Rotherham piled the misery on rock-bottom Bolton with a 4-0 win which did wonders for their own chances of climbing away from Sky Bet Championship danger.

Wanderers are £172million in debt, facing a winding-up order from the HMRC and are now eight points from safety after this Boxing Day defeat in South Yorkshire.

Second-half goals from Grant Ward, Danny Ward, Joe Newell and Jonson Clarke-Harris put Bolton to the sword and gave the Millers a second successive win which moved them out of the relegation zone.

Neil Lennon took his place in the Bolton dugout, but he cut a forlorn figure whose club are staring down the barrel.

He should have been celebrating his side going in front midway through the first half, though.

Having taken a free-kick quickly, Emile Heskey broke clear and slipped the ball to Zach Clough who was denied by a superb block from Lee Camp, with the Millers goalkeeper alert to race off his line.

The Millers had been the better side up until then and they soon started creating some chances of their own, with Newell seeing his deflected free-kick turned over by Ben Amos and then Kirk Broadfoot heading over the resulting corner from a good position.

Then in the 31st minute their golden chance came when Danny Ward latched on to Tony Andreu's header to go through on goal but his first touch took him wide and Amos was able to smother his shot.

A scrappy end to the first half ensued, but after a spell of sustained pressure after the restart the hosts were rewarded with the lead in the 57th minute.

A short corner was played to Grant Ward on the edge of the area, he controlled it and pinged in a left-footed volley which Amos could only fist into the roof of the net.

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The game could have given themselves some breathing space in the 72nd minute but Amos went some way to atoning for his earlier error with a stunning one-handed save to deny Broadfoot's header.

The Millers were not to be denied a second, though, as two minutes later they did make it 2-0.

Danny Ward raced through on to Newell's pass, rounded Amos and fired home from an acute angle.

Neil Redfearn's men enjoyed themselves in the final 10 minutes, adding two goals to make it an afternoon and Boxing Day to remember.

Newell slotted home when set free by Andreu's clever flick and then substitute Clarke-Harris coolly finished after also being sent clean through.

Rotherham boss Neil Redfearn: 

"There was a lot at stake for both sides and I thought we were the better side. I thought in the second half, it really opened up, it became stretched and that suited us.

"Four wins in seven is definitely play-off form, but we are in the position we are in. We have got to keep doing what we are doing and keep putting little runs together."

Bolton boss Neil Lennon: 

"It has been a difficult week, that's all I want to say on it. But obviously I am in a difficult position professionally as well.

"I want to try and turn things around, I don't want to quit, I don't want resign. I want to turn things around, but that may be taken out of my hands."