Match Reports

Friendly Win For Millers

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Bradford Park Avenue 1-5 Rotherham United
Gardner (77)                               Ladapo (2)
                                                      Vassell (10,27,44)
                                                      Barlaser (38)

The game was just two minutes old when Paul Warne’s side took the lead after Ben Wiles found Olayinka Ladapo who skipped by his marker and let fly with the ball that found the bottom of the net. A minute later Jamie Proctor saw a shot go just over the crossbar. On ten minutes the Millers doubled their lead when Wiles got the better of former Millers skipper Ryan Cresswell and finding himself with just Charlie Andrew, on loan from Hull City, to beat his shot rebounded off the post to the waiting Kyle Vassell who said ‘thank you very much’ and tapped the ball in to make it two. More good work from the lively Wiles found Matt Olosunde whose cross found nobody. At the other end Cresswell rose above everyone but couldn’t get his header on target followed by a shot from Garry Thompson found the side netting. A Daniel Barlaser free-kick caused a bit of head-tennis in the area before it came to Vassell who headed in the Millers third goal. Midfielder Ben Hedley did well to get Park Avenue a corner which Clark Robertson did well to clear off the line from one of the hosts Trialists. A good shot from Proctor saw an equally good from Andrew but, unfortunately for him, the ball found Barlaser at the back post who slipped the ball over the line to make it four-nil. Minutes later Andrew saved from a Jake Cooper header but could do nothing in the last minute of the half after some nice work from Proctor found Olosunde who sent the ball perfectly for Vassell with the striker smashing the ball into the net from the edge of the area for his hat-trick and giving the Millers a five-nil lead going into the break.

The hosts started the second half better and played some nice football although the Rotherham defence dealt with the pressure and it was Olayinka Ladapo who had the first chance seven minutes in with his effort just going over the crossbar. Joshua Kayode saw a shot go wide before Ladapo headed over from close range. Carlton Morris came on for Ladapo and was straight in the action when he tried to find Jamie Proctor in the box but his cross was just too far. Some nice work from Matt Olosunde saw him find Michael Smith, on for Proctor, whose shot was well saved by Charlie Andrew and sent to safety by a Trialist. After a good run down the pitch Shaun Gardner, who had only been on the pitch five minutes, made it five-one on the seventy-sixth minute.

BradfordAndrew, Laird (Clarke 63), Lund (Trialist 75), Moran, Cresswell (Trialist 45), Rathbone (Wright 63), Hurst (Trialist), Hedley, Thompson (Holmes 45), Trialist (Gardner 72) Trialist

MillersPrice (Bilboe 62), Olosunde, Cooper (Mattock 64), Robertson (Wood 45), Hinds (Jones 64),Wiles (MacDonald 45), Crooks, Barlaser (Ihiekwe 64), Proctor (Smith 62), Ladapo (Morris 58), Vassell (Kayode 45)

Things we noted from the game – good hat-trick from Vassell, two poachers goals but I think that’s one of the things we were missing last season. Although Semi Ajayi was down as a sub he didn’t appear on the pitch at any time with rumours rife that West Bromwich Albion are coming in for him. There was no Julien Lamy – is his injury worse than first thought? Ben Wiles can’t half run!

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