Taylor Made Win for Millers

Although Morecambe came to Don Valley and fought to the death, Rotherham United managed to hold onto a win and all three points this evening.

The first half was seven minutes old before there was a shot at goal and it was the home sides Dale Tonge who crossed the ball goalwards only to be thwarted by defender Danny Adams and from the resulting corner, a shot by Danny Harrison, some twenty yards out, was blocked by Jim Bentley in the area. At the other end, Ian Sharps had to be on his toes to clear after a Michael Twiss free kick floated dangerously near the goal. Reuben Reid had a shot which was easily saved by Barry Roche in the visitors goal before a Reid cross found the head of Ryan Taylor whose shot could only be parried by Roche but luckily for the Shrimps it was cleard for a corner. After Sharps again made a clearance, this time from Adam Yates, the resulting corner found ex Miller David Artell but his shot was tipped over the bar by Warrington. Just after the half hour mark, Mark Hudson saw a shot go well wide and a few minutes later Artell had to clear from a Hudson corner. As it looked like it was going to be goaless at half time Dale Tonge skipped down the right hand side, beat Mark Duffy and crossed to Ryan Taylor whose bullet like header sailed past Roche and into the back of the net.

The second half was only minutes old when a header from Nick Fenton hit the bar but on six minutes Morecambe got the equaliser. A good run and pass from Rene Howe found Diarmuid O’Carroll and the striker sidefooted the ball past Warrington and into the net. The Millers tried to get the lead back and Harrison had a shot from thiry yards out which was easily cleared by a defender and Sharps had a header that went over the bar and at the other end Sharps cleared from Jim Bentley. In the eighty-seventh minute, Mark Robins replaced Mark Hudson with Jason Taylor and the midfielder had only been on the pitch a minute when a Jamie Green cross was controlled by Ryan Taylor and passed to the substitute who fired the Millers back into the lead. Eight minutes later Jim Bentley handled in the penalty area and Mark Burchill, on for Reid, slotted the penalty past Roche. With four minutes of injury time indicated, the visitors never-say-die attitude got them a goal when Bentley scored an unstoppable shot past Warrington but the Millers managed to hold out.

A much better display by the Millers tonight although some of the passing was still a bit hit and miss.