Derby march on with easy win over Rotherham
Derby's relentless Sky Bet Championship form continued as they swatted struggling Rotherham aside with a 3-0 victory at the iPro Stadium.
The Rams made hay through goals from Andreas Weimann, Jacob Butterfield and Richard Keogh and extended their superb run to nine games unbeaten, with seven wins.
This one, which kept them in fifth place, was never in doubt against a Rotherham side who are battling to revive themselves under their Neil Redfearn's new regime, with the new boss still waiting for his first win.
They carried no goal threat and dropped to bottom of the table ahead of Bolton's late kick-off with Preston.
The Rams needed only seven minutes to forge an early lead as Weimann prodded home from eight yards after good work down the left by Craig Forsyth.
That gave them the platform they needed to lay siege on the Millers' goal in the opening 25 minutes and they could easily have been further ahead.
Butterfield brought a strong save out of former Rams goalkeeper Lee Camp with a thumping 25-yard effort while Johnny Russell fired over and Weimann dragged wide.
The home domination was relentless and Bradley Johnson and Weimann headed over from dangerous set-play deliveries.
There was little chance of Derby's wastefulness proving costly as Rotherham, playing one up front, had no penetration, with Jonson Clarke-Harris' drilled free-kick the only time the otherwise redundant Scott Carson was tested in the home net.
And eventually their persistence paid off moments before the break as Butterfield powerfully drilled into the bottom corner from outside the area.
Rotherham improved after the break and enjoyed plenty of possession but were able to do little with it and it was the Rams who again threatened.
Weimann, who should have had a hat-trick, wasted another chance as he raced clear midway through the second half and saw his shot hooked off the line by Joe Mattock after lobbing Camp.
The third goal did arrive with 15 minutes remaining as Keogh rammed home from close range following a corner which had come after Chris Martin's 20-yard free-kick had crashed into the crossbar.
The Rams threw on striker Darren Bent in the final 10 minutes in the search of an even heftier scoreline, but their work was done and as Paul Clement's side look like building a promotion challenge, they are unlikely to enjoy an easier afternoon this season.
Source: PA
