Daniel Nardiello opened the scoring with his 19th goal of
the season before Fleetwood's David Ball equalised after six minutes had been played.
The game would be decided on the hour mark though, when Ben Pringle’s shot
was deflected into the path of Agard who simply couldn’t miss.
After the 4-1 demolition of Exeter City on Tuesday, Steve
Evans stuck with almost the same starting eleven to face Fleetwood. He did,
however, make one change with Dale Tonge making way for the recently suspended Johnny
Mullins who would once again take up the captain’s armband.
The first goal of the game came in just the third minute
when an attempted clearance from the Cod Army’s ‘keeper fell straight to Daniel
Nardiello who skilfully controlled the ball before volleying past the
outstretched hand of Scott Davies. The ball settled into the bottom left corner
of the net to the crowd’s delight, however, the number 17’s celebrations were
muted as a late tackle from a Fleetwood defender left the Millers’ talisman
injured.
Fleetwood’s first opportunity of the game came just a minute
after the opening goal, when Junior Brown took on a tame shot that settled into
the palms of Scott Shearer. This would, however, prove not to be Brown’s only
involvement in the game.
With six minutes gone, ex-Miller Gareth Evans proved too
much to handle for Kari Arnason, and after beating the Iceland international
for pace, Evans proceeded to play a dangerous ball across the box. The cross fell
to Junior Brown who, for the second time, fluffed his lines. The Millers,
however, failed to clear the danger and David Ball calmly stroked home from the
penalty spot to level the score at 1-1.
Following the Cod Army’s celebrations, Daniel Nardiello was
substituted and replaced by Lee Frecklington, who took his position in the
centre of midfield. This also meant that Kieran Agard was to be pushed up top
to play alongside Alex Revell.
The visitors now had the momentum behind them and a number
of chances soon followed. The first of which coming immediately after the goal,
with another David Ball effort seeing the Millers’ defence all at sea, however,
the danger was eventually cleared.
The next Fleetwood chance came directly from a corner when
Gareth Evans whipped the ball across the box only to see his effort thwarted by
the Millers ‘keeper Scott Shearer.
The first yellow card of the game went the Cod Army’s way in
the 27th minute, when Jamie McGuire unfairly challenged Michael O’Connor
deep in the Millers’ half to concede a free-kick. The kick was taken by Shearer
and, resulting from the following run of play, Kieran Agard fired just wide of
the target.
In the 34th minute a free-kick was awarded when
Lee Frecklington angrily brought down Jamie McGuire. Ex-Miller Gareth Evans
once again stepped up for the set piece, however, he failed to trouble the
Rotherham number one and his shot fired over the bar.
The Millers’ chance to challenge from a set piece came in
the 42nd minute when Michael O’Connor was brought down by Paul
McKenna in a dangerous area. The Northern Irishman pulled himself up only to
see his menacing strike fire just past the post.
With half-time now only minutes away, the Millers would have
once last chance to score a second goal before the break. The chance fell to
Ben Pringle when a Kari Arnason throw-in evaded the majority of the Fleetwood defence.
However, the Rotherham number 15 fired high over the crossbar to see the scores
level at half-time.
Half-time: Rotherham United 1 -1 Fleetwood Town
After the break, the Rotherham dominance became clear to see
and following a chance for Junior Brown the Millers began to push forward. Appeals
for a penalty were soon waved away when Alex Revell fell to the ground after
being tripped by Jamille Matt in the early stages of the second-half.
Michael O’Connor then had two chances to score the Millers’
second, however, both of his right-footed strikes flew harmlessly over the bar
much to the home fans’ disappointment. Millers’ fans were soon cursing their
luck again as Alex Revell’s toe-pocked shot rolled just past the post after
Shaun Beeley’s backwards header left Fleetwood ‘keeper Scott Davies stranded.
Then, in the 61st minute, Johnny Mullins tried
his luck with a looping header from a Ben Pringle cross. However, his effort
was once again cleared off the line leaving the Millers players bemused as to
how they hadn’t scored a second.
The winner came just a minute later when Ben Pringle’s shot
was deflected into the path of Kieran Agard, who took a touch before hammering
home his third league goal of the season to secure a crucial three points.
The Millers didn’t sit back after the goal though, and went
close to a third on a number of occasions. In the 65th minute Lee
Frecklington’s right footed shot was cleared off the line before Kari Arnason
went close with a header from an inswinging O’Connor cross.
Despite the chances, the third goal never quite came and the
Cod Army almost shocked the Millers faithful with a speedy counter attack in the
84th minute. Andrew Mangan created space for himself before shooting
juts wide into the side netting.
Full-time: Rotherham United 2 -1 Fleetwood Town
Rotherham: Shearer, Mullins, Arnason, Morgan, Skarz, Agard
(Ainsworth 84), O’Connor, Noble, Pringle, Revell (Odejayi 90+1), Nardiello
(Frecklington 8)
Unused: Warrington, Tonge, Davis, Ridehalgh
Fleetwood: Davies, Beeley (Nicholson 83), Matt, Brown,
Goodall, McLaughlin, McGuire (Fountaine 90), Ball, Edwards, Evans (Mangan 76),
McKenna
Unused: Lucas, Barry, Crowther, Atkinson
Attendance: 7360 (201)
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