Managerless Millers Back to Winning Ways

Rotherham United scored four goals for the second time this season tonight against a plucky Macclesfield Town at Don Valley.

Neither team gave the crowd (who were probably the quietest two and a half thousand I've ever sat amongst) much to shout about although the visitors nearly found themselves in front in the opening minutes when a Matty Hamshaw corner found Tony Diagne but his header hit the post and was then cleared to safety by Michael Raynes. From the resulting Hamshaw corner, Colin Daniel's header went wide. The Millers first shot came from Gareth Evans as he cut inside from the left but Richard O'Donnell in the Silkmen's net watched the ball go wide. Ben Pringle also had a shot that went just over the crossbar while, at the other end, Sam Wedgbury forced Rhys Taylor to make a save. Just after the half-hour mark a Pringle free kick nearly found Raynes but the centre half wasn't quick enough to react and the ball went harmlessly wide. It was a bit of a surprise when, on thirty-six minutes, with neither team looking remotely like scoring, that an inswinging cross from Evans found Mark Bradley at the far post and the Welsh international nodded in his first goal of the season. Smith nearly equalised a minute later but Raynes was there to put him off his stride and the header went wide.

The Millers came out the brighter for the second half and Ben Pringle forced O'Donnell to make a save while a shot from Jason Taylor went just wide of the upright. Pringle was finding himself with more space in the second half and he saw another shot skirt just over the bar before a good cross from Kieron Cadogan found the ginger haired striker on the edge of the area and he hit the ball into the back of the net to make it two-nil to the Millers. Four minutes later the visitors came close to pulling one back when Smith received the ball from Hamshaw but, although his shot beat Rhys Taylor, the ball smashed against the post and out to safety. Alex Revell had a shot that cleared the crossbar while Hamshaw saw his shot do exactly the same at the other end. Even with a two goal cushion the Millers still looked uneasy and when another corner was whipped in from Hamshaw it was put into the back of the net by Smith's head. Three minutes later the two goal cushion was regained when a long range shot from Revell, from the edge of the area, went into the bottom corner but then on seventy-two minutes Referee Gibbs gave probably the softest penalty you will ever see after adjudging Bradley had pushed Smith over in the area. Lewis Chalmers put away the spot-kick to make it three-two and a few minutes later, only a good save from Rhys Taylor, denied Hamshaw an equaliser. Richard O'Donnell was unfortunate to let in a fourth goal after first saving from Danny Harrison, on for Revell, when he was one-on-one with the 'keeper followed by a shot from Jason Taylor, before Pringle's shot hit the post and in a melee of players the ball fell to Cadogan who tapped the ball home for his first ever Millers goal and to leave caretaker boss, Darren Patterson, pleased with all three points.

For those who weren't at the game this evening can I just say, don't be fooled by the score line - it wasn't as exciting as you'd think and I heard a few people say it was like watching two poor reserve teams out there tonight. BUT, when all said and done, three points is three points and it sees the Millers move up into tenth place tonight.

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Spain