Millers woes continue

Two goals in five minutes in the second half added to the Millers woes this afternoon at Don Valley.

Mark Robins fielded a much changed side as he has had to deal with suspensions and injuries this week, but, to me, the side he played today were superior to the one we’ve seen in the last few games.

The home side started brightly and Drewe Broughton brought City ‘keeper Rhys Evans into the game in the first minute when he made a save from the tall Millers striker. Jamie Green got the ball from Dale Tonge a few minutes later but he shot wide of goal before Broughton again saw a powerful header go wide. Both Broughton and returning striker, Ryan Taylor, had good possession in a first half that saw the visitors on the back foot for big parts of the half. Ten minutes before half-time Millers ‘keeper, David Stockdale, on loan from Fulham, brought off a brilliant save when Luke O’Brien shot from twenty yards out and the ball took a deflection which must have been seen late by Stockdale who managed to make a one handed save to keep the Millers in the game.

Stuart McCall’s half-time team talk woke City up and they came out fighting in the second half and Peter Thorne had a shot which eventually went past the post to safety. At the other end, a Peter Holmes corner found Nick Fenton but the defender headed over the bar and a few minutes later Dale Tonge struck the ball well but it went just over. Jamie Green then saw a shot deflected just wide of the far post. And then against the run of play, City scored. O’Brien ran towards goal unchecked and his low drive flew into the net. But the Millers should have equalised straight away when Marc Joseph found Broughton’s head whose shot was tipped on the bar by Evans and somehow, in the melee that followed, the ball was kicked away to safety. From that City left the Millers defenders behind and Nicky Law was given far too much room in the penalty area and he put the ball low into the net for goal number two. The home side would have pulled one back but for a good save by Evans with five minutes to go after Peter Holmes had unleashed a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area.

I think Mark Robins will feel like his team were robbed today although the Millers will have to learn to take their chances, of which they had plenty today.