Millers beat ten man Imps

A game that could have produced a feast of goals saw Rotherham United do the double over Lincoln City at Millmoor this afternoon.

The visitors looked more like scoring from the start and Louis Dodds and Mark Stallard hit shots just over the bar while Andy Warrington in the Millers goal saved shots from Jamie Forrester and Dodds before Lee Ridley wrestled the ball of Derek Holmes half way into The Millers half and laid it into the path of Dodds who curled the ball just past the fingertips of Warrington to put the Imps one up. A minute later, Forrester could have made it two-nil but he mis-hit his shot and it sailed past the upright into the Tivoli stand. The Millers, perhaps against run of play, got a free kick which Ian Ross took finding Marc Joseph whose vigorous shot went flying past 'keeper Alan Marriott to level the score. Mark Hudson and Marc Newsham could have put the Millers in front before the interval but saw their shots go wide of the post.

The start of the second half saw Rotherham getting straight into the attack with Chris O'Grady seeing a shot go over the bar, a cross by Ross was saved by Marriott followed by a cross from Marc Newsham, on for Derek Holmes in the first half, that was cleared by Lee Beevers, Ian Sharps had a header saved by Marriott and Chris O'Grady had a shot cleared off the line before an off the ball incident between Mark Stallard and Marc Joseph saw Stallard red carded. From the resulting free kick the Millers got a corner which was initially scrambled away but only to Mark Hudson who drilled the ball through a crowd of players and into the back of the net. Within minutes, Chris O'Grady should have had two more goals, the first shot going just over the bar and the second was cleared by Beevers. Ross also saw a shot from eighteen yards out sail over the bar before Marc Newsham outpaced Beevers and cooly slotted the ball past Marriot to make it three-one. Hudson had the chance to make it four but was denied by Marriott and from the resulting corner, Ryan Taylor headed against the upright, the ball then coming to Harrison who blazed high and wide into the Millers fans in the Tivoli. Warrington was called into action when Ben Wright, on for Forrester, got his head to a Paul Green free kick but the Millers 'keeper managed to block it. O'Grady should have hit the target from close range but put his shot over the bar and that resulted in Wright and Dany N'Guessan, on for Shane Clarke, exchanging passes and Wright slipping the ball under Warrington to make the last few minutes of the game a bit nervy for the Millers supporters.

Mark Robins team really had to get the three points today after a week of turmoil and unrest in the club and the home fans went home mostly happy but knowing that once again a number of chances had gone begging.

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