Millers Go Down At Bury

Rotherham United went in at half-time of this game one-nil up and looking much the better team. So, who swapped them at half-time then? Because the second half performance was so below par it was unbelievable.

Kevin Ellison had the first chance of the first half after getting a cross from Dale Tonge but he scuffed his shot. Shakers ‘keeper, Wayne Brown saved his side when he twice denied Nicky Law and smothered the ball from Adam Le Fondre who, perhaps, should have taken the ball round Brown to score. That was Brown’s last bit of the action as he was injured and replaced by Cameron Belford. Although Andy Warrington in the other goal had a quiet half, Ryan Lowe headed just over after Dave Buchanan had sent in a good cross. In the four minutes of time added on, the visitors pressure paid off and Kevin Ellison’s corner went straight into the back of the net, causing the Millers’ fans behind the goal to shout with delight and sing even louder than they had been doing.

The second half began and, with Rotherham looking out of sorts from the off, it didn’t take long for Bury to get an equaliser. Substitute, Richie Baker, played a great through ball to Ryan Lowe who caught the Millers defence napping and put it into the net. Danny Racchi had a shot next, which Warrington saved and Pablo Mills had to block when Mike Jones hit one from six yards out. Then, referee, David Webb, played a blinder by being able to see from some twenty yards away what his assistant couldn’t from five yards away as he judged that Ian Sharps had taken down Lowe, when, Sharps had clearly got the ball. But, justice was done because Stephen Dawson’s penalty was saved by Warrington and the rebound, which found it’s way back to Dawson was volleyed over the crossbar. With ten minutes left, a lucky deflected cross from Jones fell to Baker who side-footed the ball past Warrington to give the home side the lead. At the other end, Ellison took a free kick which forced Belford to get down low and save and in time added on, the Millers almost snatched an equaliser when they got a corner and the ball seemed to have come off Sharps head and go over the line but Belford managed to palm it away to safety.

From looking like a team in the top four in the first half to looking like a team dropping quickly down the league in the second half, I, for one, would like to know what happened out there today.