Three Points And A Clean Sheet For Millers

Rotherham United 2-0 Stevenage
Hugill (70)
Wilks (73)


Rotherham United ended the month of October the same as they started it with a win and a clean sheet, this time by two goals to nil at home.

Both teams, management, officials and fans stood in silence to remember the fallen servicemen and women after the rendition of the Last Post before today’s match with captains from each team carrying a wreath of poppies.

Stevenage were on the front foot for the start of the game winning an early corner which Cohen Bramall did well to deflect. On seven minutes the visitors were allowed to get forward with the ball with Harvey White judged to have been fouled by Christ Tiehi the White free-kick not getting any further than the wall of red shirts defending. The first Millers corner came on ten minutes after a Joe Powell free-kick was turned behind with Powell taking the corner but the whistle blew for a foul. For the following ten minutes it was very much stop and start with free-kicks for both sides before a ball from Powell found Zak Jules in the area who brought a save off ‘Boro ‘keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond. Minutes later a Sam Nombe ball found Mallik Wilks who turned in the area sending the ball across the goal but there was nobody there to touch it in. The first yellow of the game went to Rotherham skipper Hakeem Odoffin for a challenge on Daniel Phillips. On the half-hour mark some neat work from Joseph Hungbo, making a rare start, found Wilks who seemed to hurry his shot and saw it rise over the crossbar. A free-kick for the visitors fell to Phillips who put the ball wide before the Millers went down the other end with Joe Rafferty and Odoffin playing together before sending Wilks on his way, who got the better of his marker but not of Ashby-Hammond who put it behind for a corner which came in for Cameron Humphreys whose header was blocked. Both Tiehi and White went in for a challenge, the Millers player coming off worse and then getting booked by referee Sunny Gill the resulting free-kick from Phillips was saved by Millers’ ‘keeper Cameron Dawson at the end of the half.

No changes for either side at the start of the second-half which was five minutes of free-kicks and offsides before Mr Gill took exception to a bad foul on Hakeem Odoffin booking Lewis Freestone. Cohen Bramall took the resulting set-piece which he put over the crossbar into the visiting Stevenage fans. Mallik Wilks had a chance a minute later after some nice work from Christ Tiehi winning a corner which came to nothing. A corner for the visitors saw a foul on Wilks in the area with Eli King the next player to see yellow for the Boro. The first change of the afternoon was just before the hour mark when Jordan Hugill took over from Christ Tiehi for Rotherham with the next Millers change coming four minutes later Jack Holmes coming on for Joseph Hungbo. Rotherham started to look more lively and a good move down the wing, with red shirts waiting in the box, came to a halt when Hugill went over and, much to the annoyance of the majority of the eight thousand nine hundred in the stadium, referee Gill stopped the game. The game started with a ‘drop ball’ that went out for a goal-kick. Two changes for the visitors saw Nick Freeman and Elliot List on for Eli King and Jake Young. Holmes darted down the pitch winning a free-kick only for a Rotherham player adjudged to have handled in the area. With twenty minutes to go Hugill picked up a ball from Sam Nombe just outside the area and shot his effort hitting a purple shirted player on it’s way before looping over Taye Ashby-Hammond and into the net to put the hosts in front. Three minutes later some good play from Holmes saw his cross find Nombe whose shot came off Ashby-Hammond hitting the crossbar before finding Mallik Wilks who left his marker behind before sending the ball into the back of the net to make it two-nil from the tightest of angles. Joe Powell then got the ball in a good position with the fans shouting ‘shooooot’ he did just that but the ball went wide before Wilks had another chance from distance which was blocked before going to safety. Two more changes for the visitors saw Jamie Reid and Kane Smith make way for Tyreece Simpson and Aaron Pressley. As the clock ran down more free-kicks for both sides came to nothing before Harvey White tried his luck from distance which went over the crossbar. There was three minutes of stoppage time which saw Joe Raffety booked for a foul on Simpson before the Millers number two put Cameron Dawson in trouble with a short back-pass which Pressley intercepted and tried to round the Millers ‘keeper before tumbling in a heap. With all Millers fans expecting Mr Gill to give a spot-kick he produced a yellow card for the Stevenage substitute and a free-kick for Rotherham. Two late changes for the hosts saw Alex MacDonald and Reece James replace Joe Powell and Mallik Wilks. Pressley seemed to like the New York pitch and went down again near the half-way line handing the ball as he went with the referee giving a free-kick to Rotherham which they didn’t have time to take before he blew the final whistle.

A home win and, I think, more importantly, a clean sheet. Was it a good game? Not really. Did we have chances? Yes. Did we outplay our opponents? Again, not really. Did we win? Oh yes! And a much needed win it is.

Attendance 8,896 with 437 making their way from Southend

Referee – Sunny Gill