Millers drop points at Don Valley

After taking a two-nil lead Rotherham United threw away two points this afternoon at Don Valley Stadium as well as having Nick Fenton sent off for a lunge on Aaron Webster.

Both teams pussy footed around in the opening minutes of the game with the only shot being one from Tom Pope which visiting 'keeper, Shane Redmond collected with ease. The first Miller to test Redmond was Adam Le Fondre with a looping header and at the other end a Steve Kabba shot had to be turned round the post by Andy Warrington and a further shot by Kabba was well saved by the Millers' 'keeper. The Millers had a penalty appeal turned down when a shot by Le Fondre hit Redmond, rebounded to Nicky Law whose shot appeared to be blocked by Tony James' hands but referee Hooper wasn't having any of it. Two minutes later the Millers fans were delighted when a Pope header was only cleared as far as Ian Sharps and his shot was clearly handled by Paul Boertien and Le Fondre stepped up and put the resulting penalty into the back of the net.

The Millers' were up for it as they reappeared for the second half and within minutes Adam Rundle and Pope had shots saved on the line while a lob by Le Fondre bounced to safety off the top of the crossbar. Pope had another shot but Redmond saved well and Gary Roberts saw a shot well blocked on the line by Darren Stride before Rundle hit the ball well over. A goal looked on the cards for the Millers and on the sixty-third minute an error by Stride let Le Fondre in behind him and the striker cheekily stabbed the ball over the line for his and the Millers second of the day. But, Burton hit back straight away when a shot by Kabba fell to Webster on the far post and he cut inside and blasted the ball past Warrington. The Millers went down to ten men after Nick Fenton lunged at Webster on the half-way line, for what appears to be no reason, and took an early walk to the dressing room. The visitors began to get on top and it was not much of a surprise when they equalised with five minutes to go with a goal from Greg Pearson. The Millers nearly got the winner in the dying minutes when a Nicky Law corner was met by the head of Marc Joseph, on for Rundle, but went just over the crossbar.

It wasn't good today. We seemed to be second best in the first half but then when we were cruising at two up we seem to lose the plot. Why Fenton had to scythe down the Albion player on the half-way line, when he wasn't going anywhere I, and probably he, has no idea. I know I keep saying this, but we really have to get the ball to Le Fondre and Pope's feet and stop lobbing it up in the air.

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for the British GP

Seconds Out! Vital Boxing is here!