Seven Up For Millers
Parkgate 0-7 Rotherham United
Kayode (7), Crooks (20, 43),
Smith (29), Proctor (63, 73 (pen)), Morris (84)
Rotherham United’s first pre-season friendly of the summer got underway at Roundwood this afternoon – after a fifteen minute delay due to the number of spectators!
Sporting next season’s new home kit the Millers started with a strong team which saw new boy Dan Barlaser in the line-up.
The first real chance of the game came on seven minutes from Kyle Vassell who brought off a good save from the Steelmen’s ‘keeper with the first goal coming from the resulting corner with a good finish from Joshua Kayode to put the Millers in front. Minutes later it could have been two after another corner saw Kayode head just wide. A free-kick for the home side saw Lewis Price, in the Millers goal, get down well to a shot from midfielder Simon Harrison. On twenty minutes the Millers doubled their lead with Matt Crooks having time to get the ball under control before slotting it in the net and just before the half-hour mark a super curving shot from Michael Smith found the top corner to make it three-nil. Lewis Whitaker saw a shot go wide from the hosts before Chris Butt, in the Steelmen’s goal stopped Barlaser getting his first in a Rotherham shirt with the resulting corner falling to Michael Ihikewe who’s shot hit the post and went out to safety. With a couple of minutes to go before the end of the half Butt stopped a shot from Barlaser but the ball fell to Crooks to get his second of the half and the Millers’ fourth.
A different team came out for the Millers for the second half, except for Lewis Price, seeing first minutes for Matthew Olosunde, Julien Lamy, Shaun MacDonald, Carlton Morris and Freddie Ladapo.
The opening minutes of the second forty-five saw a super solo run from Ben Wiles before he let fly with a good finger-tip save round the post by Chris Butt keeping the ball out. On the hour mark Butt was there again to keep out a shot from Jamie Proctor after he was set up by Julien Lamy. Three minutes later Butt kept out a shot from Carlton Morris but not the tap-in that followed from Proctor to put the visitors five-up. Shaun MacDonald sent a lovely ball in to for Fredie Ladapo but Butt was equal to the strike which was followed shortly afterwards with a shot from Lamy which hit the outside netting. This was the Frenchman’s last action of the afternoon as he left the field with a knock. The Millers continues with ten men. The Millers were awarded a penalty after Matthew Olosunde was fouled in the box with Proctor making it six-nil from the penalty spot. It might have been seven minutes later but after a shimmy from Ladapo on the edge of the box he saw his shot go just over the crossbar. But the seventh came with six minutes to go when a deflected shot from Morris found its way into the far corner of the net.
Parkgate – Butt, Yates, Russell, Starosta(c), Ward (Crooks 45), L.Whitaker (Collinson 45) Rippon (Howard 45), Harrison, Holden (Fusco 45), Bagley, Valladolid-Collins (Thornton 45)
Millers First Half – Price; Jones, Ihiekwe, Wood, Mattock; Ajayi, Barlaser, Crooks; Kayode, Smith, Vassell
Millers Second Half – Price; Olosunde, Cooper, Robertson, Hinds; Lamy, Wiles, MacDonald; Morris, Ladapo, Proctor
Attendance – 1,536 – a record breaking crowd!