The two teams couldn’t have come into this NYS encounter in more contrasting form.
Play-off chasing Rotherham were going for their fourth win in their last five games in all competitions while Dale, in contrast, came into the game 19th in the table & without a league win since they beat MK on the 22nd October & are beset by all sorts of injury problems with at least half a dozen regular first-team players on the treatment table.
Dale do have one thing in their favour though. On each of their visits to the NYS ( two in the League & once in the FA Cup), they have emerged victorious. Could they make it four this afternoon?
The starting line ups are as follows with the hosts going for an unfamiliar 4-4-2 with Carlton Morris partnering Ladapo up front whilst Dale looked to me to start with quite an adventurous 4-3-3 but I could be wrong.
FIRST HALF
After a cagey start by both sides the Millers came very close to taking the lead on nine minutes, returning LB Joe Mattock swung in a cross from the left which midfielder Matt Crooks headed against the foot of the post & winger Ogbene’s follow up effort was blocked with Ben Wiles effort from the second rebound was very well saved by Dale keeper Robert Sanchez. The hosts would never come this close again. Little was seen of Dale’s attack in the game’s early stages as the hosts continued to make the early running but you could sense the Lancastrians were growing in confidence as the half wore on. Mattock had his effort correctly ruled out for offside following a 20th minute Millers free-kick. The hosts continued to press forward & on 35 minutes a run & cross from the dangerous Ogbene was met with a flying Morris header but his effort was too high. Out of nothing though the visitors went ahead on 41 minutes through 19-year-old midfielder Aaron Morley & a lovely goal it was too.
17-year-old defender Luke Matheson played the ball to midfielder Callum Camps on the edge of the area, Camp cleverly dummied the ball that fell perfectly for Morley to strike a lovely effort beyond Iversen into the top corner, a goal that even drew applause from several of the Millers fans near me. The Millers players seemed shellshocked as the rest of the half was played out comfortably for the visitors.
HT MILLERS 0 DALE 1
SECOND HALF
Paul Warne shuffled his pack ready for the restart bringing on two-goal FA Cup hero Michael Smith in place of the very ineffective Jamie Lindsay to try & give his misfiring side extra attacking impetus. Within a minute of the restart, Mattock again got free on the left & his cross was tamely headed wide by Ladapo. The hosts were continuing to pile forward at every opportunity but either the final ball was poor, the finishing was weak & the Dale defenders were working hard & putting everything in front of the ball.
Sanchez saved a weak Ogbene header on the hour, CB Robertson headed wastefully wide when well placed, Rangers loanee winger Hastie a second-half sub for Morris found space in the area & shot weakly at Sanchez, Crooks placed an effort just wide from a Hastie corner as the half-chances piled up but Iversen’s tip over from a Camps chip reminded the hosts that Dale could force the issue too. Indeed, it was the visitors who almost took advantage of the dispirited visitors as defender O’Connell & veteran midfielder Matty Done came close to doubling Dale’s lead near the end of the game. The four minutes added time was easily negotiated by Dale for a vital three points for Brian Barry-Murphy’s young side.
RESULT MILLERS 0 DALE 1
This was a result & more importantly performance that reinforces my belief that Paul Warne’s team have yet to settle on a strongest XI with far too many changes through injury, different formations etc. The squad is too lightweight & inconsistent to seriously challenge the Ipswich Pompey’s & Peterborough’s of this division. We are a work in progress & will benefit from a couple more transfer windows to try & formulate a squad with the depth to not only reach but compete in the second tier which has to be the club’s long term aim.
What a result & performance by Barry-Murphy’s young team who competed brilliantly well. Young Matheson looks a useful young player who will surely play at a far higher level pretty soon, young Morley uses the ball well, can run all day & knows where the onion bag is, add experience in the mix in the form of O’Connell, the evergreen captain Ian Henderson & the tireless workhorse Done & better times may well lie ahead for Dale. They aren’t brilliant but neither are most of the other teams that stay in this division & that has to be the clubs aim for the season.
words Ian Bradley, D3D4 Rotherham United correspondent