Rotherham United 0-1 Nottingham Forest: Visitors edge out struggling Millers
- Published
Ryan Yates has scored two goals in 26 appearances in all competitions for Nottingham Forest this season
Nottingham Forest edged out Championship strugglers Rotherham United thanks to Ryan Yates' second-half strike.
The visitors were almost ahead just before the break from Anthony Knockaert's impressive free-kick but Millers keeper Viktor Johansson did well to save.
Forest took the lead midway through the second half when Tobias Figueiredo teed up Yates to fire in from close range.
Freddie Ladapo missed the chance to level for Rotherham late on when he failed to turn in Michael Ihiekwe's header from inside the box.
The result lifts Forest to 16th in the table and 10 points clear of the relegation zone as they sealed a fourth win from their past six games.
Rotherham came into the game off the back of three consecutive Championship defeats as they occupied 22nd place in the table.
With Birmingham's defeat by leaders Norwich earlier on Tuesday, the Millers could have edged out of the drop zone with victory, but could not find the net against a resilient Forest side.
In a frantic ending, Michael Smith almost snatched a dramatic late equaliser for the hosts but his header from close range hit the crossbar.
Rotherham United manager Paul Warne:
"It was a little bit disappointing. The best team won. We just looked jaded really. With hindsight, I should have changed the team more.
"We didn't have loads of options where our energy is in the middle of the pitch. I can't criticise the lads because they have been amazing. They just had a little bit more guile than us.
"I thought they played us really well. I just felt we weren't winning enough first contacts and that their set-pieces were more deadly than ours. They just had more stardust than us."
Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton:
"It was a tough game. It was what we expected and if you are able to get an earlier goal it opens the game up a little bit more.
"We had to defend in numbers. It was quite difficult to get a real good rhythm in the game. Sometimes these kind of wins can be the most pleasing ones.
"At the moment, it's a very happy changing room and sometimes that comes with this type of win.
"Rotherham are a good side. Nobody has beaten them convincingly and that was the case again. I thought we were the better side but it was a game that could have gone either way."