A cold damp December day greeted these two playoff chasing clubs as they took to the NYS pitch this afternoon.
The Millers already small squad has been decimated this week with a number of injuries alongside a sickness bug. Amongst the missing players were regular RB Billy Jones, CB’s Michael Ihiekwe Richard Wood & Clark Robertson who was only on the bench to make up the numbers so the Millers had to revert to a 3-5-2 formation with Adam Thompson, the only fit CB being partnered by LB Joe Mattock & CM Matt Crooks.
Joey Barton’s Cod Army made just the one change from the side that drew 1-1 with Gillingham with wideman Paul Coutts coming in for Josh Morris who was relegated to the bench. Fleetwood employed a more solid 4-4-2 formation with veteran CB Peter Clarke being partnered by the enormous Harry Soutter.
First Half
Fleetwood started the game firmly on the front foot & were unfortunate not to lead after just four minutes when from distance midfielder Kyle Dempsey hit the foot of the post with Millers keeper Daniel Iversen saving Ched Evans follow up effort. Evans strike partner Paddy Madden then was only just wide with another opportunist effort as the visitors continued to make the early running. LB Danny Andrew was the next visiting player to test Iversen from a free-kick as the Cod Army continued their first-half domination. The visitors continued to pour forward at every opportunity, but the Millers patched up backline were just about coping until on 25 minutes the goal that Fleetwood’s domination deserved arrived from the head of striker Evans with a deft header from Lewie Coyle’s cross. Dempsey then blazed widely over the bar whilst clean through on goal following a defensive error. Little was seen of the Millers going forward up to this point but they did try & move forward more after the goal with a good Mattock drive only just too high & a Freddie Ladapo effort on the stroke of half time which forced Town keeper Billy Crellin into his first meaningful save of the match as the visitors ended the half deservedly in front.
HT Millers 0 Cod Army 1
Winger Ogbene came on for the out of sorts Clarke as the hosts tried to gain a foothold in a disappointing game up to this point & it nearly paid dividends within 2 minutes of the start of the 2nd period. Ogbene charged to the byline & put in a peach of a cross that Ladapo sidefooted just wide. Back came the attack-minded visitors & midfielder Wes Burns forced Iversen into a smart save from his snapshot. The hosts thought they’ed equalised on 53 minutes through Michael Smith but the referee had halted play for a Millers free-kick for a Coyle foul on Mattock but the equaliser the hosts had been threatening from the start of the 2nd half duly arrived on 62 minutes.
Sub Ogbene again beat his man & stood up a cross for the head of Ladapo who made no mistake to level matters. Barely a minute later the visitors regained their advantage in bizarre circumstances. The mother of all misunderstandings involving defenders Thompson, Olasunde & keeper Iversen allowed Evans to nip in between the three of them to prod the ball home for his & his team’s second goal. It was nearly three & an Evans hat trick minutes later but a stunning Iversen save denied the striker. Galvanised by their keeper’s save the depleted Millers set about the task of rescuing the game. Smith was just wide with a header from an Olasunde cross, Ogbene & Ladapo had shots blocked by an increasingly busy Fleetwood defence before the pressure finally paid for the hosts with an 80th-minute equaliser from makeshift CB Matt Crooks. A free-kick from the largely anonymous Millers midfielder Dan Barlaser found CB Adam Thompson who shot first time, Crellin could only parry his effort into the path of Crooks who bundled the ball home for the equaliser. The hosts could smell blood now & Barlaser had a shot narrowly wide before the hosts had reasonable grounds for a penalty waved away when Coyle appeared to bring down Mattock in the area before the last goalmouth action of the game saw Millers sub shoot horribly wide when well-placed from yet another Ogbene cross as the curtain came down on a pulsating second period with honours deservedly even.
FT Millers 2 Cod Army 2
Paul Warne will be the happier of the two managers after this stalemate as his patched up side couldn’t live with Barton’s rampant visitors during a very one sided first half. The HT introduction of winger Ogbene introduced some momentum to the hosts & he quickly lifted his team & the crowd which enabled the hosts to gain the point their second-half display merited.
words Ian Bradley, D3D4 Rotherham correspondent