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A Good Point
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Improvement
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By:
Eric Hitchmo
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21/08/2011
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More On Rotherham United
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"Perhaps we are destined to become an away team this season. Our performance yesterday recalled some of the resilience and solidity that were features of the opening two games against Morecambe and Portsmouth, and we can consider ourselves a tad unfortunate not to have continued our 100% away record. Despite the two goals conceded, we still looked far less shaky than the last two home games have shown and it was the sort of display that will instill confidence throughout the squad and fans alike.
Rotherham's Don Valley home is never an inspiring prospect and as such it was a handful of supporters who travelled. It will be our last visit however, as The Millers' new stadium is on its way to completion. The club will make their long-awaited return to Rotherham next season. It can't come quickly enough, of that I am certain as the experience of watching a football match in that stadium is surreal at best. You've got to feel a little for the home support, who to their credit have still turned out in decent numbers. An eerie silence fills the ground, it's nigh on impossible to get an atmosphere going, such is the echoey, empty feeling you get inside. You've got to give credit where it's due to the Rotherham faithful for enduring it.
We arrived in this particular area of Sheffield at around half one, with only two of the pubs next to the ground being open. The rest appeared to all be closed and boarded up. One pub appeared to pretty busy, whereas the one we were in was largely deserted. It made me wonder what our pub had done so wrong that the one quite literally across the road had done so right, especially considering the quality of the playlist in this establishment. A couple of pints and we were ready to take the walk into the ground, where a vast bar area awaits underneath the stand. More than enough for the aforementioned handful of Barnet supporters. Sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to get decent numbers travelling again.
As for the game itself, it was always going to be a tough ask to get anything out of a team who came into the day with a 100% record in League Two. Considering how shaky the back four had looked in the last two games, added to the presence of a pure goalscorer in Adam Le Fondre, you will forgive me surely for being a touch apprehensive as the game kicked off. However, it was to be a different story as the game was to be a tough, tight encounter with little in the way of goalmouth action. Both teams were really cancelling eachother out without being able to get a foothold on the game. Fine by us, this is surely a game where we aren't expected to pick anything up. The phrase ""take a point"" springs to mind.
From a corner though, we were to take the lead through a header from Clovis Kamdjo. Mark Marshall's delivery to the near post was met by a very awkward, yet rather characteristic looking movement from Clovis, however he managed to direct the ball inside the near post for a 1-0 lead. Very nice indeed. A shock in fact, and a rather nice one at that. Dean Brill had little to trouble him in the first half thanks to a much improved showing from the back four, particularly Jordan Parkes who looked far more assured both with and without the ball.
After another cheeky half time beer, it wasn't to take long after the restart for the home side to level it up. From a corner, an aerial challenge fell nicely to the feet of home centre back Troy Brown who volleyed into the roof of the net from close range. Brill had no chance and it was all a bit disappointing to relinquish a lead so soon into the second half. You'd be forgiven here for fearing an onslaught on our goal but we continued to show the qualities that had earned us a half time lead.
Just after the hour, Izale McLeod worked his way into the box and was felled under a push from a host defender. This is not the first time Izale has won such a penalty (see Macclesfield away) and demonstrates what a clever footballer he is. He worked himself into a perilous position and used his body to draw the foul from the opponent. He stepped up and smashed the ball home to restore our advantage. Yet more fine solo work soon after could have doubled the lead and left us with our head in the clouds. He wriggled his way past another defender, rounded the goalkeeper with the sort of cool composure we've come to expect from him, but his firm low shot was very well blocked on the line by the last Rotherham man. Some question his workrate and attitude at times, and it can be frustrating I know, however this kind of quality is going to be absolutely vital to us this season.
A word too for Jason Price who was given a fair amount of stick on Tuesday. The man is clearly on the field to be a nuisance, win headers and flick ons for Izale to work with. He is not there to be another Izale, surely anyone can see that? It was a useful shift from Price yesterday. We looked comfortable with the lead, as we had done throughout the game. However, there is one dangerman on the field who you cannot afford to give a clear cut chance too. The one time we were caught napping in the game and we were punished. A ball over the top from midfield found its way through to Adam Le Fondre who steadied himself and fired through the legs of Dean Brill for an equaliser with barely ten minutes to go.
A disappointing way to end the afternoon but if you had offered me a point and a good performance I would have taken that. You're always going to be frustrated when you concede a late goal to relinquish two points but it's not all doom and gloom. It was an encouraging showing, demonstrating qualities that we are going to need to show in abundance over the coming days and indeed the entire season. Burnley next..."
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