Ipswich Town recorded their fourth straight win in the Championship, the first time they have achieved the feat under Mick McCarthy, with a 2-0 win over Rotherham United, to move up to fourth in the table.

The Blues got off to a flying start and were two-up after six minutes, thanks to Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick, and could have added to their tally either side of half-time, the closest chance coming when Conor Sammon hit the post at the start of the second half.

However, after that, Ipswich were second-best for large parts of the second half, being happy to sit back, but only Paul Green’s free-kick, from which Frazer Richardson blasted over the rebound, really tested Dean Gerken.

The visitors did have strong claims for a penalty turned down when substitute Matt Derbyshire was seemingly hauled down by Tyrone Mings on 70 minutes, but the Blues hung on following a frantic opening to the game.

Murphy nodded Town ahead on three minutes when former Ipswich goalkeeper Scott Loach failed to hold a Luke Chambers header from a right-wing Paul Anderson corner.

The hosts were then in dreamland three minutes later when McGoldrick latched onto a pass from Luke Hyam, took a touch and let fly with a stunning left-foot effort from 25 yards that left Loach grasping at thin air.

Town could have been further in front at the break but Loach twice did well to deny headers from Christophe Berra and Chambers.

As well as Town were playing, they did suffer one or two lapses in concentration defensively and, having made a regulation stop from Alex Revell, Gerken had to be alert to scramble away a Jordan Bowery header from a Ben Pringle cross.

The second half saw Rotherham look more threatening, but not before Sammon was inches away from making it 3-0, the on-loan Derby striker rounding Loach, after seizing on a poor header from Richardson, but hitting the post.

The Millers hit back and Gerken was once again in the right place at the right time to collect headers from Green and Bowery, before Lee Frecklington’s blocked shot preceded another Revell header that was collected by Gerken.

Town: Gerken, Parr, Chambers, Berra, Mings, Hyam, Bru, Anderson (Tabb 55), Murphy, Sammon (Hewitt 68), McGoldrick (Bajner 76). Subs not used: Bialkowski, Smith, Henshall, Bishop.

Millers: Loach, Richardson, Broadfoot, Arnason, Skarz (Becchio 89), Hall (Derbyshire 60), Frecklington, Green, Pringle, Revell, Bowery (Clarke-Harris 76). Subs not used: Brindley, Collin, Swift, Lowe.

Referee: Keith Hill

Attendance: 16, 447