Rotherham goalkeeper Mike Pollitt helped put Sunderland's Coca-Cola
Championship promotion challenge back on track and ensured his Rotherham side
left a bitterly cold Stadium of Light with one foot in League One.
The veteran custodian made two horrendous errors - one in each half - to hand
the Black Cats a comfortable victory and leave the Millers still looking for
their first victory over the North-East outfit since 1962.
Dean Whitehead and Gary Breen were the grateful recipients of Pollitt's
failings, while substitute Sean Thornton was on target twice with delightful
free-kicks.
Andy Monkhouse pulled one back late on but it was to no avail, as Mick
McCarthy's side moved to within three points of league leaders Ipswich.
Despite a bright opening, the Millers struggled to break down a stubborn Black
Cats defence and were found wanting at the back on more than one occasion.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may have been criticised for picking an
all-foreign squad for the recent thrashing of Crystal Palace, but perhaps
Rotherham's disjointed XI, made up of entirely English-born players, threw some
weight behind the Frenchman's selection policy.
Sunderland boss McCarthy kept faith with the side that went down 2-1 at
Brighton on Saturday.
Opposite number Alan Knill, however, was not so forgiving, with John Mullin
and Darren Garner making way for Paolo Vernazza and teenage striker Will
Hoskins.
In his programme notes, McCarthy had warned his players against complacency
but they almost gifted their opponents a goal in the third minute.
Hesitancy in the home defence gave Hoskins a sight of goal but he failed to
get his shot off before cover arrived.
After a painfully slow start, the hosts had to wait until the 10th minute
before mustering a meaningful shot on goal.
Striker Stephen Elliott found space inside the area but fired straight into
the arms of keeper Pollitt.
But Pollitt, returning to the club he served earlier in his career, was not so
fortunate three minutes later.
Marcus Stewart's hanging cross was met tamely by Whitehead but the former
Manchester United trainee allowed it to squirm through his grasp and into the
back of the net.
Elliott then miscued when presented with a golden chance by strike partner
Stewart before Martin Butler tested Thomas Myhre at the other end.
The Black Cats suffered a blow in the 33rd minute when Julio Arca left the
field injured, but his replacement, Thornton, wasted little time in getting
involved.
Just two minutes after coming off the bench, he stepped up to curl a glorious
30-yard free-kick past Pollitt to double his side's advantage.
Snow began to fall more heavily at the interval but even the adverse weather
conditions failed to halt the Sunderland charge.
Steven Wright's looping header brushed the top of the crossbar just two
minutes after the restart, before another nightmare moment for Pollitt
compounded the visitors' misery.
Skipper Breen connected firmly with Thornton's 48th-minute corner, and his
downward header wriggled through the hapless keeper's legs to effectively kill
off the Rotherham challenge.
The game suffered as the pitch deteriorated, but Thornton still managed to
produce a replica of his first-half effort, before Monkhouse drilled home a
77th-minute consolation for Knill's side.
Teams:
Sunderland Myhre, Wright (Bridges 74), Breen, Caldwell,
McCartney, Whitehead, Robinson, Whitley, Arca (Thornton 33),
Elliott (Brown 45), Stewart.
Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Danny Collins.
Booked: Whitley.
Goals: Whitehead 13, Thornton 36, Breen 49, Thornton 73.
Rotherham Pollitt, Barker, Swailes, Gilchrist, Hurst,
Campbell-Ryce, Vernazza, McLaren, Monkhouse,
Hoskins (Warne 83), Butler.
Subs Not Used: Garner, Mullin, Minto, Montgomery.
Booked: Monkhouse, Swailes.
Goals: Monkhouse 77.
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