Stalemate at the Valley

A stalemate at Don Valley today means that Wycombe Wanderers are still unbeaten in the League and gives the Millers another point towards survivial.

Wycombe came with one thing in their minds and that was to get a point and the Millers didn’t seem to be able to get round the Choirboys defence. In the opening five minutes, the visitors got a corner and in the goalmouth scramble that followed, both Mike Williamson and Chris Zebroski had shots blocked off the line before Zebroski hammered the ball wide. Pablo Mills had a shot from thirty yards out but his shot went well over the crossbar before Omar Garcia, making his debut for the home side today, received a well placed pass from Dale Tonge but shot over the bar and moments later, Reuben Reid put a shot pitifully wide. On twenty minutes, Reid and Tommy Docherty went for a ball down the line and Reid fell awkwardly and needed to be stretchered off the pitch. Alex Rhodes came on in his place. Garcia nearly got onto a ball after Wycombes MIke Williamson and ‘keeper Scott Shearer left it to one another before Shearer finally hammered it away. On the half-hour, Craig Woodman sent a cross into the area and found Simon Church who chested it down but Ian Sharps and Nick Fenton pressured him into a weak shot. After that the game was very quiet with neither team having a shot at goal.

Ten minutes into the second half Mills, much criticised of late, crossed a good ball to Mickey Cummins whos powerful header brought a brilliant save from Shearer to prevent the Millers taking the lead. At the other end, Simon Church sent a dangerous looking ball into the area which was just too long for Matt Harold as Andy Warrington gathered it in his arms. Alex Rhodes found himself free at the opposit end but his feeble shot was easily saved by Shearer before Church actually put the ball past Warrington at the other end only to find the linesmans flag up for off-side. A Craig Woodman free kick found Dave McCracken who’s volley is blocked on the edge of the box and Sharps had to stop Church from going through on goal by putting the ball out for a corner. Phillips corner curled towards goal but Warrington was on hand to claw the ball out. With twenty minutes to go, Andy Nicholas latched onto a loose ball but saw his shot go just over the crossbar. Wycombe should have opened the scoring when a Tonge’s backpass was woefully short and fell to Harrold but Warrington saved the strikers shot. Five minutes from time, the Millers got a corner and the ball seemed to bounce around the penalty area for an age before Zebroski hacked it away to safety.

Not a pretty game to watch with both teams playing a defensive game but, all in all, a good point for the Millers against a, still unbeaten, Wycombe.