Reaction To Millers Trophy Win

Rotherham United looked like their latest trip to Wembley was going to end in defeat until loanee Jordi Osei-Tutu popped in a very late equaliser to send the game to extra time when the Millers were just ‘too much’ for League Two Sutton United yesterday.

Speaking after the four-two win Millers Manager Paul Warne spoke to Sky Sports saying that he thought our opponents were ‘braver’ than his own team in the first half saying and towards the end of the game was trying thinking of how he was going to word the commiseration speech.

‘We knew Sutton were a really good team and we looked really nervous although we were a lot better in the second half and created enough chances to get back in it. But if Sutton had won it I’d have had no complaints as I thought they were excellent. I knew they’d have to be really good to beat us and they were. My fear was that if we lost here then what would it do to our next game. I know football fans are a bit fickle and if we win this game then they’d turn up on Saturday against Charlton and be really proud of their team if we lost then they’d turn up and the moans would get greater and greater. So I’m really pleased we won and hope we can take this positive into the game on Saturday.

‘All the goals were unbelievable today, including Suttons. But it was a phycological blow for them when we scored late on to equalise and our lads looked a little bit fitter which carried on into extra time and fortunately we scored two goals.’

Surprisingly, the Rotherham management team didn’t know the game would involve extra time expecting it to, like it has in all the other rounds, go straight to penalties.

‘We haven’t been at our best in the last five league games,’ Warney admitted saying, ‘and you do get dips in the season and I think we’ve had a lot of fatigue. I hope the lads enjoy this win, though not too much (!), and go into the weekend fresh and be really confident in themselves. They never give up and always go to the final whistle.

Warney then went on to talk about the club saying that the players are just a tip of the iceberg with everyone else – all the staff and the fans – below it.

In the dressing room Sky Sports went on to talk to Jordi Osei-Tutu whose first goal for the club took the game to extra time with the Arsenal loanee saying, ‘I’m very happy with the goal. I had a dream last night that I’d score and Wembley. It’s just a dream come true but the most important thing is that the team won. Sutton really pushed us to the end and I thought they were on top in the first half. But going into extra time they looked fatigue and we took advantage of that. We need to enjoy this now and then it’s back to business.’

Scorer of the third Millers goal at Wembley Chieo Ogbene told Radio Sheffield that winning the trophy is a ‘special moment for everyone’ saying, ‘we were two-one down and the equaliser in the ninety-sixth minute just shows what we are about. We went on to show our dominance towards the end of the game and I’m just so proud of everyone here and how hard we’ve all worked to win this competition.’ Saying he was delighted with his goal, Chieo carried on, ‘The ball sat well for me and I’m fortunate that it went in. But it was a team effort today.’

Striker Michael Smith said that Sutton played ‘really well’ carrying on, ‘but us scoring really late like that probably took the stuffing out of them and our fitness and quality showed through in the end.’

Rotherham born midfielder Ben Wiles who scored the first equaliser said he was ‘buzzing’ saying he was just ‘happy and grateful to play’. Asked about his goal he said, ‘I just hit it and it went in and I’m really glad it did. But full credit to Sutton United who just kept fighting and they should be proud of their performance. Our main priority is the league now and hopefully we can get the job done.’

Skipper Richard Wood collected another trophy at Wembley for Rotherham yesterday said he was ‘very, very happy’ to have done that. ‘I loved lifting that trophy, even though I got covered in champagne which I don’t like. It’s moments like this you remember and it’s unbelievable playing here. I thought we were a bit rusty and credit to Sutton who I thought were very good. There was a bit of confusion when it went to extra time as we thought it was straight to penalties. We’d used all our subs and I had to play on. We need to use this as a springboard now for the next few weeks.’

Scorer of the fourth goal Michael Ihiekwe said he felt ‘amazing’. ‘To come here, win at Wembley and get a goal is stuff you dream of. It’s brilliant. We know we are a fit group and we showed it today.’

We did show our fitness and we did show that we never give up.

Up The Millers – Papa John Trophy 2022 Winners!