Captain Josh Laurent scored twice as Stoke thrashed Rotherham 6-1 to book their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The win extends the Potters’ perfect home record to four victories in all competitions this season – a run that started with a 4-1 triumph over the Millers on the opening day of the new Championship campaign.

Stoke took an early lead when Dutchman Wouter Burger, making his full debut having recently signed from FC Basel, drove home from long distance after picking up Cameron Humphreys’ headed clearance.

Ryan Mmaee doubled the home side’s advantage in the 18th minute, beautifully bending the ball into the net after Mehdi Leris, also making his full debut having signed from Sampdoria, had pulled a cross back to him.

Rotherham skipper Sean Morrison’s header from a Cafu corner swiftly halved the deficit, but Stoke restored their two-goal lead just before the half-hour mark as Laurent arrowed a shot into the bottom corner after picking up possession outside the box.

The advantage was further extended as half-time approached, with Tyrese Campbell curling his effort in off the crossbar after toying with defender Jamie McCart in the area.

Any slender hopes the visitors had of staging a comeback were dashed in the 55th minute, when Laurent latched onto Campbell’s headed pass and rifled the ball into the net for his second goal of the night.

Leris completed the rout with a fine finish 18 minutes from time, scoring a first goal for his new club after being played through by Laurent.

Jobe Bellingham scored a brace to help Sunderland come from behind and secure their first points of the Championship campaign with a 2-1 win over Rotherham.

Hakeem Odoffin had given Rotherham a shock lead 20 minutes into the contest but Bellingham’s close-range header drew his side level almost immediately, and his smart finish early in the second half secured three deserved points for Tony Mowbray’s side.

The 17-year-old came close to scoring a remarkable hat-trick, but instead had to settle for a match-winning brace and the adulation of 40,000 supporters when brought off with 10 minutes to play.

Sunderland had been left to rue the lack of a senior striker in the opening weeks of the campaign, struggling to turn their good play into points. Twenty minutes into this game it felt a familiar tale, the home side enjoying almost 70 per cent of the ball but yet to produce a shot.

When the first effort of the game was registered shortly after, it was the visitors who took the lead.

It was a lovely move to work the ball into the box, where Odoffin was surprised to find himself free. The forward took one touch and rifled a low effort past Anthony Patterson.

There was relief in the Stadium of Light when it took just a minute for Mowbray’s side to respond, the ever-dangerous Jack Clarke cutting inside and standing up a cross to the back post. Dan Neil was there to meet it and Bellingham was able to convert his first senior goal from a matter of yards out.

Sunderland continued to enjoy the better of the contest and took the lead in the second half when Bellingham again was found free in the box, this time curling an effort past Viktor Johansson.

The midfielder came close to landing a remarkable hat-trick when he was found with a cross just moments later, but a strong block allowed Rotherham to stay in the game.

The visitors continued to threaten from set plays even if it was the hosts who were enjoying the better of the play, and substitute Tolaji Bola in particular will feel he could have done better when meeting a delivery into the box.

The scoreline meant the hosts were never comfortable even as substitute Luis Hemir went close with a powerful long-range effort late on, but the Black Cats were ultimately able to see out five minutes of stoppage time to secure a welcome victory.

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor has revealed referees chief Howard Webb and match referee Robert Madley visited him in his office to apologise for a decision that went against the Millers in their 2-2 draw with Blackburn on Saturday.

Webb, head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), went to the club along with head of Championship referees Kevin Friend and Madley to discuss the incidents in the match.

Rotherham were leading 2-0 when Fred Onyedinma was sent off for picking up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes, the first when he celebrated by the fans after scoring his side’s second goal and then for gesturing for an opponent to get booked after he had been fouled.

It has been a busy start to the season for Webb, who has been instrumental in improving communication and feedback since taking over from Mike Riley last December, as he has been dealing with the fall-out of Simon Hooper and VAR’s failure not to give Wolves a penalty against Manchester United as well as visiting other clubs around the country, including Lincoln and Barrow.

Taylor said the three-man party admitted Onyedinma should not have been booked for his celebration at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

“In my office I was lucky to have Howard Webb, Kevin Friend and the referee from last weekend Mr Madley,” he said. “So they were all here talking through the weekend, the way it unfolded.

“The apology, which we’ve had two weeks on the bounce now, was for the first yellow card and that shouldn’t have been a yellow card. We know that, the referee knows that, everyone knows that.

“But it was given as a yellow card and the second yellow card is justified.

“I had three people in my office talking honestly and openly about how they want to improve. They’ll only improve if we’re right as well, if I improve as a manager, if my team improves in terms of their conduct and the way they work.

“The game will only get better off the back of everyone working together and the overriding feeling was that players are struggling a little bit with the changes and how strong some of the officiating has been at the moment and also the officials are struggling at the moment with their changes.”

Rotherham have fallen foul to the stricter rules brought in this season, with midfielder Cafu also sent off on the opening day of the season for a second yellow card that the PGMOL admitted should not have been given.

Taylor says the club will lobby the Football Association to change the rules so yellow cards can be appealed.

“If they’ve admitted to the mistake or owned up to the mistake then we’ve got to be able to appeal yellow cards because we can’t afford to have a player missing who shouldn’t be missing this weekend,” he said.

“The referees agreed with that, it’s not the referees, that’s not their law, that’s not their rule. They don’t want to make mistakes and they don’t want to see teams punished on a double-level basis when it does happen.”

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor was unhappy with the decision to dismiss Fred Onyedinma as his side let a two-goal advantage slip during their 2-2 draw against Blackburn.

Onyedinma was sent off just minutes after putting Rotherham 2-0 up early in the second half and the decision to award two yellow cards in as many minutes from referee Bobby Madley angered the home crowd and baffled Taylor.

The decision turned the tide of the game and left the Millers having to hang on deep into added time.

Sammie Szmodics had an eventful game as he missed a first-half penalty and was at fault for Rotherham’s opener before his second-half double secured a point.

“The first yellow is my biggest frustration. We go 2-0 up, it’s Fred’s first goal and there is emotion. He gets pushed into the crowd by his team-mates celebrating,” Taylor said.

“Football is going in a strange direction right now. I know they are trying to make it a better product, but I would argue that it isn’t right now.

“I thought we went through every emotion known to man. We went from jubilation and then a few minutes later Fred gets sent off. At least we got something out of the game.

“I have not enjoyed the first two games of the season. I have seen a whole host of yellow cards for very little.

“We can go through every single moment of the game with frustration. We are gutted we did not take more from that game.”

Szmodics saw his 15th-minute penalty cannon back off the post after Joe Rankin-Costello had been brought down by Cameron Humphreys.

Hakeem Odoffin blasted Rotherham in front after 23 minutes when he latched onto a loose ball from Szmodics and finished emphatically past Aynsley Pears.

Rotherham went from joy to despair in two crazy second-half minutes as Onyedinma headed in Cafu’s free-kick in the 48th minute before picking up two quick yellow cards.

The first came for over-celebrating the goal and he was then shown a second yellow in the 50th minute after gesturing to referee Madley to give a yellow card to a Blackburn man after being fouled.

Rovers started to create more opportunities with the extra man with Tyrhys Dolan, Ryan Hedges and Rankin-Costello all firing just off target.

Szmodics got one back after 75 minutes when he latched onto Adam Wharton’s pass and fired beyond Viktor Johansson.

He then latched onto a defensive lapse and rounded Johansson before firing in the leveller three minutes later.

Rovers had chances to snatch the three points with Harry Pickering twice coming close, but the spoils were shared.

Blackburn head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson said: “It was a bit of a rollercoaster but entertaining for the fans.

“I think the fans will be disappointed we didn’t come away with three points.

“We did not do enough of the right things in the first half. If we score that penalty then it would be a different game.

“I was not happy with the first half. But I must give all my credit to the lads. They got a well-deserved first and second goal.

“I stopped counting the number of chances we created. Rotherham did really, really well and defended with great spirit. So credit to them.

“Sammie is a great lad. You know anyone can miss a penalty. You have people with different characters. Some who want to then come and sit on the bench, but he scored two goals.”

Blackburn Rovers battled back to earn a 2-2 draw at Rotherham United with Sammie Szmodics going from zero to hero.

Szmodics missed a first-half penalty and was also at fault for The Millers’ opener before his second-half double turned the game around.

Rotherham had looked to be on course for their first win of the campaign thanks to strikes from Hakeem Odoffin and Fred Onyedinma, but the latter’s dismissal for two yellow cards in quick succession turned the course of the match.

The opening chance fell to summer recruit Onyedinma, who slipped by the Blackburn defence to race onto a clearance from Viktor Johansson before seeing his shot tipped wide by Aynsley Pears.

Blackburn were awarded a 15th-minute penalty after Cameron Humphreys clattered into Joe Rankin-Costello in the box. But Szmodics’s effort ricocheted back off the post and Tyrhys Dolan’s follow-up effort dribbled wide.

Szmodics’ afternoon got even worse as he gave the ball away to gift Rotherham the lead in the 23rd minute when Odoffin latched onto the loose pass and smashed beyond Pears from the edge of the box.

Blackburn’s best chance of getting back into the game before the break came when the ball fell kindly to Adam Wharton on the edge of the box, but he volleyed over.

Rotherham doubled their advantage in the 48th minute with Onyedinma meeting Cafu’s free-kick perfectly with a diving header.

But the goalscorer was dismissed for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession from referee Bobby Madley. The first came for celebrating the goal and the second came after he gestured at the referee after being fouled.

Blackburn tried to make their man advantage count with Jon Dahl Tomasson making an attacking triple change.

Dolan came close to halving the advantage as he met Rankin-Costello’s cross powerfully, but his effort whistled just over the bar.

Callum Brittain then set up a decent chance for Ryan Hedges, but he poked wide at the near post.

Rankin-Costello then whistled another effort from the edge of the box just wide before the pressure finally told when Szmodics pulled one back for Blackburn in the 75th minute after his effort deflected in from Wharton’s slick pass.

Szmodics was celebrating again three minutes later when he found himself in on goal after a defensive lapse and smashed home after rounding Johansson.

Blackburn pushed for a winner and Harry Pickering almost delivered one in stunning style when he teed himself up for a volley which had to be tipped over by Johansson.

Pickering again came close in added on time, but his effort drifted wide of goal as Rotherham held on for a point.

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor was pleased to see his side shake off their weekend hammering at Stoke with a 4-2 Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Morecambe.

The Millers were thumped 4-1 in their Championship opener and boss Taylor said his side were “shell-shocked” in an opening 25 minutes against the League Two side where they fell behind to Michael Mellon’s clinical finish.

But Josh Kayode levelled before the break and then debutant goalkeeper Dillon Phillips saved two penalties to earn a place in the second round.

Taylor said: “It was a pleasing building performance, it wasn’t a great opening 25 minutes, we looked shell-shocked from the weekend and that showed.

“We started to build platforms on the pitch and got up the pitch. It was important we scored before half-time.

“It was one-way traffic in the second half and we could have won it, we had enough chances.

“That is maybe where people aren’t feeling great about themselves.”

On Phillips, who was a summer signing from Cardiff, Taylor added: “The biggest reward is that there is another game and that is important for him.

“Dillon needs games, he hasn’t played many games over the last couple of years but we know how good a goalkeeper he is.

“He is providing good competition.”

Derek Adams, whose side won in this competition at the New York Stadium 12 months ago, was proud of his League Two men.

“It was a pleasing performance, especially for a League Two club coming to the Championship,” he said.

“We could have gone ahead before and the goal we scored was an excellent goal.

“It was nothing more than we deserved because we dominated large spells in that first half.

“To come here and do that was very pleasing.”

Rotherham finally beat Morecambe in the Carabao Cup after seeing off the League Two outfit 4-2 on penalties.

The Shrimps won in South Yorkshire in 2016 and then again 12 months ago and another upset was in the offing when Michael Mellon put them in front.

Josh Kayode’s first home goal for the club levelled before the break, meaning the game had to be decided by penalties and Dillon Phillips saved two on his debut to earn a place in the second round.

Morecambe enjoy coming to Rotherham in the League Cup so it was no surprise to see them start well.

JJ McKiernan should have put them ahead inside the first five minutes when he was teed up by Mellon, but he shot straight at goalkeeper Phillips’ legs.

Mellon did open the scoring midway through the first half when he raced on to a through ball from Yann Songo’o and converted in style, with a low shot across goal.

The Millers, thrashed on the opening day at Stoke, were not looking much better as they struggled for any fluency against their fourth-tier opponents.

But they found themselves level eight minutes before the break when Kayode poked home a loose ball after Farrend Rawson had failed to clear Cohen Bramall’s cross.

Rotherham were the better team in the second half and came close to going in front as Georgie Kelly had a header well saved by Simon Moore.

But it had to be decided by penalties and Phillips kept out efforts from Charlie Brown and Jake Taylor as the Millers progressed.

New recruit Andre Vidigal enjoyed a dream debut as his brace inspired Stoke to a comprehensive 4-1 Championship victory at home to 10-man Rotherham.

The hosts raced into an early lead with Ki-Jana Hoever – returning for a second loan spell with The Potters – firing in an emphatic opener inside five minutes.

A dominant first-half display was rewarded in added time as Vidigal, who was a summer arrival from Maritimo, netted a quickfire double to heap misery on The Millers.

Matt Taylor’s half-time tactical tweaking sparked an instant impact as substitute Lee Peltier scored with his first touch to hand the visitors hope.

However, the early damage proved to be irreparable for Rotherham, who were reduced to 10 men after debutant Cafu was sent off.

Jacob Brown added a fourth with a late tap in as Stoke strode to an impressive and assured opening-day victory.

A productive summer in the Potteries had already seen 11 bodies arrive through the front door, with six new additions making their debuts in this encounter.

But it was a familiar face in Wolves loanee Hoever – who spent the second half of last season at the club – that handed the hosts a dream start.

A precise cross-field delivery from new club captain Josh Laurent found the onrushing Hoever, whose first-time volley crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

Rotherham did threaten an unlikely equaliser when Ben Wiles was afforded space in the area, but his venomous strike was collected well by Mark Travers.

And that Millers’ miss would prove costly, as they soon found themselves three goals behind after a frantic seven minutes of stoppage time.

Winger Vidigal – who scored eight goals in the Portuguese top flight last season – took little time to open his account on English shores.

Daniel Johnson’s deep set-piece delivery was nodded back into the danger zone by Ben Wilmot with an unmarked Vidigal in position to slot home.

And the tricky forward was not done yet in an impressive first-half showing, finishing accurately on the rebound after Viktor Johansson thwarted Ryan Mmaee.

Disgruntled boss Taylor introduced Peltier at the interval and the defender looked to hand the away side a reprieve when he bundled home an effort immediately after the restart.

However, any chance of a Rotherham comeback was shelved when Cafu – a summer signing from Nottingham Forest – compounded a miserable afternoon by receiving his marching orders.

Starman Vidigal nearly completed his hat-trick when he met an accurate Hoever cross, but an instinctive Johansson save denied him a perfect introduction.

There was still time though for Stoke to add a fourth, with centre-back Ben Wilmot notching a second assist when Brown converted his flick-on to round off an emphatic win.

Shaun Maloney was pleased with the way his Wigan players dealt with another “hard…difficult” week by ending their Sky Bet Championship campaign with a 0-0 draw against Rotherham.

With the Millers already safe, there was always going to be an end-of-season feel to this dead rubber.

Even more so considering the Wigan players had not been paid on time for a fifth time this season, and half of their regular line-up were not named in the squad.

Young Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle was the star man on his league debut, but neither side looked capable of troubling the scorers on a miserable afternoon at the DW.

“I actually really liked the second half,” said Maloney. “We had to change things slightly at half-time, and I really liked the mentality we had.

“The first half was a little bit tentative. In fairness, some of the players hadn’t played for a while – or at least alongside each other for a while.

“I just told them I needed a bit more aggression and belief in that second half, at the end of what has been a very, very difficult few days.

“And there were a number of positives to come out of it, especially the performance of a number of young players.”

When asked about the off-field situation, Maloney added: “It’s been hard, very hard.

“I think we all expected and hoped that these kinds of days were behind us. But, yes, it was very difficult again for everyone to deal with.

“There’s just been a lack of clarity, which makes it difficult for me to manage the team and manage the players individually.

“And I have to say a massive thanks again to the squad, five of whom played despite not having been paid.

“That’s not to discount any of the other players who did exactly the same earlier this season when this happened before.

“It’s just a really special group really, given what they’ve been through.

“They’ve gone above and beyond this year for the club, and people shouldn’t forget that.”

For Rotherham boss Matt Taylor, it was a case of enjoying the day with the job for the season having already been done.

“It was their moment, this, and for the players,” he said. “It was a reward and recognition for what they’ve done over the previous 45 games.

“We did what we set out to do, and we achieved that last Monday. This was a celebration of that.

“In the first half, I quite liked us as a team, and we created enough openings to probably go ahead in the game.

“In the second half, we became a little bit disjointed, along with the game.

“But I don’t want to read too much into that, because we’d already done our work for the season. And it was a great moment at the end for the players, to be able to celebrate with the fans.

“I’ve just been told that’s been our best away following for nine years, and I think that shows the connection between the fans and this group of players – and it’s all about trust.

“I came in a couple of months into the season, and I’ve started to build that trust with them, as they have with me.

“The fans are the same, and they’ll only do that if we achieve our goals – and this year, that was staying in the league.”