Furlong double sinks Millers

Two goals by veteran Paul Furlong stopped the Millers equalling a consecutive club record of away wins this evening at Underhill.

The Millers were the better team in the first half although it was John O’Flynn for the home side who had a first shot at goal, though it went well wide. The Millers first chance was on thirteen minutes when Mark Burchill found himself in space, turned and shot but his effort went just wide. A minute later Jake Cole got down to easily save from Reuben Reid who shot from twenty yards out. Drewe Broughton was next to have a go, when, with his back to goal, he turned and shot but the ball went wide. Andy Warrington then made a wonderful save from O’Flynn after the striker headed a cross from Albert Adomah towards goal and just before half time, Neal Bishop went on a long run and only some quick thinking and good tackling from Nick Fenton stopped him from shooting towards the net. At the other end, Reid had a shot saved by Cole while Drewe Broughton saw a curled effort just go over the crossbar and land on the top of the net.

The Millers had the first shot of the second half when Broughton found the Barnet defence wanting and managed to get the ball round the advancing ‘keeper only to hit it just wide of the post and a few minutes later a one-two between Pablo Mills and Jason Taylor didn’t quite come off as the ball went well wide. The next twenty minutes was a bit scrappy, not helped by hopeless officials who were stop/starting the game although both ‘keepers were in action when firstly a fantastic strike from Broughton was well saved by Cole and Warrington had to save at the near post from Adomah. It was on the seventieth minute that the deadlock was broken with Furlong collecting a pass from Bishop and cooly slotting the ball past Warrington. The lively Dale Tonge got a good cross into Broughton a couple of minutes later but the tall striker’s header went just wide. Ten minutes later it was the forty year old again who scored his one hundred and ninety nineth league goal when Furlong headed home an excellent cross from Adomah. In stoppage time Adomah could have scored number three for Barnet but his shot was deflected over the bar.

A first defeat in six away games for the Millers and I actually think we didn’t play badly. And I know I’ve been saying it all season, but we really, really do need to put our chances away.