Alfie Sends Millers Through

Rotherham United are through to the next round of the Johnstone`s Paint Trophy thanks to an Adam Le Fondre strike in the forty-seventh minute.

In the opening ten minutes, the only real shot at target was from the Millers` Kevin Ellison when he tried his luck from twenty-five yards out but Joe Anyon, in the Imps` goal got down well to smother it. At the other end, ten minutes later, Jamie Annerson, in for the injured Andy Warrington, watched as a Ben Hutchinson shot went harmlessly over the bar and just before the half hour mark, Ellison did well to stop Cian Hughton get a shot in some eighteen yards out. Paul Green fouled debutant Jeremiah Ani and from the resulting free kick, Ani himself headed an Ellison cross just over the bar. Neither team had many chances after that and it seemed they were both pleased when the half-time whistle went.


Rotherham made a great start to the second half when, just two minutes old, Tom Newey squared a good ball for Le Fondre who`s shot looked like it was going to be saved by Anyon only for it to take a massive deflection off Moses Swaibu and trickle into the goal. At the other end, the only real save Annerson had to make was off his own skipper as Ryan Cresswell chested the ball down to the Millers ‘keeper which forced Annerson into a smart one handed save. A minute later Hutchinson had a shot that went just wide of Annerson`s goal. On fifty minutes Ellison got a good ball from Nicky Law but his header was straight at Anyon and on the hour mark Creswell seemed to fancy himself as a striker as he did a bit of fancy footwork in the area but shot just wide. On sixty-eight minutes, Le Fondre struck the ball well but Anyon did well to save with his legs. In the final minutes of the game, Scott Kerr tried to chip the ball into the centre but Annerson easily claimed it.

Well, this wasn`t the most exciting game I`ve ever seen but it could be the start of our road to Wembley