Millers Put Three Past Bantams

Three goals in eleven minutes was enough to see a good start to 2012 for Rotherham United this afternoon against Bradford City.

The Millers came out the stronger and forced two corners in the first minute and after that there was very little between the two sides at a cold Don Valley this afternoon. The Millers latest loanee, Rhys Taylor, who only joined today, had little to do and even a powerful shot from James Hanson went straight at him. On twenty minutes some good passing between Chris Holroyd and Lewis Grabban finally found Jason Taylor who fired over from just outside the area. Five minutes later Rhys Taylor had to be quick off his line to foil a header from Hanson and, at the other end, Danny Harrison, who had been off the pitch receiving treatment to a head injury for some time, tried a shot from thirty yards out that sailed wide over Jon McLaughlin’s bar. Three minutes from half-time, Rhys Taylor misjudged a Robbie Threlfall corner, punching it high into the air and with Andrew Davies and Taylor both going for the hanging ball, Davies was all over the Millers ‘keeper and referee Madley blew for a foul just as Luke Oliver had time to control the ball and shoot. The best effort of the first half came right at the end when Grabban fed the ball to Danny Schofield and his low shot went just wide of the goal.

City perhaps could have opened the scoring in the first two minutes of the second half when a long free-kick from Threlfall eventually Oliver who flicked it towards Hanson but the Bantams top scorer couldn’t quite get on the end of it. At the other end Sam Wood got a good ball to Johnny Mullins who’s header went just wide. On fifty-seven minutes a hard drive from Schofield was parried away and fell to Holroyd only for the Millers striker to be flagged off-side. It seemed to be all Rotherham and it wasn’t a surprise when they took the lead. McLaughlin couldn’t hang onto a cross and, with Alex Revell challenging him, the ball fell to Grabban who slammed the ball into the net to open the scoring. Four minutes later the Millers were awarded a penalty when McLaughlin rushed out of his area and bowled Sam Wood over when he was clean through on goal. Why he wasn’t shown at least a yellow card, no one knows, but he was unable to save Grabban’s spot kick which made it two-nil to the Millers. On seventy-one minutes, Brett Williams replaced Chris Holroyd and three minutes later Williams, seeing the Bantams ‘keeper off his line, unleashed a shot from forty-yards out which McLaughlin didn’t seem to know how to handle as he first looked as though he would punch it, changed his mind and tried to catch it but as he was still back-peddling, the momentum took both him and the ball over the line for goal number three. In the final ten minutes McLaughlin did well to tip over a stinging shot from Grabban as the Millers striker looked for his hat-trick and, at the other end, Mark Stewart, on for Leeds United loanee, Charlie Taylor, had a header which hit the far post having beaten Rhys Taylor and rolled away to safety.

Well, if someone had told me at half-time we’d win (and comfortably) this game three-nil I’d have thought they were barmy! A poor and boring first half from both sides was brought to life by the Millers in the second half and, in the end, it’s a good three points and sees us move up to tenth place.