RUFC – Robins ‘it was an excellent game’

Rotherham United Manager, Mark Robins was pleased with all his team today after their 2-1 win over Rochdale at Don Valley.

‘We coped with everything Rochdale had to throw at us,’ he told the Official Site, ‘infact, it was an excellent game. Before the first goal went in we could have had two or three and Adam Le Fondre was a threat all afternoon. Tom Pope worked his socks off and Nicky Law was outstanding. The only downside to the game is that I thought we backed off a little in the second half.’

After the U2 concert on Thursday there had been promises from the Don Valley staff that the pitch would be OK, although a little yellow in patches. Well, it was a little yellow all on one side of the park! Mark Robins said he was shocked at the state it was in. ‘The top end of the pitch is fine,’ he said, ‘but the other end is like a desert. But, you just have to live with it and it was the same for both sides.’

Rochdale Manager, Keith Hill said that the game should never have been played and Rochdale have put a report in to the referee about it.

Millers groundsman, Jim Davison, had only had twelve hours before the game to work on the pitch and Robins said, ‘I am sure it will be in better condition next time we play here.’ Well, to be honest, it couldn’t be much worse – it’s actually worse now than it was when we first went to Don Valley last summer and I fully expected to see arabs on camels appearing on it today! I’m not sure anything but a re-laid pitch is going to be the answer – but who would pay for that is anyone’s guess.