Rotherham United started October in eighth place in the Championship but with no Manager, Lee Peltier and Richard Wood taking over the job in joint-caretaker capacity.
Wigan Athletic were the visitors on the first of the month and a goal in each half saw them win the game two-nil. Richard Wood was disappointed after the game saying, ‘this wasn’t our usual self and we conceded two sloppy goals but credit to Wigan who bullied us.’
A statement later that evening from the club announced that they had been given permission to speak to Exeter City Manager Matt Taylor. Three days later Taylor and his assistant Wayne Carlisle were at the helm.
And the new Manager got his first point in the next game which was at home to Millwall. Ben Wiles won a penalty for the hosts on nine minutes which Dan Barlaser duly put away but Zian Flemming’s thunderbolt of a shot before half-time saw the Lions go back to London with a point. Speaking after the draw Matt Taylor said he’d ‘loved’ some aspects of our play but was ‘concerned’ about others.
A game away at Blackburn Rovers was next on the calendar and although the Millers started brightly and probably should have had a penalty when a Tom Eaves shot appeared to come off the hand of a Blackburn play but it was Rovers who got a penalty minutes later scored and went on to get two more goals and a three-nil win.
Back at the New York Stadium for the next match which saw Huddersfield Town and the Sky camera’s the visitors and Matt Taylor’s first win as Rotherham Boss. Conor Washington opened the scoring on twenty-five minutes for the hosts but just four minutes later Town had equalised. Georgie Kelly came off the bench and three minutes later scored the winner for the Millers.
The games were coming thick and fast and a Tuesday night trip to Staffordshire to take on Stoke City was next up for Rotherham. A goal on six minutes from Ollie Rathbone gave the visitors their first away victory of the season – but it was also thanks to Viktor Johansson and his defenders as the Potters bombarded the Millers goal for pretty much the rest of the game.
Back home for the next game when Hull City were in town. And it was a game that saw six goals. Jacob Greaves scored for the visitors on forty-four minutes but Dan Barlaser got an equaliser in time added on. City went on to score three more before Georgie Kelly got a consolation for the hosts when he converted a Tom Eaves cross making it four-two. ‘We were a yard short all over the pitch,’ Matt Taylor said after the game.
Jonathan Hill joined the Millers as First Team Assistant Coach, his first time in the dugout being away at Coventry City.
Twice Rotherham went ahead in the re-arranged game at the Coventry Building Society Arena and twice were pegged back. Cohen Bramall scored his first goal for the Millers just before half-time but Gustavo Hamer equalised on seventy-six minutes. Conor Washington gave the Millers back the lead three minutes later but City won a penalty off Richard Wood in time added on which was put away by Viktor Gyokeres making it two-all.
The last game of the month saw the Millers travel to Wales to take on Cardiff City with the hosts winning one-nil. To be fair the players looked a little weary in this game and Cardiff might have had a bigger score line but for some good defending.
Vital Rotherham’s Man of the Month for October was, not unsurprisingly, Viktor Johansson.
After a busy month the Millers ended October in thirteenth place in the Championship with twenty-two points with Bristol City and Blackpool on the same points but a worse goal difference.
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And the new Manager got his first point in the next game which was at home to Millwall.
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