TEAM NEWS: Brewers boss Paul Peschisolido made two changes for the trip to the Don Valley Stadium following the previous week’s 2-2 home draw against Bradford City.
Centre-back Ryan Austin returned from suspension to replace Darren Moore, who did not even make the bench, while winger Cleveland Taylor went straight back into the starting line-up having missed the last 10 games because of an ankle problem.
He replaced striker Calvin Zola, who dropped to the bench, with Billy Kee chosen to partner Justin Richards up front.
Left-back Aaron Webster also returned from suspension but had to make do with a place on the bench as Peschisolido went with Danny Blanchett.
The Millers included former Derby County midfielder Ben Pringle in their starting XI.
MILLERS (4-4-2): Warrington; Tonge, Raynes, Mullins, Newey; Schofield, Harrison, J Taylor, Pringle; Revell (capt), Grabban; subs: Logan (gk), Foster, Warne, Marshall, Evans.
BREWERS (4-4-2): Atkins; Corbett, James, Austin, Blanchett; Taylor, Bolder, McGrath (capt), Phillips; Richards, Kee; subs: Poole (gk), Amankwaah, Palmer, Zola, Webster.
HALF-TIME: After a fairly uneventful opening, the Brewers took the lead on eight minutes.
Winger Jimmy Phillips picked up a loose ball on halfway and ran left to right to the edge of the penalty area.
He slipped the ball right to Taylor, whose angled right-foot shot took a deflection off a defender, eluded goalkeeper Andy Warrington and fell to Richards, who tapped the ball over the line from virtually on the line.
The action was hardly pulsating but it continued to be the visitors created the opportunities.
On 21 minutes, Kee picked the ball up centrally inside the penalty area and his shot on the turn was deflected wide for a corner.
The Millers threatened for the first time less than 60 seconds later when a ball over the top found right winger Lewis Grabban, but centre-back Tony James covered well to block his shot out for a corner.
Back at the other end, Blanchett got in a great cross from near the left by-line which United central defender Johnny Mullins had to put over his own crossbar.
The hosts stirred once more and Pringle chested Danny Schofield’s cross into the path of Grabban, but the latter snatched at his volley and ballooned it over.
With eight minutes to go until half-time, home striker Alex Revell tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort flew just over the far angle of post and bar.
ROTHERHAM UNITED 0, BURTON ALBION 1
FULL TIME: The hosts could not be much worse in the second half as they had been in the first and they went close to an equaliser on 49 minutes.
Grabban picked the ball up 25 yards from goal in the right channel and let fly with a shot which beat Brewers keeper Ross Atkins but skimmed off the top of the crossbar.
Peschisolido made his first change on 55 minutes with Zola replacing Kee.
However, the hosts went close again four minutes later when right-back Dale Tonge crossed to the far post and midfielder Danny Harrison saw his header somehow clawed out by Atkins low at his near post.
Burton made a second change on 62 minutes, with Chris Palmer on for Taylor.
The hosts were certainly having the better of it now and when left-back Tom Newey’s cross had been headed out, Harrison let fly from the edge of the box.
The shot looked destined for the far corner, but Atkins flung himself to his left to parry.
It fell to substitute Marcus Marshall, but his effort from a tight angle flew wide of the far post.
Atkins was called into action again three minutes later after substitute winger Gareth Evans had gone on a great run down the left, cutting inside right-back Andy Corbett, who was having an increasingly difficult second half.
He let fly from the edge of the box but the Brewers keeper was in the right place to tip it over.
Albion’s third change was a defensive one, with Webster on for Richards, the substitute slotting into a midfield role.
Albion launched a rare attack on 80 minutes.
With the crowd screaming for Zola to be flagged offside, he held the ball up and found Palmer, who dug out a cross from the left which was met by the big striker, but his header was well saved by Warrington.
ROTHERHAM UNITED 0, BURTON ALBION 1
