Millers Relegated

Rotherham United were relegated today with a goal in the sixty-eighth minute from substitute Kevin Gray. Carlisle hadn't won at Millmoor for twenty four years having lost seven of the last nine fixtures there.

But it was the home team who should have been one up in the first minutes of the game when a Martin Woods cross was met by Ian Henderson's head only to be palmed away by the Cumbrians goalkeeper, Keiren Westwood. Carlisle then went close with a shot from Kevin Gall following a free kick from David Raven. The Millers back four managed to keep Danny Graham and Joe Garner quiet while Chris O'Grady went close for the home team and only the legs of Millers 'keeper Neil Cutler kept out a shot from Gall.

At nil-nil the Millers were still in with a slender chance of avoiding the drop but the second half started with the substitution of Gray coming on for captain Peter Murphy. Delroy Facey missed two easy chances for the home team before Gray scored the only goal of the game. It was a free kick from Aranalde that was blocked before bouncing in front of Gray for him to score. The Millers had a penalty claim turned down by the referee for handball against Aranalde and Westwood saved from Marc Newsham, who came on for Justin Cochrane half way through the second half. The home team piled on the pressure for the last fifteen minutes, having a few corners that goalkeeper Cutler came up for, but it was to no avail.

The fat lady has sung at Millmoor and Mark Robins and his youthful team will be plying their trade in the Second Division next season. The Millers fans will be talking tonight about minus ten points, missed chances and bad luck. They will be down, but they will be there next season - as the song goes, 'Millermen, the more they try to put us down, the more we rise again.'

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