Grabban on target to help Millers win

Rotherham United put last Saturday's defeat behind them to score three goals in the first half against Dagenham and Redbridge at Don Valley this afternoon.

The Millers started strong and in the opening minute a Marcus Marshall cross found a corner taken by Alex Revell but Chris Lewington in the Daggers' managed to get a block in. Not long after Marshall had to be saved by Lewington and two minutes later Lewis Grabban missed a chance from just outside the box. On eight minutes the Millers took a deserved lead when a Marshall cross evaded everyone except Gareth Evans who put the ball past Lewington and into the net much to the delight of the Millers fans. Marshall and Evans combined again a few minutes later but the winger saw his shot go over the bar. Much against the run of play, the Daggers got an equalising goal on twenty-one minutes when some poor defending saw the visitors get a corner which was taken by Gavin Tomlin. The ball was put straight onto the head of Scott Doe, and despite Dale Tonge getting back onto the line, the ball went into the back of the net. And it could have been two the for the visitors a few minutes later when a long ball found Tomlin and he beat the Millers defenders but couldn't beat Conrad Logan who dashed out and smothered the ball. That was probably the warning the Millers needed because twenty-eight minutes they regained the lead. Once again Marshall put a good cross into the box which found the head of Grabban who powered the ball into the net. Ten minutes later it was three-one when Evans turned provider after some good work down the right saw him rob the ball off Gavin Tomlin and pass the ball for Grabban who turned and shot to get his second of the afternoon. In the final minute of the half, Sam Williams of the Daggers, had a shot at goal but it was easily saved by Logan.

The second half began with Revell finding Dale Tonge who skipped past a couple of visiting defenders to shoot but the ball rattled the crossbar and went out to safety. At the other end Jon Nurse, on for Billy Bingham at half-time saw his shot go over and on fifty-four minutes the visitors should have scored when Williams found himself clear but didn't connect properly with the ball and skewed it wide. A chance came for the visitors again on the hour mark when a long ball skidded past the Millers defence and Oliver Lee's shot rattled Logan's crossbar and went over for a goal-kick. Ten minutes later a Grabban cross was well cleared by Mark Arber, on for Phil Walsh and on seventy-seven minutes a Grabban was denied his hat-trick when his free-kick was palmed over the bar by Lewington. After that it was pretty much stop-start but the Millers never really looked under any pressure and kept their second place in the League with this win.

Some good work from our front players and wingers today with Marshall causing Dagenham all sorts of problems in the first half. There was a couple of times when the defence seemed at sixes and sevens with each other but this was a well deserved three points for Rotherham today.

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