Lincoln City 0 – 1 Rotherham United
Powell (85)
A late Joe Powell goal gave Rotherham United a much deserved New Year’s Day victory away at Lincoln this afternoon.
The Millers started with three changes from the one-all draw at the New York Stadium on Sunday with Alex MacDonald, Cameron Humphreys and Shaun McWilliams all in the starting line-up.
City got the first corner of the game on two minutes which was easy for Dillon Phillips in the Millers’ goal to collect and after a delay for treatment to Paudie O’Connor, MacDonald sent a lovely ball into the area at the other end which City ‘keeper George Wickens was equal to. A defensive header from Zak Jules fell nicely for a Lincoln player who passed when he probably should have shot the ball going behind for a goal-kick. Humphreys won the ball in midfield and went on a forward run before passing to Powell who sent a dangerous cross into the box meant for Mallik Wilks with some good defending by the hosts getting the ball away but only as far as Joe Rafferty whose cross into the box seeing the Lincoln defence again doing it’s job. A minute later more good crossing from Rafferty sent the ball to the back post with Wilks getting to it before shooting wide. At the other end Sean Roughan sent Jack Moylan a ball which he sent towards goal from outside the box but never troubled Phillips before Powell won a ball in the middle of the park sending Wilks on his way the Millers number twelve trying his luck from a tight angle bringing off a save from Wickens. Another good ball in from Rafferty found Wilks who put the ball agonisingly just over the crossbar in front of the away fans. It was very much one way traffic with a cross from McWilliams giving Powell the chance to shoot, his shot blocked before a nice ball in from MacDonald found the head of Humphreys who saw his header go just wide of the upright. A chance for Powell saw his shot blocked before Conor McGrandles set up a chance for Jack Moylan at the other end who saw Phillips get down well to save. MacDonald put the ball into the box for Wilks who skied it when it looked easier to shoot towards goal before Phillips did well to stop a header from Moylan finding the back of the net in time added on at the end of the first half.
At the start of the second-half Alex MacDonald and Cameron Humphreys worked well to send the ball through for Reece James who sent a low cross into an area full of yellow shirted players only for a City player to get there first. Sam Nombe headed the ball on for Joe Powell who tried his luck from outside the box before a cross at the other end from Jack Moylan only found the waiting arms of Dillon Phillips. Just before the hour mark the Millers worked to force Lincoln into an error the ball falling to Nombe whose curling shot could only be parried by George Wickens falling to Shaun McWilliams who went forward forcing the City ‘keeper into a good save. And Wickens was on good form again a minute later when a Joe Rafferty cross found Nombe who headed the ball down for Powell to have a shot which was blocked by the home defence. Humphreys came close too when he took the ball forward before having a shot which looked destined for the top corner but somehow the Imps’ goalkeeper managed to push it behind the following corner finding Hakeem Odoffin who saw Wickens produce an outstanding save from his header to keep the score goalless. The first change of the afternoon saw the Imps fetch on Freddie Draper for Bailey Cadamarteri on sixty-five minutes. A good block from Odoffin stopped a shot from distance from Sean Roughan doing any damage before both Moylan and Ethan Hamilton had shots blocked and a shot from Jovan Makama went both high and wide. Referee Ben Speedie had been shy with his cards until the seventy-fifth minute when Joe Powell fell Ben House and got the first yellow of the afternoon – although the self-same foul a couple of minutes earlier on Rafferty brought nothing. A double substitution from the hosts brought Tom Bayliss and Dylan Duffy off the bench for Ben House and Jack Moylan with the Millers fetching on Cohen Bramall a couple of minutes later to replace Alex MacDonald. And it was Bramall on the eighty-second minute who sent a lovely ball across from Mallik Wilks in the box only for Wickens to be there again to save the shot. Bayliss did the same at the other end for Hamilton but his fellow midfielder sent the ball high and wide. With five minutes to go a good header from Wilks saw Wickens get there but he could only punch away the ball falling to Powell who stabbed home from ten yards out to give the Millers the lead. And it could have been more in time added on after some nice football from Bramall saw him send the ball to McWilliams who saw his shot at goal well saved by Wickens. (How he wasn’t Lincoln’s Man of the Match I am still wondering). The final whistle brought much shouting and singing from the away end of the ground with everyone stopping behind to applaud the players.
An away win in the first game of the new year – making it a double over Lincoln City. And, probably, the best away performance (if not actually the best performance) of the season so far.
Attendance – 9,222 with 963 Happy Singing Chanting Millers in the ground)
Referee – Ben Speedie
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