Ten Goal Thriller at the Valley

It was certainly a game of two halves this afternoon at Don Valley Stadium in a game that everything. Ten goals, two penalties that were both missed and a hat-trick – what else could you ask for?

The game wasn`t five minutes old when the visitors took the lead after Danny Andrews cross found Jeff Goulding unmarked and the former Bournemouth striker put the ball easily past Andy Warrington in the Millers` goal. On ten minutes the Millers had their first attack when Tom Newey sent Kevin Ellison off on a run but his shot was saved by Scott Brown. The equaliser came on sixteen minutes when Tom Elliott sent a neat cross to Adam Le Fondre and the Millers` striker smashed the ball into the back of the net from sixteen yards out. Three minutes later the Millers defence was caught out again when Josh Low was given time to get a shot on goal but, luckily for Rotherham, he put his shot wide. Nicky Law should have put the Millers in front on twenty-five minutes when a Town defender sent a short ball to ‘keeper Brown letting Law in. Brown managed to get down to save but the ball bounced out to Law who blazed over the ball. Just before the half-hour mark hesitation between Warrington and his defence let in Wes Thomas who put the Robins back in front. Eight minutes later the visitors went further into the lead when Thomas walked past Dean Holden, after a bad ball from Exodus Geohaghon, and played Shaun Jeffers in, who had just come on from the subs bench to replace Goulding. Jeffers didn`t need asking twice and seeing that Warrington wasn`t coming to challenge him he slipped the ball into the net. The Millers pulled it back to three-two just before the break when Danny Harrison lofted a shot over Brown and into the back of the net.

The second half started with a penalty for the Millers after Elliott was bundled over and up stepped Le Fondre only to see his penalty saved by Brown but the rebound fell to the striker and he placed it into the back of the net. A minute later and the Millers took the lead for the first time this afternoon. Tom Newey`s free-kick was headed on by Holden and who should be there but Le Fondre to get his hat-trick. Five minutes later the skipper got in on the act when a Law corner was met by Ryan Cresswell`s head and increased the Millers` lead. Le Fondre could have got his fourth ten minutes later but Brown made a good save although he wasn`t so fortunate on sixty-six minutes when Law found Le Fondre just outside the area and he had time to steady himself, look up and put the ball into the corner of the net. Referee Tierney gave the visitors a penalty after Jeffers had smashed the ball onto the post and it rebounded into a melee of Rotherham players. No one is quite sure what happened but a penalty was given and Thomas took it but Warrington brought off a brilliant save. Warrington saved ten minutes from time from Artus and an effort by Jeffers was well blocked by Cresswell. But the visitors weren`t finished and on ninety minutes a corner from Andrew found Keith Lowe who headed the ball into the net to make it six-four!