Skipper Cress Wins Game for Millers

A goal two minutes from time from skipper Ryan Cresswell got Rotherham United all three points this afternoon at Don Valley against a lively Lincoln City.

Both teams had various debutants in the side and it was one of those, Josh O`Keefe who nearly opened the scoring for the visitors on four minutes after he rose to meet an Albert Jarrett corner but put the ball over the crossbar. The Millers first real chance came when a bad pass from O`Keefe was pounced on by Tom Newey who passed it towards Adam Le Fondre. With it looking like Le Fondre had over-ran the ball, Nicky Law stepped in and found Kevin Ellison`s head but Vital Rotherham`s Player of last season saw his effort cleared off the line by Watts. With Le Fondre in his usual place, lurking in the box, he found the ball at his feet and, for the third time in three games against Lincoln, smashed the ball into the roof of the net from six yards out. Lincoln started to get into the game and the Millers defence had to stand firm, with Cresswell heading the ball away on a number of occasions. On the half hour mark young loanee, Tom Elliott, received a lovely played in ball from Law but, under pressure, he headed just wide. Five minutes later Kerr was in a good position at the near post to head clear from the first Millers corner of the afternoon. Just before half-time, Law got a cross into the area, finding Elliott, but the tall Leeds loanee headed just behind as Joe Anyon was scrambling across goal. Just before the whistle Ellison shot from ten yards out but Lincoln defender, Anderson, did well to block the shot on the line.

The second half started as the first had finished with Anderson blocking a shot from Ellison and from the resulting corner, Exodus Geohaghon, got to Law`s cross but saw his header blocked by Green. But, after the opening minutes, the Imps got into their stride and it was only a save, at the second attempt, from Andy Warrington, that stopped a Jarrett corner going in the net. On fifty-two minutes, Mustapha Carayol got onto the wrong side of a Millers` defender, cut inside and smashed a right-footed shot past Warrington into the net. Five minutes later, Carayol, again, got past a number of Rotherham players but put the ball just over from a very narrow angle. Just after the hour mark, Le Fondre got the ball from a Dean Holden cross but headed over while
at the other end, former Miller, Drewe Broughton, headed across goal for O`Keefe but Jason Taylor was there to block the ball. With it looking like both teams were going to share the spoils, Mark Bradley, on for Danny Harrison, got a good ball to Law who in turn chipped in a perfect ball for Ryan Cresswell who planted a header into the back of the net from close range, much to the delight of the Millers fans, who proclaimed him ‘a Miller` and the mascot, who today was Ryan`s younger sister.

A good win for the Millers today and I was impressed with all the new boys.