Middlesbrough and Rotherham played out an uneventful 0-0 draw at the Riverside Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship’s evening kick-off.
The stalemate means Boro will go into the international break in the relegation zone after just two wins from their opening 10 games of the season whilst the newly promoted Millers sit just outside the play-off places in eighth.
After an uneventful opening 15 minutes, Duncan Watmore was handed the game’s first meaningful chance when Millers captain Richard Wood fluffed his clearance inside the box – but the forward could only sidefoot his half-volley over the bar.
Watmore was again at the heart of the action after his run beat two defenders in the box but his cutback to Isaiah Jones saw the wing-back find the sidenetting.
Rotherham hit back just after the half hour mark as Conor Washington’s shot on the spin was heading wide but Jones was on hand to turn the ball behind for a corner to prevent a visiting player prodding it home.
Rodrigo Muniz ended the half with a shot from the edge of the box that deflected wide of the right-hand post.
In the early stages of the second half, Watmore came within inches of putting the home side in front.
After his first touch from Muniz’s high flick-on took the ball around goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, Watmore could only divert the ball off the inside of the post as two Rotherham defenders watched the ball roll across the goalline and out the other side.
Paul Warne’s side continued to sit off Boro as the home side pushed for the first goal of the game. A slick passing move saw Riley McGree free the run of Watmore in the box but Wood slid across in the nick of time to deflect the ball behind.
On 70 minutes, both sets of supporters observed a minute’s applause for the Queen as a mark of respect for her 70 years as the nation’s reigning monarch.
Both sides made triple substitutions with 10 minutes remaining but for different reasons. The Millers looked to preserve a point whilst Boro were pushing for all three.
Matt Crooks latched onto a flick-on in the box and was caught by keeper Johansson in the head – but his header bounced over the bar before the linesman spared his blushes.
The full-time whistle blew to the tune of boos from the home crowd to a side that were largely expected to be promotion contenders this season, while the small following of Millers fans cheered their side off the pitch after a strong start to the campaign which has seen them lose just once.
