Mansfield Town 2 Rotherham United 1
Despite Sean Raggett scoring his first goal in a Millers shirt Rotherham United fell to their first defeat of the summer at Field Mill this afternoon.
Rotherham United started well and in the opening five minutes former Millers’ ‘keeper Conrad Logan who did well to palm an Anthony Forde cross-cum-shot away to safety. But soon afterwards at the other end Forde gave away a penalty when he brought down Malvind Benning with Craig Davies putting the spot-kick away to give the hosts the lead. Three minutes later the visitors were level after a Forde corner found Sean Raggett who headed in to make it one-all. Kyle Vassell had a chance minutes later to make it two for the Millers but his header was always climbing while Hayden White did well to deal with a lovely cross in from Michael Smith. At the other end Millers’ ‘keeper Marek Rodak did well to get to a lofted ball in from Benning. A Millers corner came out as far as captain for the day Will Vaulks but his shot from distance was an easy save for Logan before another Rotherham corner is cleared but again only as far as a blue and yellow shirt, this time Matty Palmer, only for him to shoot well over the crossbar. At the other end some nice work between Calum Butcher and Benning the latter put the ball over. After a number of Millers corners a Forde free-kick went just wide. With five minutes of the half to go Krystian Pearce was replaced by Lewis Gibbens. On forty-one minutes some neat work from White found Tyler Walker who found enough space to rifle home from just inside the area making it two-one to the Stags at half-time.
The Millers started the second half with Zak Vyner and Semi Ajayi on for Sean Raggett and Will Vaulks while Mansfield replaced Calum Butcher with Jacob Mellis. It was a quiet start in pouring rain with the first shot of note coming on fifty-three minutes from Kyle Vassell which was high and wide. An Anthony Forde free-kick three minutes later was well punched away by Conrad Logan followed minutes later by a Joe Newell shot going over the crossbar. Just after the hour mark Logan did well to get down to a header from Billy Jones. Mansfield brought on Lee Angol and Omari Sterling-James for Tyler Walker and Neal Bishop while the Millers replaced Marek Rodak, Anthony Forde, Michael Smith, Joe Newell, Ben Purrington, Matty Palmer and Clark Robertson with Lewis Price, Joe Mattock, Ryan Williams, Richard Wood, Ben Wiles, Jon Taylor and David Ball and minutes later Billy Jones and Kyle Vassell making way for Michael Ihiekwe and Jamie Proctor. A lovely ball in from Ball to the far post didn’t quite find Taylor followed by a curling kick from Williams which was an easy save for Logan. Another change for the hosts saw Jordan Graham replace Craig Davies. Proctor, playing in his first game for eleven months, saw a shot bobble just wide of the post soon followed by a Mattock corner which found the head of Proctor but went out for a goal-kick. In the last minute of the game Ball found Williams who controlled the ball well but his back-heel was blocked by a Mansfield defender and at the other end an Alex MacDonald strike went inches over Rodak’s crossbar.
Stags
Logan
White
Preston (Gibbens)
Benning
Pearce
Bishop (Sterling-James)
MacDonald
Davies (Graham)
Butcher (Mellis)
Walker (Angol)
Hamilton
Millers
Rodak (Price)
Jones (Ihiekwe)
Raggett (Vyner)
Purrington (Wiles)
Robertson (Ball)
Vaulks (Ajayi)
Palmer (Taylor)
Forde (Mattock)
Newell (Wood)
Vassell (Proctor)
Smith (Williams)
Crowd – 2,083 (466 Millers)
