Stalemate at the Valley

Rotherham United were held this afternoon at Don Valley by a Cheltenham side who got what they came to get - a point.

Starting the livlier, Adam Le Fondre ran onto a ball from Pablo Mills but couldn't quite get it under control. Two minutes later a poor clearance by the visitors fell to Le Fondre but he was flagged offside and just afterwards a Kevin Ellison shot was easily saved by Scott Brown in Towns' goal. Justin Richards had two chances to put Cheltenham in front, the first he skied that high, it came back down with snow on and the second he headed into the side netting. Then, the comic moment of the game - Shane Duff, the Robins' captain, sent a poor back pass to Brown which allowed Le Fondre to get on the end of it. He squared it to Ellison, who lost his footing in front of goal which allowed the Robins' defence to clear. On the half-hour mark, Brown saved well from Le Fondre and two minutes later did well to save from Marcus Marshall with his legs. A Nicky Law shot was deflected away by Duff before Marshall, who made a great run down the wing, got the ball to Ellison who again made a hash of it and sent it wide of the upright.

The Millers started the second half in much the same vein as the first and ten minutes in, Ellison headed the ball down to Le Fondre, who returned the favour, but Ellison got his hat-trick of misses when he put the ball over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Michael Pook had a shot, but it didn't trouble Andy Warrington as he watched it fly over the bar. Mills had a shot cleared off the line by Justin Richards before Ellison again looked like scoring but Duff deflected it out for a corner. When Abdulai Bell Baggie replaced Walker the Millers seem to up there game although Cheltenham nearly took the lead ten minutes from time when Josh Low skipped round Jamie Green, on for Gavin Gunning, and put in a good ball for Medy Elito whose shot was cleared off the line by Millers' skipper, Ian Sharps. Bell-Baggie made a big difference and he got the ball to Le Fondre but the small strikers header went wide. The fourth official indicated five minutes of time added on and that seemed to spur the Robins on when Matt Thornhill's cross was met by Julian Alsop but it went just over the bar. In the dying minutes Craig McAllister, on for Marshall, let fly with a looping shot that Brown did well to get his fingertips too and deny the Millers all three points.

Wasteful - that's what I'd say today's game was. If Kevin Ellison is going to continue to play up front he needs to take some heading and shooting lessons from someone.

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