Tuesday, July 24,2012 at the New York Stadium, Rotherham
Pre-Season Friendly
Rotherham United 2 DONCASTER ROVERS 1
Attendance – 5,967
The Rovers visited the new Stadium at Rotherham for tonight’s pre-season friendly. It looked impressive and a far cry from Millmoor. The Rovers turned out in the same kit as they did at Bradford, green shirts and white shorts. Rotherham were in yellow shirts and black shorts.
In the early minutes both sides got an attack into the other’s half without any danger to the goal. Then, on five minutes, the Rovers won a corner but nothing came of it. A couple of minutes later and a good move down the middle by the Rovers ended with Bennett shooting high and wide from 25yards. Corners were then exchanged but were easily handled by the respective defences. In the 12th minute, Pringle, for the Millers, was just wide from 30 yards. Continuing to attack, Taylor had a shot deflected for a corner, which came out of the Rovers defence to Ainsworth on the home right. He crossed to the far post where Pringle’s effort was blocked at the post and put out for a corner. In the 18th minute, a good move down the Rovers left, Blake putting Husband away to the byline and his low cross finding Keegan, whose shot was blocked. Brown got to the ball and a thunderous shot hit Warrington full in the face but it saved a goal. The home team then had a five minute period where a corner was won , Pringle fired wide from 25yards and then the same player hit a fierce drive from the edge of the penalty area straight at Woods but he handled it well. On the half hour Husband went down the left and put a low cross to the far post but Syers running in couldn’t quite get to it.A few minutes later and Arnason took a pass from Pringle and fired high and wide from 35yards. In the 35th minute, Bennett played Cotterill in on goal but his shot from 15yards was palmed away by a diving Warrington. In the 36th minute, following a Rovers corner the Millers attacked down the middle for Revell to get in a shot that Woods blocked with a leg and then the follow-up shot from close range was palmed on to the bar by Woods and cleared. The Rovers were on the attack to the break and had another chance but Syers couldn’t convert. A good first half of football providing the crowd with some exciting moments.
Half Time – Rotherham United 0 Doncaster Rovers 0
The Rovers made three changes at half time, with Maxted, Stock and Martin Woods taking the field. The home team were first on the attack to win a corner but it was cleared. Then a good run by Taylor through the middle in the 49th minute ended with his shot going wide. This was followed by another attack d as Revell was falling to the ground he tried to lob the oncoming Maxted but the ball went wide. Back came the Rovers to win successive corners but they were cleared. Then in the 55th minute the Rovers took the lead when COTTERILL received the ball on the right and from the angle of the area hit a fine shot past the keeper into the far corner of the net. The Rotherham response came from Ainsworth who put wide from 20yards. Rotherham then made a couple of substitutions just past the hour. This seemed to inject more life into the home team and in the 65th minute they got an equaliser when BRADLEY came in from the right and from a similar position as Cotterill for the Rovers goal he fired across Maxted into the far corner. Meanwhile Bennett was lying injured and was eventually replaced.
Rotherham now pushed on and Pringle fired wide from just inside the area and then, in the 70th minute, substitute AGARD ran through several defenders to shoot past Maxted and put the Millers in front. The Rovers tried hard to hit back winning several corners and going close a time or two but Rotherham held out and even put the Rovers defence under pressure a few times. The referee then blew the whistle to signal a win for the home team and the end of quite a good local derby.
Teams – Rotherham United – Andy Warrington; Nicky Hunt, Mark Bradley, Johnny Mullins, Laurence Wilson; Lionel Ainsworth (Mitchell Rose 61 mins), Jason Taylor, Kari Arnason (Ian Sharps 70 mins), Ben Pringle; Alex Revell (Kieran Agard 61 mins), Kayode Odejayi (Alec Denton 85 mins)
Substitutes – Scott Shearer gk, Daniel Nardiello, Connor Johnson
ROVERS – Gary Woods (Jon Maxted 46 mins); James O’Connor (Martin Woods 46 mins), Liam Wakefield, Tommy Spurr, James Husband; Robbie Blake, David Syers (Brian Stock 46 mins), Paul Keegan, David Cotterill; Kyle Bennett (Amari Morgan-Smith 69 mins), Chris Brown
Substitutes – Paddy Mullen, Jordan Ball, Jake McCormick