Millers draw with Daggers

The Millers came away from a sunny Dagenham with a point after going behind to a Paul Benson goal in the fiftieth minute.

The Millers were the stars of the first half and it was amazing how they went in at half-time still at nil-nil. Within the first two minutes, red-booted Alex Rhodes, skipped his way into the area but put his shot wide of the goal. Dagenham then had a few minutes of possession but Andy Warrington saved from Richard Graham and Benson before the visitors chased up the other end and Pablo Mills unleashed a shot from thirty yards out that was well saved by Tony Roberts (who, incidentely, spent the first forty-five minutes entertaining the Millers fans with his antics and was applauded off by the away supporters). Drewe Broughton then had the ball in the back of the net but a linesmans flag for offside stopped the celebrating. On the twentieth minute, Broughton flicked the ball over to Alex Rhodes whose shot was palmed round the post by Roberts and then minutes later, Reuben Reid unleashed a shot that went just wide. Danny Harrison and Broughton had other shots blocked before Warrington was brought back into the action and turned a shot from Sam Saunders round the post for a corner. Just before half-time, the opportunity of the half came from Reid when he ran at the home sides defence but saw his shot, once again, pushed round the post by the impressive Roberts.

The Daggers came out looking better equipt to cope for the second half and four minutes into the game Benson chased a ball down and his strike shot past Warrington and into the far corner of the net. And they should have doubled the lead a few minutes later when Solomon Taiwo tried to do the same as Benson but Andy Warrington managed to get a hand to it and sent it wide. Daggers were controlling the game and Scott Griffiths saw his shot go across goal and it was the seventieth minute before the Millers got into the game when Rhodes hammered a shot just wide from twenty yards out. The Millers never say die attitude took over and with five minutes to go the Daggers keeper and defence failed to deal with a bouncing ball and substitute, Mark Burchill scrambled the ball over the line for the equaliser.

On reflection a draw was a good result and a point nearer the ‘magic’ zero for the Millers.