There was little to excite the bumper holiday crowd at Millmoor as Rotherham and Millwall toughed out a disappointing Nationwide First Division stalemate.

In a low-key affair, it was the home side who dominated possession for long spells but they could not make the decisive breakthrough in the final third of the pitch.

Millwall went into the game without defender Sean Dyche who was ruled out with a stomach muscle injury, but despite his absence they began brightly.

After just 40 seconds striker Paul Ifill dropped off the front to gather the ball in midfield and, after surging purposefully towards goal, he fired in a powerful low piledriver which slipped just past the post.

Rotherham seemed to be stung into life by that early let-off and gradually it was the home side who began to control the tempo.

The Millers were enjoying the majority of the ball and it was not long before they offered their first serious effort on goal when, after 18 minutes, Chris Sedgwick fired in a stinging drive that forced goalkeeper Tony Warner to gather low down near his post.

Both sides seemed content to maintain possession, with the Millers looking lively in the middle of the pitch.

Sedgwick looked the only source of inspiration for the hosts and after 28 minutes he threatened again when he burst forward before blasting his shot high over the bar.

But neither side seemed likely to register a goal and, despite a dangerous cross from Ifill which forced goalkeeper Mike Pollitt to clear, Millwall failed to register another shot on goal before the interval.

The Lions came out more brightly at the start of the second half and after 55 minutes Ifill again fired close before Dion Dublin headed just over from Steven Reid's left-wing cross.

Suddenly the visitors had injected some pace and two minutes later Reid threatened to unlock the home defence again when he broke from midfield and made a powerful surge towards goal, but a last-ditch challenge from Rob Scott was enough to stop him in his tracks.

The sudden burst of energy seemed to bring the crowd to life but, just as in the first half, they were ultimately to be left frustrated as the game soon petered out to a midfield stalemate once again.

With 15 minutes left Millers boss Ronnie Moore sent on Richard Barker and Andy Monkhouse in a bid to add some life to his flagging side, but that did little to inspire the hosts who could only muster a single Nathan Lowndes shot on goal in the entire second half.

With time running out Milwall almost snatched an undeserved winner when Ronnie Bull's 20-yard effort flew towards goal but Pollitt was on hand to preserve the deadlock.

Teams:

Rotherham: Pollitt, Scott, Swailes, Hurst, Daws, McIntosh, Sedgwick, Talbot, Mullin (Monkhouse 75), Lee (Richard Barker 75), Lowndes (Robins 78).

Subs Not Used: Esson, Branston.

Millwall: Warner, Lawrence, Cahill, Nethercott, Reid, Livermore, Bull, Ifill, Ward, Sadlier (Claridge 68), Dublin.

Subs Not Used: Gueret, Ryan, Tuttle, Bircham.

Booked: Ifill, Dublin.

Att: 6,888

Ref: G Laws (Whitley Bay).