Rotherham were relegated from the Coca-Cola Championship as Ipswich boosted their automatic promotion hopes - despite doing their best to throw away victory.

Darren Bent scored a double, with Ian Westlake and Jim Magilton also on target for the Tractor Boys, who are now three points clear of Wigan.

Tony Thorpe, Martin Butler and Martin McIntosh scored for Rotherham, but their goals were not enough to prevent them ending their four-year spell in English football's second tier.

The Millers, like Town fielding an unchanged side, made a nervy start as Darren Bent, who scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over Derby, produced a superb volley on the turn which stung the fingers of goalkeeper Mike Pollitt.

And midfielder Westlake put Ipswich in front after just six minutes with his eighth goal of the season.

Shefki Kuqi played the ball out to the left for Darren Currie, who produced a great cross for Westlake to head home.

Kuqi was at the heart of the action in the 14th minute as he linked up well with striker Bent, who brushed aside the attentions of a defender but pulled his shot wide with only Pollitt to beat.

Town extended their lead in the 25th minute when Miller rose above the defence to head Kuqi's return ball into the path of Bent, whose searing volley flashed past Pollitt.

However, Thorpe gave Alan Knill's men a lifeline by pulling a goal back almost instantly.

The on-loan striker, making his second appearance since joining from QPR on transfer deadline day, capitalised on a mistake from Jason de Vos, and rifled the ball into the bottom corner.

Rotherham winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce gave the home defence a couple of worrying moments with long-range efforts, but it was Ipswich who nearly regained their two-goal advantage.

De Vos' cross from the by-line found Kuqi at the near post only for the Finland international's header to bounce off the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.

Town went close again a minute before the break when the impressive Westlake fed Bent, who sped past a defender and delivered a cross for Kuqi, with the striker managing to squeeze in a shot against the side-netting while lying on his back.

Joe Royle's men made a sluggish start to the second half as John Mullin and Campbell-Ryce spurned good chances to level.

But Town finally ended any hopes of Rotherham delaying their inevitable drop into League One with two goals in the space of three minutes.

First, Kuqi played a fine ball for Westlake to square the ball for Bent to side-foot the ball home from close range in the 57th minute.

And Magilton, who ended an 18-month goal drought by scoring against Derby on Saturday, secured the points with a superb drive on the hour.

But brave Rotherham battled back and reduced the deficit midway through the second half when Town 'keeper Kelvin Davis spilled a shot from Campbell-Ryce, with Martin Butler following in the rebound.

Kuqi missed a simple chance to extend Town's lead, but it was the Millers who struck again 11 minutes from time after a needless foul by David Unsworth on Butler.

McIntosh fired in the resulting free-kick which took a big deflection off the wall on its way into the back of the net.

De Vos made amends for his earlier blunder by making an incredible last-ditch tackle to deny substitute Shaun Barker three minutes from time as Ipswich clung on for victory.

Teams:

Ipswich Davis, Wilnis, Naylor, De Vos, Unsworth, Miller (Richards 71), Magilton, Westlake, Currie (Horlock 87), Kuqi, Bent.

Subs Not Used: Price, Counago, Scowcroft.

Goals: Westlake 6, Bent 25, 57, Magilton 60.

Rotherham Pollitt, Hurst, McIntosh, Swailes, Scott, Campbell-Ryce (Vernazza 69), Keane, McLaren (Barker 30), Mullin, Thorpe, Butler.

Subs Not Used: Montgomery, Warne, Hoskins.

Goals: Thorpe 26, Butler 67, McIntosh 79.

Att: 26,017

Ref: L Probert (Gloucestershire).