OxMillers Burnley Review

Last updated : 06 May 2004 By Bigrich.....

In front of a large Mayday crowd, the Millers finally banished the spectre of relegation with a commanding 3 – 0 victory over fellow strugglers, Burnley. Urged on by a vociferous Tivoli End, savouring the last league game at which standing terraces were to be available, Rotherham were led by the inspirational Chris Swailes and showed just one change from the Coventry match with Gilchrist returning to central defence allowing Shaun Barker to partner Morris in midfield and Proctor to move upfront to partner Butler.

Walking on to the Tivoli at quarter to three, the atmosphere was already building and the Tivoli in good voice well before kick-off with many a favourite song being sung. This backing had a profound effect on the Rotherham team and they started very brightly.

Minto and Mullin were linking well down the left, with one particularly good break seeing Minto beating several defenders as he tricked his way along the by-line before setting up Proctor who couldn’t direct his shot at goal.


Burnley
were slow to start and as insipid as there bizarre kit. Clearly the financial troubles at Turf Moor are worse than reported as the Clarets were playing in a strange faded grey outfit that looked to have been washed a few too many times.

Indeed, the only threat from the visitors in the opening quarter of an hour tended to be created by the home side’s over-elaboration. The worse scare came from an innocuous free-kick floated into the Millers’ box which Pollitt advanced to take but he came too far and was rather lucky to deflect the ball wide at full stretch. Fair play to the Tivoli at this point as they responded with encouragement at this slight error rather than previous abuse and Pollitt was able to keep his confidence.


On 15 minutes Proctor made the first of his telling contributions to the game. Following a Burnley corner, Barker and Mullin quickly smuggled the ball out of the Millers area and found Proctor on the right side of midfield. With a quick look up, Proctor unleashed a fifty-yard diagonal ball over the Burnley back line into the path of Butler. The Millers top scorer just managed to reach the ball in front of the onrushing keeper and direct the ball into the unguarded net from 20 yards. For his troubles Butler clattered into the keeper at full speed and was left prostrate on the ground as the Millmoor crowd rose to its feet. For a moment it wasn’t quite clear what the referee was to going to give although eventually the goal stood and no action was taken against the keeper. Butler took some time to recover and struggled on for another 15 minutes before being replaced by Richie Barker.


With a priceless lead, Rotherham began to dominate the game and Burnley’s attacks were floundering on the immense Swailes and his able side-kick Gilchrist. The Millers’ captain seemed determined to quash the threat of Blake, so often a thorn in Rotherham’s side, and I lost count of the number of interceptions and clearances from the Millers’ skipper.


The introduction of Richie Barker reduced the effectiveness of the Millers’ attack and the big man was struggling with his control from the start. As the match seemed to be drifting to half-time, up stepped Proctor with another piece of class play. Again originating from a Burnley attack, he picked up the ball in the right midfield spot and sprinted towards the Burnley half. With the Burnley defence back-pedalling, Sedgwick hurtled forward down the right flank to draw off a defender and give Proctor an option. Ignoring the obvious, Proctor waited for an awesome break from Stockdale who had sprinted some 50 yards to provide an outlet through the inside-right channel. For a moment it looked like Proctor had overhit the ball through to Stockdale as the keeper advanced to collect. However, the marauding right-back was not to be denied and threw himself forward and at full stretch he managed to hook the ball past the keeper. From the Tivoli it was difficult to know whether it was going in but the roar from the Main Stand, round to the enclosure, told us that the ball was goal-bound and it nestled in the left corner of the net – a sensational team goal giving the Millers’ a well deserved halftime lead.


Clearly annoyed with the first-half performance of his team, Stan Ternant changed things for the second period with the introduction of Chadwick and Adebola. This seemed to have the desired effect as the visitors dominated the opening stages of the half, with the Millers defending deep. The increased pressure was dealt with by the continuing excellence of Swailes and Gilchrist and, despite their dominance the visitors failed to test Pollitt in the Millers goal.


As the half progressed and Burnley pressed forward, Rotherham were becoming more dangerous on the break. A sweeping fifty yard ball from Richie Barker found the breaking Morris who lobbed a perfectly timed ball over the Burnley defence and into the path of the onrushing Proctor who was clear with just the keeper to beat. Amazingly he was given offside as the linesman clearly got it wrong on this occasion.


Shortly afterwards, Proctor brilliantly ran along the Burnley backline to be put clear wide on the right by Sedgwick. With Barker and Mullin struggling to gain ground on the left, Proctor made a beeline towards goal and hit a rasping shot destined for the bottom right corner of the Tivoli net, only to be denied by a stunning save by the keeper, diving smartly to his right.


Proctor was now dominating the tiring Burnley defence and some fine work holding the ball up and beating several players in the middle of the park allowed him to play a ball down the left towards Mullin. Unfortunately, Mullin had checked his run and the ball trickled out for a goal kick. Proctor, frustrated at his teammate’s decision obviously made a comment to Mullin’s dislike as the ex-Burnley player then charged twenty yards to barge into Proctor, only to be separated by the referee. Absolutely unbelievable, two Millers almost coming to blows ! Mullin was then loudly booed by the Millers’ fans for a time afterwards and left in no doubt as to his error of judgement.


Ronnie resisted the temptation to remove Mullin, instead replacing the tiring Sedgwick with Warne. Sedgy left the field to a standing ovation, testament to his efforts in recent weeks when he has given his all despite struggling with injury.

Warne had an electric effect on the right and was soon bursting clear to play a great cross into the area. Missing the central strikers, the ball found Mullin on the left and, beating his man, he played the ball inside to his new best friend, Proctor, on the penalty spot. With his back to goal and a defender in close attention, the mercurial striker turned and somehow lofted a right-footed shot up and over the keeper only to see the ball come back off the cross-bar.


With 10 minutes to go and the visitors fading, the stewards, unbelievably, started to invite fans from the Tivoli onto the pitch surround. What an idiotic decision and not the first time this has happened.

Further good work by Warne on the right saw a cross whipped in to the area and, in their panic to clear, one of the Burnley defenders stuck out an arm to control the ball and the referee pointed to the spot. A rather soft award, but then we are probably due about six soft decisions given recent matches and, indeed, the whole season !

No-one other than Proctor was going to have the ball, and the Millers’ striker waited patiently for the hubbub to die down. Then he scored a most audacious penalty, chipping the ball deftly (a la Thierry Henry) as the keeper dived smartly to his right and was left clutching at thin air.


The pitch was suddenly awash with Millers’ fans as the valuable victory, and with it safety, secured.
The last five minutes were played out in a party atmosphere, with the Tivoli in full voice.


The final whistle saw a good-natured invasion of the pitch as the players and officials sprinted to the safety of the dressing room. How much better it would have been for the vast majority of the crowd if the invaders had been kept off the pitch and the players and staff allowed a well deserved lap of honour.


Three generations of my family stood for some moments on the Tivoli for the final time, no doubt thinking of the passing of an era and thankful for a great team performance to close a chapter in Millers history with pride.


THANK LADS – UP THE MILLERS !