Boxing Day Stalemate for Millers

Rotherham United and Macclesfield Town played out a nil-nil draw this afternoon at Moss Rose which was probably due more to some good goalkeeping by the home 'keeper and some peculiar decisions by the referee as much as the two sides and the wind.

The Millers started the better and perhaps should have done better playing with the wind behind them than they did. It was about fifteen minutes into the game that defender Jon Harley got the ball some forty yards out and, seeing Jose Veiga off his line, looped a wonderful shot in which Veiga managed to dive backwards to and palm over the bar. Viega then foiled Alex Revell by making a save down to his right before the striker had an effort from twelve yards out which went agonisingly high and onto the roof of the net. The Silkmen`s first real action of the half was about eight minutes from half-time when Matty Hamshaw got the ball and ran the length of the pitch before falling to the ground and trying to get a penalty, which referee Mathieson waved away. Colin Daniel then had a shot which was shakily pushed away by Conrad Logan in the Millers` goal.

Just after the break, Lewis Grabban received a good ball from the hard working Sam Wood and headed high towards goal only to see Viega suddenly develop springs in his boots, leap in the air and pull off an impressive save. At the other end a shot from George Donnelly, from just six yards out, was blocked by John Mullins, which, in the end, resulted in the defender having to receive treatment on the pitch and be replaced. A few minutes later it looked like all Sam Wedgbury had to do was control the ball and shoot to score but his first touch was poor and the ball went out for a goalkick while, a fierce shot at the other end from Danny Schofield, after Grabban`s shot was initially blocked, saw Veiga parry the ball away and Shaun Brisley managed to get to it to hack it out of danger. In the final minute of the game, Brett Williams, on for Gareth Evans, rifled a twenty-yard effort towards goal which had Viega beaten but cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and out to safety.

Not a pretty game but it`s another clean sheet and an away point.

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