Millers lose to Town

A third pre-season friendly and a third defeat for Rotherham United last night at the Impact Stadium as Blue Square North side, Alfreton Town continued their impressive pre-season start.

A strong side lined up for the Millers and the first effort was from Nicky Law but Paddy Gamble in the Reds` goal saved easily and not long afterwards Gamble did well to get down to an Adam Le Fondre effort. At the other end former Millers loanee, Ian Ross, was stopped in his tracks by Ryan Cresswell and from a corner Andy Warrington held onto the ball from Paul Clayton. The first real effort from the Millers was from Kevin Ellison who was on hand to shoot after a poor clearing header from Aden Flint but the Millers man skied the ball not only over the goal but out of the ground. Two minutes from the interval Ross put through a good ball but Chris Hall couldn`t quite get there.

In the opening minutes of the second half Paul Clayton twice came near to putting the home side in the lead, first when Mark Bradley, on for Jason Taylor, gave away possession but Luke Ashworth, on for Nick Fenton, managed to clear for a corner and then Clayton just failed to get on the end of a Chris Hall ball into the six yard area. It was around the hour mark that the Millers first chance of the half came when Le Fondre found himself one on one with the 'keeper but the ball seemed to hit a bobble, putting the Millers` striker off his stride a little and Gamble got down well to save. At the other end, Warrington did well to parry a shot from Jordan Hall. On sixty-six minutes, a mix up in the Towns defence from a Marcus Marshall cross saw Paul Warne shoot at goal but the ball was headed off the line by Flint and minutes later Le Fondre shot the ball across goal but it went wide. It was on sixty-nine minutes that the home side took the lead when a superb ball in from Nathan Arnold found Anthony Wilson, who had just come off the bench, who slipped the ball into the back of the net. The second goal followed four minutes later when the referee gave a corner, although most people thought it was a goal kick, and Wilson was on hand again to head the ball into the back of the net. Wilson could have had a hat-trick when, ten minutes from time, Stephen Brogan managed to block and not long after, Warrington managed to scramble the ball away when the striker was allowed enough freedom to have another shot at goal.

A good work out? Well, it was for Alfreton.

Teams

ALFRETON

Gamble
J Law (Clayton)
Shaw
Flint
Stride (Brown)
McFadzean
Moult
Ross (Howell)
Clayton (Wilson)
C Hall (Arnold)
J Hall (Hearn)

Unused sub

Turner

ROTHERHAM

Warrington
Green
Fenton (Ashworth)
Cresswell
Harrison
N Law (Warne)
Brogan
Ellison
Marshall
J Taylor (Bradley)
Le Fondre

Unused Subs

Annerson
Newey
Darley

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