Final Friendly Win For Millers

Crewe Alexandra 1 Rotherham United 2
Agyei (40)                    Washington (1)
                                         Kelly (39)


Rotherham United won their final pre-season friendly this afternoon against Crewe Alexandra with all three goals of the game coming in the first half.

And the Millers got off to a cracking start when some good football from Rotherham saw the ball fall to Conor Washington in the opening minute to smash home. Minutes later it could have been two after Rod McDonald cleared a ball but only as far as Shane Ferguson who sent a cross-come-pass into the area which Crewe ‘keeper Dave Richards did well to punch away. Down the other end some good work from the hosts saw Daniel Agyei with the ball in a good position but new boy Ryan Hall, wearing the captains armband, did well to get the ball back to Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson. Ten minutes in and a Ferguson ball into the area saw Georgie Kelly jump to head it but the Irish forward saw it go to safety. A good run from Callum Ainley found himself one-on-one with Johansson before Hall stopped him in his tracks giving away a free-kick on the edge of the area which Lachlan Brook took low which was easy for Johansson to collect. And it was Brook again a couple of minutes later who tried a curled shot which was against easily gathered by the Rotherham goalie. After getting a long ball Washington appeared to be knocked off the ball by MacDonald in the area but the wasn’t interested in any penalty appeal. On thirty-six minutes Ollie Rathbone went down and was immediately replaced by Ben Wiles – hopefully more as a precaution than an injury. Three minutes later a lovely ball from Ferguson saw Kelly rise up and head it into the net making it two goals for the Millers. But Crewe came back straight from the re-start when Tariq Uwakwe’s pass down the pitch found Finney whose low cross saw Agyei slipping the ball into the net from close range leaving the game one-two at half-time.

Rotherham made three changes at the start of the second half with Ryan Hall, Jamie McCart and Shane Ferguson making way for Richard Wood, Cameron Humphreys and Hakeem Odoffin. Ben Wiles has the first chance of the second half trying his luck from the edge of the box which Dave Richards got down too. Some nice work between Conor Washington and Peter Kioso saw Kioso put the ball in the box but Georgie Kelly couldn’t quite get there. At the other end Viktor Johnasson had to be aware after a a cross from Callum Ainley found Finney who saw his shot saved by the Rotherham ‘keeper. More good work from Washington saw him find Wiles whose shot went just wide of the upright before a great pass from Dan Barlaser found Kioso who brought off a good save from Richards. Two changes for the hosts saw Regan Griffiths and Sasalla Sambou on for Charlie Colkett and Oliver Finney which was followed by a great finger-tip save from Johansson denying Daniel Agyei his second goal. And more great work from Johansson saw him keep out a shot from Agyei which came off the crossbar falling to Lachlan Brook who he also managed to keep from scoring. More good work from Crewe saw Odoffin clear a Tariq Uwakwe shot off the line with the resulting corner seeing Johansson clear before it found one of the waiting red shirts in the area. Another change for the hosts saw Lachlan Brook make way for Joel Tabiner while Jake Hull, Mackenzie Warne, Curtis Durose and Joel Holvey came on for the Millers with Georgie Kelly, Wes Harding, Peter Kioso and Dan Barlaser going the other way. The visitors won a corner which Holvey took finding the head of Wood the ball going wide this was followed by some nice work from the lively Agyei who saw a shot go across goal with no-one there to convert for Crewe. Another change for the Alex saw Conor Thomas make way for A Trialist. Rotherham won a free-kick which Holvey took with both Wood and Richards going up for it the ‘keeper winning a free-kick.

More minutes into Rotherham players including a first forty-five for new boy Grant Hall and a final fifteen for some of the younger ones in today’s squad – including young Holvey who didn’t hesitate to take corners and free-kicks when needed.

But now it’s time to get ready for the ‘real’ games with Swansea City at the New York Stadium next Saturday for the start of our Championship season.

Attendance – 1,065 – 96 Millers

TEAMS

Rotherham
Johansson
Harding (Warne 75)
Hall (Wood 45)
McCart (Humphreys 45)
Kioso (Holvey 75)
Barlaser (Durose 75)
Lindsay
Rathbone (Wiles 36)
Ferguson (Odoffin 45)
Kelly (Hull 75)
Washington
Subs not used- Vickers

Crewe
Richards
Mellor,
Uwakwe
Colkett (Griffiths 56)
Offord
McDonald
Ainley
Thomas (A Trialist 79)
Agyei
Finney (Sambou 56)
Brook (Tabiner 71)
Subs not used – Booth, Billington, Sass-Davies, O’Riordan, Holicek, Lewis