Burnley were made to wait to clinch the Championship title after being held to a 2-2 draw at Rotherham.
Having ensured an immediate return to the Premier League 11 days ago, Scott Twine’s left-footed volley from the edge of the box gave the Clarets the lead.
Shane Ferguson’s inswinging corner on the stroke of half-time bamboozled Burnley with Vininho getting the final touch as he put the ball into his own net.
The away fans were celebrating after Manuel Benson’s superb curling left-footed effort into the top left corner restored the lead, but Georgie Kelly equalised from close range with five minutes to go.
The draw means Vincent Kompany’s team – who are 10 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United – still need one more win to secure the title with four games to go.
A point – which also denied Burnley a chance of breaking the Championship record for points won in a season – keeps the Millers in 18th place four points clear of the relegation places.
Connor Roberts had a low sixth-minute effort for the visitors saved by the legs of Josh Vickers after good build-up play down the left by Anass Zaroury.
The Millers had a penalty claim for handball turned down and soon after fell behind when Roberts’s looping cross from the left was met by a controlled finish from Twine for just his second Burnley goal after his summer move from Milton Keynes Dons.
Two minutes later it could have been 2-0 had Vitinho’s curling effort been the other side of the post after a mix-up between Vickers and his defenders on the edge of the box.
Burnley felt they should have had a penalty six minutes before the break when Josh Cullen’s shot appeared to be blocked by the arm of Jamie Lindsay and the Millers levelled with a fortuitous equaliser from Ferguson’s corner.
Rotherham keeper Vickers was unable to take goal-kicks towards the end of the half and the Millers’ second-choice stopper was replaced by 21-year-old Robbie Hemfrey, who was making his first appearance as a professional.
He was called into action in the opening minute of the half as he saved Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s shot before palming away a Roberts effort 10 minutes later.
Gudmundsson then saw a 69th-minute header whistle past Hemfry’s near post and Twine also went close but they finally found a way through with Benson’s superb effort, but Kelly side-footed home from Chiedozie Ogbene’s cross as Rotherham ended strongly.
Ogbene and Tarique Fosu forced late saves from Bailey Peacock-Farrell as the Millers pushed in vain for a winner, but had to settle for a point.
Line-ups
Rotherham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31VickersSubstituted forHemfreyat 45′minutes
- 21Peltier
- 24Humphreys
- 6Wood
- 3Bramall
- 4CoventrySubstituted forWilesat 85′minutes
- 16Lindsay
- 11Ogbene
- 40QuinaBooked at 68minsSubstituted forFosu-Henryat 70′minutes
- 17FergusonSubstituted forHardingat 62′minutes
- 10HugillSubstituted forKellyat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Harding
- 7Fosu-Henry
- 8Wiles
- 12Kelly
- 22Odoffin
- 26Hemfrey
- 29Hjelde
Burnley
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 15Peacock-Farrell
- 14Roberts
- 28Al Dakhil
- 36Beyer
- 29MaatsenBooked at 45mins
- 24Cullen
- 7GudmundssonSubstituted forCorkat 83′minutes
- 22da SilvaSubstituted forManuelat 70′minutes
- 11TwineSubstituted forObafemiat 77′minutes
- 19Zaroury
- 12FosterSubstituted forBarnesat 77′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Cork
- 5Harwood-Bellis
- 10Barnes
- 17Manuel
- 26Bastien
- 45Obafemi
- 49Muric
- Referee:
- Robert Madley
- Attendance:
- 10,566
Live Text
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Match ends, Rotherham United 2, Burnley 2.
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Second Half ends, Rotherham United 2, Burnley 2.
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Attempt blocked. Tariqe Fosu-Henry (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Georgie Kelly.
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Jack Cork (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United).
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Lee Peltier (Rotherham United).
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Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
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Attempt saved. Tariqe Fosu-Henry (Rotherham United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Foul by Benson Manuel (Burnley).
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Chiedozie Ogbene (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Goal! Rotherham United 2, Burnley 2. Georgie Kelly (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chiedozie Ogbene.
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Substitution, Rotherham United. Ben Wiles replaces Conor Coventry.
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Substitution, Burnley. Jack Cork replaces Jóhann Gudmundsson.
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Foul by Benson Manuel (Burnley).
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Tariqe Fosu-Henry (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Goal! Rotherham United 1, Burnley 2. Benson Manuel (Burnley) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Josh Cullen.
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Josh Cullen (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Conor Coventry (Rotherham United).
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Attempt missed. Conor Coventry (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.