Millers bow out of Cup

Rotherham United took Championship side West Bromwich Albion to extra time and were minutes away from penalties when £1.9m summer signing, Simon Cox scored his first goal for the Baggies in the 117th minute.

Rotherham matched the home side all night and it was Nicky Law who had the first shot at goal although Dean Kiely, West Brom's 'keeper made an easy save. Jamie Green was given the job of marking ex Miller Reuben Reid and in the first minutes he muscled him off the ball before Albion took a fortunate lead. Craig Beattie crossed for Roman Bednar, who was in an offside position and ran in front of Andy Warrington. Luckily for Albion, Bednar was deemed not to have touched the ball as it rolled into the far corner of the net. Ten minutes later a cross by Reid found Graham Dorrens but Dale Tonge was on hand to block his shot. The visitors then stunned the home fans into silence when an inch-perfect ball by Green found the head of Cummins and he powered the ball past Kiely. Shortly afterwards a low shot by Beattie was well palmed away by Warrington to keep it at one all in the first half

The Millers came out the better side of the first half and were unlucky to find themselves behind again on the fifty-first minute when a ball by Bednar found Dorrens whose neat finish ended up in the back of the net. Almost immediately the Millers levelled the score when a Nicky Law corner found Tom Pope unmarked and the striker made no mistake with his header as he got his first goal for Rotherham. Before the ninety minutes were up, Warrington got a hand to a shot by Simon Cox which once again allowed Tonge to put the ball away to safety. Minutes later Danny Harrison had a shot from distance but it was easily saved by Kiely.

Extra Time and Dorrans came close to scoring but Warrington was on hand to palm the ball away. In the ninety-ninth minute Ryan Taylor won a header in the box which fell to Albions' Leon Barton but his clearance found Pope whose fierce drive gave Kiely no chance as it flew into the net. But the League Two team couldn't hold on and Beattie scored his second goal smashing it past Warrington from twenty yards out. Everyone was getting ready for a penalty shoot out when, a good run from Chris Wood found Cox in the area and he slid the ball into the net. In time added on in extra time, the Millers got a free kick which the impressive Nicky Law took and only a smart save from Kiely stopped the Millers from equalising.

This was a good game for any neutral supporter at the ground today with both teams playing some good entertaining football. But a lot of us Millers fans will feel gutted about losing tonight after all the effort the team put in.

A team effort tonight and special mentions have to go to Nicky Law who ran his socks off and Pablo Mills who was the heart of defence but, because he ran until he could run no more, I am giving tonights star player to

TOM POPE

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