Draw For Millers At Home

Rotherham United 2 Burton Albion 2
Clarke-Harris (39)          Orsi (25)
Humphreys (57)              Cooper-Love (71)

Rotherham United came from one behind to take the lead but frustratingly only managed to get a point at home to Burton Albion on Saturday.

The Millers started brightly and after Christ Tiehi won his team a free-kick the ball went out for a corner which saw a hand-ball decision against Rotherham captain Jonson Clarke-Harris. On seven minutes the Millers skipper sent a lovely ball in which Jack Armer cleared but only as far as Hakeem Odoffin who the ball hit sending it forward with Armer again getting to it and clearing from under his own crossbar. Mallik Wilks was the next player to send a ball into the box finding Clarke-Harris who brought off a great save from Max Crocombe in the Burton goal. On twelve minutes the visitors thought they’d took the lead when  Udoka Godwin-Malife took the ball round Rotherham ‘keeper Dillon Phillips but the flag was up for offside before a shot come cross from Joe Powell went invitingly across goal but no-one could find the finishing touch. A couple of corners and free-kicks for the hosts came to nothing before Wilks and Clarke-Harris worked together well the latter getting above everyone else to get to a ball from the former but headed wide. At the other end Ben Whitfield got on the end of a cross from Elliott Watt but saw the ball deflected away from goal. But a minute later Albion were in front after another deflected shot from Whitfield was pounced on by  Danilo Orsi who squeezed the ball under Phillips and into the bottom corner of the net. A good pass from Jamie McCart saw Tiehi get the ball but ended up on the floor with referee Ben Speedie waving away a penalty appeal. Wilks got the better of his marker to try his luck at goal with only some good work from Crombie stopping the Millers equalising. But minutes later Rotherham drew level when a clipped cross from Powell found Clarke-Harris who got the better of Armer and curled his foot round the ball to put it over the line to make it one-all. Sam Nombe had a chance that went high and wide before a corner for the visitors saw Ryan Sweeney get the ball but put it high and wide.

The first chance of the second half went to Albion who won the ball in midfield with Ben Whitfield finding Udoka Godwin-Malife in the area his shot blocked by Jamie McCart stopping Burton taking the lead for the second time. The first yellow card of the afternoon went to Terence Vancooten for a nasty foul on Mallik Wilks. On fifty-six minutes the hosts won a corner which Joe Powell sent towards Jonson Clarke-Harris who headed forward the ball being deflected by an Albion defender as far as Cameron Humphreys who put the ball in the net for his first goal in a Rotherham shirt and putting the Millers in front for the first time in the game. A change for the visitors saw  Nick Akoto replace Terence Vancooten which was followed by a save by Dillon Phillips from Ben Whitfield. Wilks Sam Nombe and Powell saw shots blocked before a Powell corner found the head of Nombe who saw his effort go just wide. Alex MacDonald came on for Rotherham with Christ Tiehi going the other way. Some good football from Clarke-Harris saw him find Nombe just outside the area whose shot was saved by Max Crocombe. In the final twenty minutes of the game the visitors drew level when a ball into the area found Jack Cooper-Love who twisted one way and then the other before shooting into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the box. Sam Nombe made way for Jordan Hugill on seventy-two minutes for the hosts. Hakeem Odoffin saw yellow for a foul on Kgaogelo Chauke before the Millers won a corner which came to nothing. A change for the visitors saw  Romelle Donovan and Tomas Kalinauskas on for Ben Whitfield and Danilo Orsi for the final ten minutes. A nice ball in from Joe Rafferty found Hugill who shot high and wide before Joseph Hungbo came on for the Millers for Joe Powell. Two more changes for Burton saw Kgaogelo Chauke and Jack Cooper-Love make way for Ciaran Gilligan and Rumarn Burrell. In time added on Wilks got himself into a good position only for his shot to go across goal and out before a shot from Udoka Godwin-Malife at the other end ended the same way. As the game was drawing to it’s conclusion a long punt upfield from Phillips found Wilks who took the ball into the area before shooting the ball going wide.

It’s a point but it probably should have been all three if some of the chances had been taken – hopefully there will be shooting practice on the agenda for this weeks training sessions.

Attendance – 8,704 with 447 Burton fans in the stands

Referee – Ben Speedie