THINGS were getting a little tense around Ewood Park when Harry Chapman took to the field with 20 minutes to go.

Rotherham had just seen a goal disallowed and the home faithful were getting a little nervy that a fine performance in the first-half may be coming to nothing.

Within minutes of his introduction he danced his way beyond three players to win a corner, before he allowed everyone to breathe a little easier when he scored his first goal for the club with five minutes to play to round off a good night’s work for Tony Mowbray’s men.

After branding the performance in the 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday as ‘unacceptable’, Mowbray made two changes to his side, with Paul Downing replacing Elliott Ward in the heart of the defence, and Marcus Antonsson coming in for Danny Graham in attack.

And Antonsson had a golden chance inside the opening two minutes to put Rovers in front. Elliott Bennett whipped in a cross from the right, which Dominic Samuel headed goalwards, only to be denied by the crossbar. The rebound fell to the Swede, but he could only find the side netting with his effort from 10 yards out.

The woodwork was to also came to the Millers’ rescue in the 15th minute, with Samuel again the man to be denied. Pressure from Richie Smallwood won possession, allowing Bradley Dack to slide in Samuel, who pulled off into the right channel and fired across Marek Rodak, but his effort came back off the post.

That came moments after Antonsson had also gone close, with Rodak forced into some brave goalkeeping to keep the ball out after another teasing Bennett cross from the right.

Having failed to score in the first half in six of their eight league games, it looked like being another blank for Rovers in the opening 45 minutes. But reward for a bright opening came in the 28th minute when Antonsson scored his third of the season, nodding in Charlie Mulgrew’s inswinging corner at the front post.

It continued to be a bright attacking display from Rovers, who were showing much more patience in possession than they had against Shrewsbury three days earlier. They were enjoying plenty of space down the right, with Samuel twice in the space of two minutes laying on chances for Dack, first prompting Rodak off his line to deny the attacker, while Dack was just unable to get the correct contact on the cross inside the six yard box.

More good play for Bennett then presented Rovers with one more excellent chance before the break, with Antonsson breaking in behind his full-back to collect the throughball, only for Rodak to parry the effort behind for a corner.

Keen to build on the platform they had set in the first-half, Rovers pressed for a second., and more good play down the left from Antonsson saw him crossed for Samuel, but his shot was just over the bar.

But Rotherham were working their way back into the game, and threatened several times before Joe Mattock saw a thumping 25-yard effort well saved by David Raya on the hour. The keeper also had to be alert to palm away Lee Frecklington’s volley with a near post save.

From the resulting corner came a big turning point in the game. Richard Wood powered a header beyond Raya, only for the goal to be chalked off, with the linesman adjudging the corner to have gone out prior to the central defender heading home.

To try and counteract the visitors’ dominance, Rovers sent on Chapman, who quickly introduced himself to the game by forcing a corner.

But it was Antonsson who should have put the game to bed with 10 minutes to go, only to fire over with just the keeper to beat after being played in by substitute Peter Whittingham.

That miss was almost punished within a minute, as Joe Newell saw a header cleared off the line by Mulgrew after Raya had been beaten to the high ball by the giant figure of Kieffer Moore.

There was relief all around Ewood Park though with five minutes to go when Chapman did make the game safe. They worked a short corner which allowed the winger to drive into the box, and despite his initial shot coming back off the post, he was there to fire home the rebound.

Man-of-the-match Antonsson went close twice more before the end as Rovers saw themselves over the line.