HOW the mighty are fallen. It felt like a good old-fashioned giant-killing at Millmoor last night as Rotherham United, the team that Ronnie Moore dragged up from the third tier of English football, beat Leeds United, lately of the Premiership, with a goal from Martin McIntosh, their captain. It was Rotherham’s first victory of the Coca-Cola Championship season, arriving at the 21st time of asking, but even if they were to perform a footballing miracle and avoid relegation, few subsequent triumphs would taste this sweet.

Fortune belonged to the home team as Clarke Carlisle, the Leeds defender, struck the woodwork three times in the opening eight minutes. But few would begrudge Rotherham their night of glory. “It’s party time,” Moore, who played in the teams’ previous derby 21 years ago, said. “I’m sure I’ll remember how to celebrate later on. I’m not stupid. I know we were lucky. On another night, they would have won by four or five. But we showed guts and character in the second half and at the end it felt like we’d won the league.”

Kevin Blackwell, the Leeds manager, was incredulous. “Can you believe that?” he asked. “We’ve dominated from start to finish. If that had been real life, Rotherham would have been reported for a mugging. How frustrating is it to be a manager?” This defeat was prefaced by another round of haggling over the ownership of Leeds. Sebastien Sainsbury had offered to reopen negotiations by suggesting that not only would he buy back Elland Road and the Thorp Arch training ground but that funds would be made available for strengthening the squad. Gerald Krasner, the chairman, reacted by saying that he would never deal with Sainsbury. Norman Stubbs, a property developer, remains the favourite to take over. His £10 million would buy him a majority shareholding.

Carlisle started knocking on wood when he diverted Jermaine Wright’s corner against the crossbar. Then, from a cross by John Oster, he headed against the bar. When he nodded another corner from Wright against the far post, perhaps the defender knew that it was not going to be his night. Within six minutes he had hobbled off with an ankle injury.

Although Leeds were superior in their approach play, it was Rotherham who broke the deadlock, in the 77th minute. Jamal Campbell-Ryce won a free kick wide on the right and from Paul McLaren’s delivery, Shaun Barker backheeled the ball through the forest of feet to where McIntosh, only recently back from a cruciate ligament injury, slammed the ball home from three yards.

ROTHERHAM UNITED (4-4-2): M Pollitt — R Stockdale, C Swailes, M McIntosh, P Hurst — J Campbell-Ryce (sub: J Mullen, 86min), S Barker, P McLaren, M Proctor — M Butler, Junior. Substitutes not used: G Montgomery, R Scott, P Vernazza, A Monkhouse. Booked: Barker.

LEEDS UNITED (4-3-3): N Sullivan — G Kelly, C Carlisle (sub: F Richardson, 14), P Butler, M Kilgallon — J Wright, S Gregan, S Walton (sub: J Joachim, 81) — J Oster (sub: A Lennon, 71), M Ricketts, D Healy. Substitutes not used: S Carson, M Spring. Referee: P Crossley.