Spoils shared at Don Valley

Once again Rotherham United failed to take their chances and ended up throwing two points away this evening against Shrewsbury Town as they hung on for a one all draw at Don Valley

After Millers fans had answered the call this morning to go to Don Valley and help move the snow off the pitch to get the game on it looked like their efforts had been rewarded when Adam Le Fondre was fouled by Graham Coughlan on the twelfth minute, in the area and scored from the penalty spot. But Rotherham should have been two or three up by then. In the first minute a decent ball in from Gavin Gunning found Tom Pope in the area but the tall centre-forward hit the ball just over the bar. A minute later, Nicky Law hit a good ball but it went just wide. On five minutes, David Button made a good save from Le Fondre while, a minute later, the visitors had their first shot at goal when Jamie Cureton found himself with room to shoot but sent the ball well wide. But then came the first goal. Le Fondre had control of the ball and went by Graham Coughlan who seemed to catch the Millers striker and the referee pointed to the spot. Le Fondre took the penalty and smashed the shot straight down the middle giving Button little chance but to pick it out of the back of the net. Kevin Ellison and Gunning had shots saved by Button while Ian Sharps saw a shot go just over the bar. Then, gradually, the Shrews started to get back in the game. Dave Hibbert and Jake Robinson combined well and both had shots that went wide of the target and Andy Warrington had a scary moment on thirty-four minutes when a long ball fell to Cureton, who was just about to let fly, when the Assistant Referee put the flag up for a very close off-side. Two minutes before half-time Hibbert pulled away from Lynch and his shot was well pushed round the post by Warrington and minutes later the veteran goalkeeper made another good save from Paul Murray. But, just before the half-time whistle, Town`s pressure paid off and Robinson cut inside to play a good ball to Murray whose shot Warrington did well to palm away but the ball fell to Steven Leslie who slotted the ball in the net to make it one-one.

The start of the second half saw Town grow in confidence and on the hour mark Hibbert found himself one on one with Warrington but hesitated just long enough for Ian Sharps to get a foot in and put the ball out to safety. Warrington pulled off some more good saves, one in particular from Leslie who was through on goal but as he shot, Warrington managed to get down and put the ball out for a corner. Minutes later Warrington saved his side again when he closed Hibbert down and made an excellent save from the former Miller. The game had a lengthy stoppage when Craig Disley, who had been on the pitch less than ten minutes, turned and caught his ankle as he went down in the Don Valley mud and he had to be given oxygen before he was stretchered off . In the final minute of the six added on at the end, Ian Sharps clumsily brought down Kelvin Langmead on the edge of the area. Leslie took the free-kick but his curling ball didn`t bother Andy Warrington.

ANDY WARRINGTON - who said, after the game, that he thought it was a fair result. He said that the Millers started well and bossed the game for the first forty minutes but failed to capitalise on the chances they had

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