Doncaster Rovers 1 Rotherham United 0: Belief makes the difference in tight South Yorkshire derby

So it was the home side who won a well-contested South Yorkshire derby, courtesy of Owen Bailey's cute header.

Rotherham were left to clutch at positives but must work on being more incisive after suffering a 1-0 defeat which was not fair reward for their efforts.

The differing levels of belief were on show in the opening 45 minutes as Rotherham took the early initiative, only for Doncaster to snatch it off them. But the Millers came back strongly after the break without anything to show for it.

They were helped early on by some Rovers ragedness, conceding three free-kicks in the first five minutes. Rotherham won a corner from the first of them, when Joe Powell's low free-kick took a deflection. Like too much of their good play, it come to nothing.

Powell and Kion Etete had shots blocked in the fifth minute, and when Denzel Hall played a good ball for Martin Sherif to peel wide onto, Thimothee Lo-Tutala came out to the edge of his area to smother the shot.

But Doncaster rode out the storm and gradually took control.

It took for Glenn Middleton's free-kick just wide in the 22nd minute for it come to anything.

But within four minutes they were in front, Bailey cleverly guiding James Maxwell's excellent cross inside the far post.

It was already the midfielder's fifth goal of the season, but the first time Doncaster had found the net in the opening 45 minutes of a league game.

One side visibly grew from it, the other shrunk.

Tom Nixon worked the ball to George Broadbent, lurking with intent just outside the area, to steer over the bar.

Bailey forced a Cameron Dawson save and Middleton hit a free-kick against his crossbar from just outside the right corner of the penalty area.

Although Nixon hit a poist when a cross was cleared to him in the 50th minute, Rotherham again looked better from the restart, Martha more dangerous at centre-forward and half-time substitute Marvin Kaleta adding something in his previous position of left wing-back.

Kaleta cut back on his right when he was heading for the byline but sot just beyond the far post, and Martha's volley a few minutes later forced a save.

Dru Yearwood had a shot blocked when Lo-Tutala came for but did not claim a corner.

Both sides shuffled the pack, Doncaster bringing on Damola Ajayi and making Bailey a more defensively-minded No 10, and Rotherham shifting Martha back to the left and Kaleta to the right to accommodate the towering presence of Jordan Hugill.

That Doncaster's next change was to three centre-backs showed the pressure they were under, with Hall finding the side netting as a free-kick came over with bodies strewn everywhere. Broadbent had to throw himself in the line of fire as Powell shot.

Dawson's save from Middleton in a move featuring a nice Ajayi pass was the exception rather than the rule at that stage.

Hugill put a volley wide in stoppage time before Ajayi failed to hit the target with the chance to put the result beyond doubt.

As it was, they had to wait for the final whistle before they could draw a sigh of relief, Sheffield United loanee Jamal Baptiste marking his debut from the bench with a terrific penalty-area challenge on an unconvincing-looking Brandon Hanlon.

The extra centre-forward McCann hopes to sign in the next 48 hours should elevate Rovers, but they already look a notch or two above their neighbours.

Doncaster Rovers: Lo-Tutala; Nixon, O'Riordan, Pearson, Maxwell (Senior 84); Bailey, Broadbent; Middleton (McGrath 84), Clifton (Close 69), Gibson (Ajayi 69); Sharp (Hanlan 84).

Unused substitutes: Lawlor, Crew.

Rotherham United: Dawson; Rafferty (Hugill 71), Jules (Baptiste 71), James; Yearwood; Hall, Powell, McWilliams, Martha; Sherif (Kaleta HT) Etete (McGuckin 90).

Unused substitutes: Cann, Kelly, Holmes.

Referee: E Bell (Bootle).