Another Home Win For Millers

Rotherham United earned their third win on the bounce this afternoon at a muggy New York Stadium against Scunthorpe United.

The visitors had the first chance of the afternoon when the impressive Duane Holmes sent Patrick Madden on his way but Millers’ ‘keeper Richard O’Donnell was equal to his shot followed a few minutes later for former Millers loanee Josh Morris to see a shot blocked. The Millers started to get into the game and Anthony Forde worked his way passed his marker to send the ball in but Kieffer Moore couldn’t get to it followed by a some nice play and a shot from distance from Richard Towell which was saved by Matt Gilks in the visitors net. On the quarter of an hour mark the Millers got a corner which Forde took finding stand-in skipper Richard Wood who put the ball down for Joe Mattock who saw his shot blocked by a number of players on the line. Minutes later it was Mattock again who caused danger having a shot which Gilks managed to punch away to safety. At the other end O’Donnell did well to get down to a shot from Morris before a Wood had to come to the Millers rescue to put a ball behind from a Funso Ojo shot. O’Donnell was in the thick of it in the last fifteen minutes when he came out of his area to head a ball clear and a minute later denied Madden a headed goal. On thirty-seven minutes the Millers broke the deadlock when a quickly taken corner found the Iron defence standing and when the ball fell to Will Vaulks in space he blasted an unstoppable shot from twenty-five yards out into the top corner of the net ending the move with a somersault. The visitors nearly equalised a minute later but O’Donnell got above a host of players to make sure the ball was his. Michael Ihiekwe was the first to see yellow for a clumsy foul on Morris followed by another good stop down at the near post to deny Morris. Another close one for the Iron saw Conor Townsend get a good ball over to debut boy Andrew Croft who seemed off balance and sent his header over from close range.

Scunthorpe came out the better side for the second half and the Millers were only saved by the post after Conor Townsend curled a shot in and when Paddy Madden looked likely to put the rebound in the linesman flagged for offside. Ten minutes into the half Richard O’Donnell went in bravely but ended up on the ground and having to have treatment. At the other end a super header from Kieffer Moore looked like it was going to end up in the net but Rory McArdle managed to clear it off the line and to safety. And it was Moore again who was thwarted minutes later when he received a great ball from Richie Towell only to see Matt Gilks save at his feet. At the other end Richard Wood had to put his body on the line to stop Lee Novak getting to a cross from Josh Morris before the skipper again made a perfect tackle on the former Huddersfield striker to stop his getting a shot away. With twenty minutes to go Gilks made a super save to deny Ryan Williams before up the other end Duane Holmes smashed a ball over the crossbar. On the seventy-first minute Moore got himself through the Iron defence to receive a lovely cross in from David Ball and slipped the ball over the line to make it two-nil to the hosts. Within a couple of minutes the visitors brought on Hakeeb Adelakun and Sam Mantom for Josh Morris and Andrew Crofts. With fifteen minutes to go Anthony Forde and Joe Mattock link up to find the head of Moore but this time the ball fell into the waiting arms of Gilks followed by David Ball making way for Joe Newell. Conor Townsend saw yellow for a deliberate handball while Novak was replaced by Kevin Van Veen. Towell gets on the end of the ball after it was only partly cleared and let fly seeing the ball go inches wide before he got another chance but scuffed his shot. A strike from Holmes at the other end was well stopped by Mattock before Semi Ajayi replaced Anthony Forde. The Millers defence were intent on keeping a clean sheet and did well to stop a header from Mantom going anywhere before Jordan Clarke put a header over. A tired challenge brought a yellow card for Ryan Williams in time added on before Ajayi tried his luck from distance only to see the ball blocked before it can go over the line. The last Millers substitution of the day brought Jonson Clarke-Harris into the attack for Kieffer Moore.

Another great three points for the Millers this afternoon and some nice football, but we really could do without the opposition getting quite so many near chances!