Ten-man Norwich City crashed to a 2-1 Championship defeat with former City academy starlet Tom Adeyemi heading the winner for Norfolk-bred Paul Warne's Rotherham United.

City played more than 70 minutes with 10 men after picking up their fourth red card in six away games when Nelson Oliveira was dismissed in the 18th minute for his violent reaction to a tangle with Kirk Broadfoot.

Jerry Yates had already slotted the Millers in front but Cameron Jerome levelled in the 51st minute before Adeyemi rose above Steven Whittaker to head past Ruddy in the 55th minute.

Whittaker replaced Swansea-bound Martin Olsson in the one change to the starting line up that beat Derby County 3-0 in their last Championship game. Olsson is poised to complete a reported £4m move to the Premier League club early next week after Alex Neil confirmed on Friday talks were at an advanced stage. Timm Klose retained his place in the starting line up after limping out of the FA Cup third round draw against Southampton with an Achilles problem. Robbie Brady served the final game of a three-match ban with Louis Thompson (pelvis) and Matt Jarvis (hamstring) on the sidelines and Youssouf Mulumbu at the African Cup of Nations with the DR Congo.

Warne named a line up that included one-time Norwich youngster Adeyemi. Top scorer Danny Ward was a notable absentee with the frontman already the subject of one failed bid from an unnamed club in the early stages of the January transfer window.

Both sets of players, backroom staff and supporters paused for a moment's applause prior to kick-off in memory of former England manager Graham Taylor who died earlier this week.

City endured the worst possible start in the seventh minute when Adeyemi burst free before rolling a ball back from the byline to the unmarked Yates to slot past John Ruddy.

Oliviera was sent off in the 18th minute after what appeared a retaliatory punch aimed at Kirk Broadfoot as both tangled on the floor in the Rotherham penalty area. The incensed home players protested to referee Eltringham, who rejected Steven Naismith's appeal and produced the red card.

It was the second altercation within a matter of minutes between the pair, after Oliveira had come off worse in a stiff challenge from the Rotherham centre-back which required treatment for the in-form striker.

Jonny Howson was then forced to hobble out of the action; replaced by Jerome as City's afternoon deteriorated further.

Jerome's penalty appeals shortly before the interval were turned down when he fell under pressure trying to get a decisive touch to Whittaker's low cross, following superb work from Wes Hoolahan in a tight space.

Timm Klose's weak shot was then hacked off the Millers' line after Jerome had burst down the left flank.

Norwich stayed on the front foot after the interval and levelled in the 51st minute when Jerome stooped to head home Hoolahan's delicious inswinging cross.

Stand-in left-back Whittaker was punished again in the 55th minute when Adeyemi rose above the Scot to power home Joe Mattock's cross six yards out after Norwich had coughed up cheap possession on the opposite flank.

Alex Pritchard replaced Jacob Murphy for the final quarter, with the game increasingly stretched. Ruddy denied Anthony Forde with a sharp stop at his near post.

Russell Martin then headed Jon Taylor's header off his line after Ruddy had parried Will Vaulks' strike. Jerome miscued a near post effort from Pritchard's dipping free kick as time ran away from the Canaries.

• Rotherham: Price, Fisher, Broadfoot, Wood, Mattock, Smallwood, Forde, Vaulks, Adeyemi, Newell (Taylor 68), Yates. Subs: (not used): Bilboe (GK), Kelly, Wilson, Bailey, Belaid, Dawson.

• Bookings: Wood (ungentlemanly conduct, 20), Vaulks (dissent 41); Price (time wasting, 88)

• Goals: Yates (7), Adeyemi (55)

• Norwich: Ruddy, Pinto, Martin, Klose, Whittaker, Tettey (Lafferty 80), Howson (Jerome 24), Jacob Murphy (Pritchard 69), Naismith, Hoolahan, Oliveira. Subs: (not used): McGovern (GK), Bassong, Bennett, Josh Murphy.

• Bookings: Hoolahan (dissent, 30); Naismith (foul on Smallwood, 44); Jerome (handball, 49)

• Sending Off: Oliveira (foul on Broadfoot, 18)

• Goal: Jerome (51)

• Time added on: 4 minutes / 4 minutes

• Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Durham)

• Attendance: 10,000 (1,609 away fans)