A Quick Look Back At Last Season – Pre-Season

Now the season has come to an end and the dust has settled let’s have a quick look at what happened with Rotherham United last season.

June had already seen Wes Harding, Robbie Hemfrey, Mack Warne and Richard Wood released while Chieo Ogbene and goalkeeper Josh Vickers went to Luton Town and Derby County respectively on free transfers.

We’ll start with pre-season and then Manager Matt Taylor brought in six players prior to the 5th August when the Millers played their first game. The first of those arriving on 1st July was Grant Hall, who had been on loan to Rotherham the season before, signing a one year deal after being released by Middlesbrough. Following three days later, also on a free, was goalkeeper Dillon Phillips after his release from Welsh side Cardiff City.

On the seventh of July striker Conor Washington signed a contract with Derby County the fee undisclosed and while he was doing that the Millers were playing their first friendly game which was at the Roundwood Sports Complex against Parkgate. Two first half goals, the first from Cohen Bramall and the second from Georgie Kelly, was enough to see Rotherham get the win.

The day after saw the Millers fetch in Portuguese midfielder Cafu who had been released from Nottingham Forest. His first job was to get on a plane and fly out to Spain with the rest of the squad for a pre-season training camp. There was also a winger, Sullay, on trail.

Rotherham’s only game on Spanish soil was with Elche, the hosts winning one-nil.

Just after returning from Spain Peter Kioso went out on a season long loan to Peterborough United, which, to a lot of us, seemed a strange decision.

Middlesbrough were the first ‘friendly’ visitors to the New York Stadium which saw both teams have practically changes to every player throughout the game. Former Millers Dan Barlaser, Dael Fry and Matt Crooks played for the visitors who won two-nil, Silvera scoring in the first half and a late second half goal from Alex Gilbert sealed the win.

Wes Harding, who had been let go at the end of the previous season, joined Millwall saying it had been ‘a pleasure’ to play for Rotherham.

The next friendly was at Field Mill which saw the Millers go one-up in the first minute A Trialist scoring the goal. Former Miller Stephen Quinn levelled three minutes later for Mansfield with Georgie Kelly putting the visitors back in front with Rhys Oats equalising again before half-time. Two more goals in three second-half minutes from Kelly saw him get his hat-trick and the Millers a four-two win.

Sheffield United were the next visitors to the New York Stadium when A Trialist got the only goal of the game for the hosts on eleven minutes.

Matt Taylor brought in two loanees, firstly right-back Dexter Lembikisa from Wolverhampton Wanderers then winger Fred Onyedinma from Luton Town.

The final pre-season game saw Rotherham travel to take on Lincoln City, with both new loanees getting game time, in a game where Ollie Rathbone scored just before half-time. Cafu doubled the score three minutes into the second half with Fred Onyedinma winning a penalty which Jordan Hugill took only to see Lukas Jensen in the Imps goal save. But Hugill made good on the hour mark when he made it three-nil.

And so, with four friendly wins under their belt the football season was about to arrive . . .