Harrad Nets Pen for Millers

The Millers dominated the game this evening but it was the narrowest of wins that gave them all three points at Don Valley against Accrington Stanley in what, on Valentine's Day, was definitely not a hearts and flowers game.

The Millers started well when on just five minutes Mark Bradley's cross found Alex Revell but the striker saw his header go over the crossbar. Next to have a go was Sam Wood who found himself unmarked but, somehow, managed to hit Danny Coid who got the ball away to safety followed by a Kieron Cadogan pass that found Shaun Harrad only for Stanley 'keeper Ian Dunbavin to challenge him, let the ball fall to Wood who got the ball under his foot and, at the second attempt, the 'keeper managed to gather it up. On twenty-seven minutes Mark Bradley skipped into the box and was just about to shoot when Bryan Hughes lunged at him from behind and referee Nigel Miller pointed to the spot yet, strangely, didn't even speak to the midfielder when it surely had to be at least a yellow card. Harrad placed the ball on the spot and blasted the ball straight down the middle into the top of the net to make it one-nil to the Millers. Harrad could have made it two ten minutes later but saw his shot go just over while a good neat move from Cadogan found Revell but he didn't quite manage to control the ball and the ball went to safety. Jason Taylor had a good chance to further the Millers lead when he found himself in space and with time to control the ball and shoot but it went straight into the arms of Dunbavin. Danny Coid was on hand to block a shot from Harrad and Dunbavin did well to save from Bradley before, at the other end, Bradley was there to clear the ball from a Kevin McIntyre cross before it could do any damage.

With all the Millers fans expecting them to go for broke as the second half started it was the visitors who were the more productive when they got their first corner of the game in the opening minutes and it fell to Coid but the former Millers loanee snatched at it and it sailed over the bar. Wood also had to be alert to get a block in from a Hughes ball before Coid had yet another shot that went over. At the other end Wood tried to get the ball in the box for one of his strikers but it was easily cleared by Dean Winnard before a Scott Griffiths throw-in found the head of Revell who flicked it to Cadogan but the lively youngster saw the ball sail over the crossbar. The Millers should have made it two on sixty-six minutes when Cadogan sailed past McIntyre and got the ball to an Harrad who was unmarked but his header was saved by the legs of Dunbavin. In the following five minutes twice Bradley got good balls into the box, both blocked by McIntyre before Hughes put a shot from Wood out for a corner. At the other end Hughes nearly caught Rhys Taylor off guard in the Rotherham goal but, the shot from twenty-five yards out, went just over while both Johnny Mullins and Richard Naylor were solid at the back which helped stop Stanley from getting an equaliser. Towards the end of the game there was a bit of argy-bargy between one of the Millers ball boys and Peter Murphy with the referee speaking to both and I am expecting we may hear more about that in the coming few days.

The three points tonight takes the Millers into eighth place and three points of a play-off position.

Keep it up lads!

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