan; Dacres-Cogley (Dempsey 66), Morley, Thomason (Mendes Gomes 76), Osei-Tutu; Collins, McAtee (Randall 76). Substitutes: Southwood, Murphy, Almeida Santos.
Booked: Baxter
Rotherham: Dawson; Rafferty, Odoffin, Humphreys; Holmes (Hugill 66), Mpanzu, Powell, James; Sibley, Wilks (Douglas 69); Nombe. Substitutes: Phillips, Hull, Richardson, Duncan.
Booked: None
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 19,218 (318)