Hull City 5 Rotherham United 1: Millers face fight as Neil Warnock looks to crown his swansong

Along with Dave Bassett and Graham Taylor, the 67-year-old has the proud distinction of having won seven promotions in his managerial career. One more and he will stand alone in the pantheon of promotion specialists, something that has been a big motivation for Warnock since taking QPR into the Premier League five years ago.

Rotherham United, of course, are desperate to keep the man who has pulled off the season’s great escape by leading the south Yorkshire club to safety just a couple of months after they had looked down and out.

Warnock has loved his time at the New York Stadium, as he illustrated by warmly returning the applause of the 2,442 Millers fans post-match at the KC Stadium as they sang his name.

But, surely if the final day visit to Hull proved anything, it was just how far adrift of the very top clubs that the Millers are in the Championship. That eighth promotion is not going to be won next year at Rotherham.

As for whether this influences his decision to stay or go, only time will tell. Speaking exclusively to The Yorkshire Post about his future, Warnock said last night: “I was away looking at a game on Sunday but then plan to be back on Tuesday or Wednesday this week. I will get together with the chairman (Tony Stewart).

“We spoke last week briefly. No doubt, we will talk again this week but it is three weeks until my contract is up.

“We always said we would have meetings once the season was finished – and see what is going to happen. The chairman knows that and we will make a decision probably towards the end of the month.

“To stay up has been an unbelievable achievement. That is why I can’t really go too much at the players after Hull. But a lot of work does need to go in.

“You look at us in the Championship and there are a lot of bigger clubs who are not even in this division. Rotherham are not daft. The fans are not daft and neither is the chairman. It is about surviving at this level for a few years.

“Plus building the infrastructure from the financial benefits that come with being in the Championship. There is so much that needs doing.”

Thanks to his exploits at the New York, Warnock’s stock has not been as high since he claimed that seventh promotion in 2011. If a top job comes up in the Championship, his preferred choice, then the former Sheffield United chief must be in with a shout.

Little will surely be read into a final day that saw Hull deliver a display of such attacking verve that the question begging to be asked at the final whistle was just how the hosts had not scored more than five goals.

Right from the early exchanges, a City side featuring nine internationals had torn into the visitors in a manner that suggested Steve Bruce had made it plain that a good performance against the Millers would guarantee a starting role when the play-offs got under way.

Ahmed Elmohamady and Mohamed Diame, two players who have struggled for form this term, led the way with a swagger that laid the foundation for wave after wave of attacks.

Abel Hernandez, back from his two-game rest, also looked every inch a striker who has netted 20-plus goals with his movement and intelligent running leading the visitors a merry dance.

Watching the contest unfold, it was difficult to ascertain whether Hull’s dominance was down to their own outstanding play or the failings of United.

A bit of both, perhaps, with full-backs Frazer Richardson and Stephen Kelly offering their hosts far too much space out wide and Richard Wood looking badly exposed in the middle.

Rotherham opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Lee Frecklington hooked in from eight yards. By then, Hernandez had already been denied by a last-gasp block from Richardson and a flying one-handed save from Lee Camp.

Frecklington’s opener served merely to provoke the Tigers into baring their claws and by half-time Bruce’s men had built a 4-1 lead.

Robert Snodgrass levelled in the 25th minute with a sweet finish and then, just 98 seconds later, a spectacular overhead kick from Hernandez proved too much for Camp.

Two more quick-fire goals followed, Jake Livermore seizing on hesitation from the Millers goalkeeper to score and then Diame rounding off a spectacular 17-minute blitz by finishing with aplomb.

It was difficult not to fear what further damage lay ahead for Rotherham. It was just one more goal, as it turned out, as Livermore latched on to Snodgrass’s pass before drilling a low shot beyond Camp to ensure a flat end to the season for Warnock but a timely lift for the Tigers.

Hull City: McGregor; Odubajo; Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Livermore, Snodgrass (Clucas 77); Diame (Maguire 72), Hernandez (Maloney 80). Unused substitutes: Jakupovic, Bruce, Akpom, Aluko.

Rotherham United: Camp; Kelly, Broadfoot, Wood, Richardson; Halford, G Ward, Smallwood, Frecklington (Green 90), D Ward (Bailey-King 83); Clarke-Harris (Best 69). Unused substitutes: Kenny, Mattock, Belaid, Facey.

Referee: S Duncan (Newcastle).