Millers Beat Gulls

Rotherham United made hard work of their three points today but it was a much better display than last weeks.

The Millers were on the front foot right from the start when a Ben Pringle cross found Alex Revell, making his first league start of the season, but Michael O`Connor was immediately surrounded by three Torquay defenders when the ball came his way that stopped him in his tracks. The Millers had a number of free-kicks that came to nothing before Rene Howe robbed Nicky Hunt of the ball only for Ian Sharps to put the ball away for a corner. The busy Ben Pringle had a shot which went straight to Torquay`s 'keeper Michael Poke and on twenty-three minutes saw a shot go just over while Kayode Odejayi, on a solo run, broke through, beat Poke only to see his shot hit the upright. The only goal of the game came on thirty-four minutes when a terrible defensive mix-up ended with Revell turning the ball into an empty net.


The Millers came out for the second half looking busy and Odejayi should have scored two minutes in but his effort went over the bar. Two minutes later a Michael O`Connor corner found Ian Sharps head but the Millers` skipper put it wide, when it really looked easier to score. Gareth Evans was the next to try his luck but missed the target while six minutes later another Evans shot was blocked by Lee Mansell. Pringle, Hunt and Evans all had shots while the visitors first effort on seventy minutes from Joe Oastler was easily saved by Shearer. At the other end Revell confused Poke and Aaron Downes and the ball fell to Odejayi on the edge of the area but the tall centre-forward fired way over the bar. Then Revell and Odejayi teamed up again when the goal scorer put Odejayi away and he went round the 'keeper but seemed to get his feet tangled up and his shot was saved on the line by Downes. Daniel Nardiello, on for Revell, nearly made it two when he saw a shot from outside the box clip the bottom of the upright and go to safety. Of course, at one-nil you always had the feeling that Torquay could score and they came close in the dying minutes when Niall Thompson, on for Nathan Craig found Billy Bodin on his own but the twenty-year old blazed his chance high and wide.

Certainly a good three points for the Millers this afternoon and it really could have ended four or five-nil. But, I`ve said it before, we really do need to take the chances we are getting.

Difficult this one. Alex Revell and Kayode Odejayi linked up brilliantly today while Jason Taylor and Michael O'Connor also did very well. But, I think for his work rate in the first half I'll give it to BEN PRINGLE

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