Paul Jewell refused to blame the state of the pitch for his side's poor performance after Derby were held to a goalless draw by Rotherham.Jewell admitted the playing surface at the Don Valley Stadium and weather conditions were a factor in his team's failure to break down a stubborn Millers' defence but conceded his players had to shoulder some of the blame too.

The manager told the club's official website: "You can't judge too much from the result and I didn't realise how bad the pitch was until I stood on it and had a look.

"I don't want to make too many excuses but you could see by the quality of the game that the pitch and conditions were a shocker.

"The 90-minute run-out was good for the players to get under their belt but the quality wasn't there. But despite that, I am happy with the progress we have made."

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