Millers Beat Stags

Mansfield Town 2 Rotherham United 4
Quinn (4)                     A Trialist (1)
Oates (41)                    Kelly (26, 54, 57)

A Georgie Kelly hat-trick helped give Rotherham United their second pre-season win yesterday afternoon at the One Call Stadium against a lively Mansfield Town.

The Millers got off to a good start when a loose ball in the area was jumped on by A Trialist who popped it in the net. But, the lead only last three minutes when Hiram Boateng found Rhys Oates who passed into the area for former Miller Stephen Quinn to hit the ball into the roof of the net. Oates and Lucas Akins did well together the latter getting into a shooting position which Millers’ ‘keeper Dillon Phillips got down well to before a ball in from Callum Johnson to Boateng saw the midfielder curl the ball straight into the hands of Phillips. Minutes later Oates did well to keep the ball in before trying to find Akins in the box but a good tackle from Jamie McCart cleared before it reached him before Phillips was called on to save a header from the Grenadian. On the twenty-sixth minute the Millers went back in front when A Trialist sent a lovely flick to Georgie Kelly who put the ball into the back of the net. A yellow card was dispatched to Towns’ Alfie Kilgour for a clinical foul on Kelly stopping a promising Millers attack the free-kick from Cafu not troubling Christy Pym in the Stags net. With four minutes left of the half the hosts won a corner which was taken by Davis Kiellor-Dunn and headed on by Baily Cargill finding the head of Oates who put the ball under the diving form of Phillips to make it two-all. And it could have been another four minutes later when a super shot from Louis Reed was equalled by a save from Phillips who thrust the ball away from goal.

A minute into the second half the Millers replaced Cafu with Ollie Rathbone while Nigel Clough brought on George Maris for Stephen Quinn quickly followed by Aaron Lewis for Baily Cargill. Ten minutes into the half A Trialist sent a lovely ball across for Georgie Kelly who headed home to put the visitors in front for a third time. Another change for Rotherham saw Lee Peltier make way for Cohen Bramall. And a minute later the Millers made it four-two when Kelly again was there to get his hat-trick heading in a Rathbone cross. Just after the hour mark there were more changes with Sean Morrison, Jamie McCart, A Trialist and Kelly making way for Tyler Blackett, Jake Hull, Ben Wiles and Cameron Humphreys. The hosts had a chance of sixty-five minutes after a cross from Hiram Boateng found Maris in good space but the former Barnsley player sent the ball over the crossbar. Another change for the visitors saw Josh Ayres on for A Trialist which was followed by some good possession from the Stags which saw Rhys Oats try his luck from distance again seeing the ball go over. Mansfield then brought on Scott Flinders, George Cooper, Anthony Hartigan and former Miller Jordan Bowery who replaced Christy Pym, Alfie Kilgour, Louis Reed and Lucas Akins while Curtis Durose and Tolaji Bola went off Seisay and Grant Hall taking over while minutes later Abraham came on for Ciaran McGuckin. Josh Ayres came close for the Millers his shot flying across the goalmouth before both Seisay did well at the other end to clear when Calum MacDonald looked sure to score before good work from Boateng sent Bowery on his way but the strong presence of Blackett stopped him finding the net. In time added on a Rathbone cross found Hull who couldn’t keep the ball down seeing it go over the crossbar.

All in all a good afternoon for the Millers, though Mansfield put them under pressure at times, they did well. And a great afternoon for Irishman Georgie Kelly – who can’t have been anything but proud of his hat-trick.

Attendance – 2,154 with 437 making their way from South Yorkshire.

Teams

Mansfield Town
Pym (Flinders 73)
Johnson
Kilgour (Cooper 73)
Cargill (Lewis 52)
MacDonald
Boateng
Reed (Hartingan)
Quinn (Maris 49)
Keillor-Dunn
Akins (Bowery)
Oates (Gale)

Rotherham United
Phillips
McCart (Humphreys 64)
Cafu (Rathbone 46)
Trialist A (Hull 64)
Kelly (Wiles 64)
Bola (Seisay 73)
Peltier (Bramall 56)
Morrison (Blackett 64)
Trialist B (Ayres 68)
Durose (Hall 73)
McGuckin (Abraham 73)

Sub not used – Johansson