Millers lose as chances go begging

Rotherham United turned in what is probably their best performance of the first half this afternoon against Crawley Town at Don Valley, but, with a number of chances going begging, lost the game.

Starting the better, the first chance fell to Lewis Grabban after a Danny Schofield shot was half-blocked by Claude Davis, it fell to the Millers top scorer but he fired wide. A few minutes later Davis was trying to get the ball back to his 'keeper, Scott Shearer, but it fell short and Brett Williams raced onto the ball and, with only Shearer to beat, the Millers fans were up on their feet celebrating only to realise the ball had, infact, gone wide and hit the net from the wrong side. Next to try was Alex Revell and, but, after good work from debutant Sam Wood, he fired into the side netting from just outside the box. In the end a goal did come and the Millers took a deserved lead after a Conrad Logan goal kick was flicked on by Revell and Williams volleyed the ball over the visiting 'keeper and into the back of the net. On forty-one minutes Crawley had their first shot at goal when Tyrone Barnett blazed over the crossbar. The Millers came close to doubling their lead a minute before half-time when Shearer had to be alert to make a fingertip save from Grabban.

After all the hard work of the first half it was a big disappointment to everyone from South Yorkshire on forty-eight minutes when Matt Tubbs slipped the ball through to Barnett who let fly with a powerful shot that left Logan no chance and the visitors equal. The Millers never quite got the same momentum going after that, that they`d had in the first half, although a header from Johnny Mullins looked like it was heading for the back of the net but Davis headed clear and at the other end, Mullins had to come to the rescue and head away a David Hunt cross before it fell to the waiting Tubbs. Minutes later Grabban put in a good cross for Wood but the Brentford loanee mis-kicked although the ball then fell to Schofield but he put the ball just wide. On sixty-seven minutes the visitors got the winning goal after Jon-Paul Pitman, on for Tubbs, pulled the ball back to Josh Simpson who hit a shot against the post but was lucky enough to be there for the re-bound and put the ball into the back of the net. Ten minutes later Marcus Marshall, on for Williams, got a good ball to Grabban who in turn found Wood but his shot went just wide of goal while Marshall himself wasted a good chance after a good cross in from Jon Harley found the substitute fifteen yards out but his shot went wide.

So many chances wasted today and, if we are looking for promotion, we really should be putting them away.

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