Millers Trounced

Rotherham United were given a lesson in football tonight by non-league Forest Green Rovers, who convincingly booked their place in the Second round of the FA Cup.

The Millers just never seemed to get going and for most of the game it was difficult to see which team were in the league and which in the Blue Square Premier. From the start the visitors got into their stride and Ian Sharps and Andy Warrington had to be on hand to clear from Mark Beesley corners. And, it was a cross from Beesley on the twenty-eighth minute that found the head of Chris Giles who had got behind the Millers defence to put his side one up. Just before that a fantastic ball from Ryan Taylor sent Mark Hudson down the wing and his shot was turned aside by Ryan Robinson only to fall to Stephen Brogan who blasted wide from close range. But Forest Green turned on the pressure and Simon Clist should have doubled the lead but his shot was parried by Warrington and not long after a shot by leading scorer Stuart Fleetwood brought a smart save from the Millers 'keeper.

The second half began and the lacklustre Millers didn't seem to have an answer as the visitors got into their stride. Beesley and Darren Jones had shots at goal and Chris O'Grady for the home side saw a shot blocked by Jamie Pitman on the line but Forest Green didn't take long to get their second when a poor Graham Coughlan clearance went to Beesley whose cross was hit onto his own post by Dale Tonge before dropping into the path of Clist who slammed the ball into the back of the net. A double substitution for the Millers of Peter Holmes (for O'Grady) and Andy Todd (for Brogan) lifted the home fans and Andy Todd and Mark Hudson went close for the Millers before Fleetwood went round Warrington and drilled the ball home from twelve yards out for the third earning applause from the Tivoli for his trouble.

The Millers fans gave the away team a standing ovation at the end of the match as their own team, heads bowed, walked slowly off. I don't know what Mark Robins will say to them, words will probably fail him, but they have to put up a better performance than this at home to Shrewsbury on Saturday.

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