United fell to a fourth successive defeat but could find some positives from their League Two defeat by Rotherham.

New striker Steve Maclean, signed on loan from Plymouth, had a fine game, and was involved in the visitors' goal on the stroke of half-time, put away by Simon Clist.

But Rotherham's prolific striker Adam Le Fondre had by then scored twice, showing fine finishing, to take his season's tally to 16 goals, 15 in the league.

New signings Ben Futcher, Paul Wotton and Maclean all came in for their debuts, with Wotton taking over as captain, as predicted in the Oxford Mail.

The Don Valley Stadium is probably a great arena for athletics, especially when it’s full, but it was a fairly soulless place with under 5,000 in there.

And the far side of the pitch was so far from the back of the main stand, it was like watching Subbuteo, though from a horizontal vantage point rather than above.

However, the pitch was excellent, and with very little wind, playing conditions were fine.

So it was rather hard to understand how Rotherham left back Tom Newey, having run with the ball for 40 yards, should then just fall over, with no-one close to him, in the first minute.

The U’s took the game to the home side immediately, and controlled the ball.

Maclean was tugged back on the very corner edge of the area, yet the ref chose not to give the defender a yellow card.

Wotton’s arrival as the holding midfielder allowed Josh Payne to play further forward in United’s three-man midfield, and he was to prove a key figure.

A fine left-wing delivery by Payne gave Alfie Potter a free header on 18 minutes, and the striker will be disappointed he directed it over the bar.

Then, when the ball ran loose and invitingly 25 yards out, Payne drilled a low shot that keeper Andy Warrington got down low to save.

Warrington also had to deal with an angled drive by Maclean, from Potter’s pass, as the visitors continued to press.

The chances were not being put away, and on 26 minutes, Millers top scorer Adam Le Fondre showed how to do it.

Marcus Marshall’s shot deflected off an Oxford player, and with some defenders standing like statues, the ball ran perfectly for Le Fondre to shoot past Ryan Clarke.

The U’s tried to respond straight away, and Maclean had another angled drive beaten away by the keeper.

But Rotherham, and the crowd, had been lifted by the goal, and they now looked more threatening when they went forward.

Futcher was booked for clattering Le Fondre, and after Ryan Taylor curled a shot narrowly wide, it became 2-0.

Taylor provided the little flick and Le Fondre shot left-footed low past Clarke’s right hand and into the net.

Oxford United’s unhappiness was summed up by an unbelievable free-kick from Payne, which he knocked low, straight to a Rotherham player ten yards away.

However, Chris Wilder’s men got a lifeline by pulling a goal back in first-half stoppage time.

It was good build-up play by Maclean and Tom Craddock, whose shot was parried by Warrington. But Clist picked his spot to score from 12 yards.

The second half was open with chances at both ends.

Craddock cut inside for a shot that was saved, and at the other end Harry Worley almost put the ball into his own net, heading into the side netting when he thought Clarke was there.

Simon Heslop and James Constable came on around the hour mark and Matt Green followed not long after.

Maclean’s hold-up play was impressive, and he set up a shooting chance for Green, who blazed over.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Purkiss, Worley, Futcher, Tonkin, Payne (Heslop 57), Wotton, Clist, Potter (Constable 62), Maclean, Craddock (Green 70).

Att: 3,891 (481 from Oxford).