Rotherham United 0-1 BFC, Saturday 28th January 2017

‘Is there a fire drill?’

Carrie Fisher, R.I.P.  (Artwork in Peckham)

For some reason I didn’t feel as elated as usual after yesterday’s game. Was it victory fatigue?  Am I tired of seeing us win?  Was it the losing of 2 key players this week?  Was it the general awfulness of the match?  I dunno. Maybe it was just that I’ve had a sore throat all week and decided not to join in any chants, though the atmosphere was strangely muted for the most part anyway.

Welcome to ....

Actually, maybe it was having to visit two Argoses (Argo?  Argi?) in one day, in the hunt for cheap headphones.  Still, gave me an excuse to see Rotherham City Centre for the first time.  Not as bad as I expected, and certainly a bigger choice of headphones than Walworth Road Argos.  Henceforward, I returned to a limited (in number) Londontykes crew in the Bridge Inn.  Cracking boozer for pre-match football, full of Reds fans and covered in obscure scarves.  Apparently ‘well rough’ any other time (Barnsley’s premier ale salesman).

The Bridge: home of some very interesting scarves.

Still, a pleasant enough walk from there along the river (or is it a canal?) to the New York Stadium, home of the Merry Millers.  And for a new stadium, I think it’s great.  Although we were towards one corner, the steepness of the tier ensures a great view, which was almost a shame considering the fayre on offer yesterday.

If you squint, you'll see the Millmoor floodlights in the distance.  Or not.

The teams come out and we have a new HUGE BLOKE in midfield, Leicester’s (Matty?) James.  He is MASSIVE.  Thus, he’s not the quickest, nor did he look especially impressive on the ball, but he won tackles and headers. In fact, there were so many games of head tennis it was a novelty to see the ball on the floor.  But there were misplaced passes here, there and everywhere.  Of course, we shouldn’t have expected anything less, having lost Hourihane and Bree.  A team can’t gel just like that.  It’s just a good job we were playing Rovrum, without doubt the worst team in this division. 

The teams come out.  Love the roof.

Rovrum it was who threatened early tho, a break ending in a decent chance blocked. ‘HANDBALL!’ their fans cried.  But Mike Dean isn’t here this week.  And decisions generally go towards the bigger club and, for one week only, WE are that bigger club.  Not that I thought it was a penalty anyway.

Otherwise, we miss THE golden opportunity of the half; Armstrong is played through from the right, timing his run in from the left to perfection; all he has to do is get it on target, the keeper is in no-man’s land.  It clears the keeper and clips the bar.  On the train, I lost the chance of making a fiver, as Andy is convinced it was Bradshaw.  After my Roberts/McDonald debacle the other week, I’m no longer sure who our players are and I miss my chance.

The Barnsley hordes.

If I thought the 1^st half was poor, the second half was worse.  Barely a pass put together, and Armstrong was as surprised as anyone when it broke to him in the box, on his favoured left foot….only for him to strike the side-netting.  Someone put him out of his misery.  Luckily, Hecky knows better and minutes later Kent splits the defence with a great pass and Armstrong is through again.  He elects not to put his foot through it, seemingly intent on just getting it on target.  Despite the lack of power, it somehow goes through the keeper.  Worst I’ve seen us all season and we’re winning!

Even the floodlights are sexy in Rotherham.

Thereafter, I thought we were the likelier to score.  Marley remembered he was Marley and we constantly broke 3 on 3.  Unfortunately, Hecky held Hamill back in reserve, taking pity on the Millers (note to P: the Rovrum coach had Hamill in his all time best XI of players he’s coached).  Still, Hamill was given the last 3 mins plus injury time to wind the clock down in the corner. This is fast becoming his role in the team, and he does it jolly well.  Last seen being last Red off the pitch, milking the ‘Adam Hamill is a red’ chants and hoping Hecky was listening.

'He's one of our own...'

*** Davies.  Ok, not a lot to do, but 4 decent saves, and excellent handling.  Threw a couple off the pitch, but I blame the recipients (White daydreaming and Kent allowing one to go under his foot).

** Scowen.  Just as Josh misplaced a pass, 2^nd half, I heard this bloke behind shout how awful he’d been all match.  I’d just been thinking the opposite.  Despite losing the odd ball, he put in the proverbial shift, got the tackles in and broke with the ball.

* MacDonald.  Now I’m just guessing.  Rovrum looked dangerous initially from the ball over the top, so someone must have dealt with it.  Probably a centre half.  Probably MacDonald.

Full-time.  You Reds!!!!!!!!!

Despatches:
White was again worrying at left back, despite a decent tackle 2^nd half.  Maybe he’ll not be himself till he’s double-teamed with his best pal Adam?  Callum Evans came on for the last half an hour and I was impressed.  Tho I was impressed with a young defender at Walsall 2 years ago and he’s never been seen since.  (Centre half…wotshisname..last seen on loan to Braintree?)  The Everton bloke looks solid.  Kent had another of his games before he set up the winner, while Armstrong had another of his games before he notched.  These 2 flatter to deceive and need to improve if we’re not to miss our outgoings.  Bradshaw worked hard, but I’m not sure the supply was there for him.

Further good fortune today, as non-league Lincoln turned over Brighton in the cup.  This was a ‘reight result’ considering we’d already bought our train tickets for the Brighton home game…on FA Cup 5^th round day.

Also, hilariously, while the away support taunted the homesters’ early leaving with ‘Is there a fire drill, is there a fire drill?’, there really was a later drill, as the players apparently had to leave the stadium still in their kit cos of a suspect package.  Life imitating art or what?

Rovrum v Barnsley panorama

Drink du jour: A pint of Amstel in the Bridge and spiced rum and ginger ale on the homeward bound.  For a change, like.  We were even joined by a Blue Peter presenter nursing an injury from being squished by a female American footballer earlier.  She was grateful for our ice, possibly less so for my views of Blue Peter. 

Away: 2,601.  A sell out, and their highest away crowd of the season (according to their programme).  I learnt something else from their programme too…we have sold a ridiculous number of pairs of our home stripey socks.  Which explains why I can’t get a pair.

The Damage:
20 train
23 ent
3 prog
= £46

The Tunes:
Total Life Forever (Foals)
Friendly Fires (Friendly Fires)

Before the fire drill...

...and after.  Match still going on.

The Family Stand

..and under the lights.

and at full time.  See you next season?

Me watching them watching us.