Rotherham United have all the confidence going into Championship derby against Sheffield Wednesday

But whereas winless Sheffield Wednesday have kicked off life under new manager Danny Rohl with consecutive away defeats and no goals, Rotherham United came back from the international break with a second-half performance of real confidence to beat Coventry City 2-0.

The Millers went into it in good heart after Jordan Hugill's brilliant goal salvaged a point at Southampton, and were frustrated when the weather denied them the chance to build on it at home to Ipswich Town even though their relaid pitch stood up to the deluge.

In the first half against Coventry on Wednesday, that St Mary's morale boost looked two-and-a-half weeks old. The hosts were not terrible – they had the best chance of the opening period, wastefully headed wide by Fred Onyedinma – but there was no doubt Mark Robins' side were stronger.

But as soon as Lee Peltier, who had already made two crucial tackles and had another still in him before going off injured, came up for Cafu's 51st-minute corner and headed it in, Rotherham were a difficult proposition, carving out chances and ensuring it was not just Viktor Johansson – as usual – who was pulling off blinding saves.

Manager Matt Taylor was quick to bring up the first half against Norwich City when asked if the 20-minute spell that followed was his side's best football this season, but it certainly belonged in the conversation.

For a while you worried about their failure to make it count but when substitute Georgie Kelly chested the ball back in stoppage time, Ollie Rathbone smashed the second.

Left-back Cohen Bramall was asked if he had seen it coming.

"Yeah," he replied, quick as a flash. In every training session for a week.

"Jordan has been unbelievable and that little bit of skill at Southampton has given us a right big boost," he explained. "The draw before the break was massive."

Taylor saw it the same way.

"We wanted to play on Friday," he stressed. "We felt a performance was coming. The way we have trained since Southampton, the mentality in the group has been so impressive. We have almost grown a little bit.

"We were as disappointed as anyone that Friday was off because we prepped and prepped and had a good training session on Saturday."

Even so, it took Peltier's header to unlock it. Once it did, Rotherham looked anything but the 22nd best team in the Championship.

"In football, moments are huge," said Taylor. "The first goal is huge because it makes everyone feel better about themselves.

"In the first half we got in good areas of the pitch and it was a bit deflating when the cross didn't come off or there was no one in the box.

"Goals change the way people feel, the biggest change is the players on the pitch and the next biggest one is the 10,000 people in the stadium who are supporting you and believing in what you are doing.

"We need them to believe a little bit more before we score because we won't always get those moments, but the players have to believe they are good enough to hurt opponents.

"From that point on, the amount of chances we created was incredible. Also, it forces the opposition to chase the game a bit, which then creates more attacking moments.

"(And) the second goal is the pressure valve being released."

The release had already come to quite a degree, right-back Dexter Lemibikisa producing a brilliant piece of skill on the touchline and a cross Hugill ought to have buried, then a lovely Bramall nutmeg which ended with Ben Wilson’s brilliant tip-over from Rathbone.

"We know when we can change gear and Dex's little bit of skill, that's just confidence" said his fellow full-back. "Everyone played with a lot of confidence.

"As soon as Ollie took his shot (for the goal) I knew it was going in, even the one before the keeper made an unbelievable save.

"We might be in the bottom three but I think when we're at home we can beat anyone, we just need to sort out the away performances and I think that will come."

As all that was playing out, the Owls were losing 3-0 at Plymouth Argyle. Their first goal never came. It has not come for 10 hours.

“We had a lot of high ball-winning situations, we created chances and had a good chance at the far post and then we got a bit unlucky," reflected Rohl, in charge for the first time at Hillsborough on Sunday.

"It was a great free-kick (by Mustapha Bundu) and we then made a second mistake (for Morgan Whittaker to double the lead before half-time).

“We thought if we scored the next goal, we could get back in the game. We tried everything and conceded the third goal."

The Owls are in need of a spark. On Sunday they must take on a Rotherham side ignited by a couple.

"Tuesday was big for momentum for us," asserted Bramall. "We're going to take that into Sunday."