Internet Millers - LUG Tournament Review

Internet Millers 3-1 Donny Rovers

Luckily the cows had just been cleared from the field in time for the tournament to begin on a shocker of a pitch. Donny started off the game well and it was taking the Millers time to get to grips with the surface. The first 15 minutes was a scrappy affair with neither team threatening the goal but that all changed in the second half. Despite still not reaching their best Rotherham took the lead. A long ball over the top saw Jebu go through on goal and he finished well dinking over the on rushing keeper.

IM then took their eye off the ball as they allowed Donny back in the game. A free kick was knocked long to the back post where an unmarked striker volleyed home sweetly to pull the scores level. However, it didn’t stay that way for long as Jeb once again found himself in the clear despite vigorous shouts for offside. He was sent wide when rounding the keeper and although having Symon unmarked in the centre, Jebu managed to net from an acute angle.

As time was pressing on Mark Morris scored when he shot at the back post following a knock down from a corner to stand IM in very good stead for qualification.

Internet Millers 4-1 Stockport

Rotherham could not have wished for a worse start to this game as they were a goal down within a minute. A long ball over the top had the Millers defence screaming for offside but no flag was raised and the Stockport striker netted through Yeardy’s legs. However the Millers it back very quickly indeed and stormed in to a 3-1 lead with goals coming from Gaz (2) and Chris Grist. A special mention has to go to Gaz’s second goal as he ran 30 yards with the ball and then let fly with a rasping, dipping shot that sailed in to the top corner. No keeper in the world would have saved that. Certainly not the Honey Monster that we were up against.

With Stockport seemingly tiring the Millers made easy work of the second half but only managed to get one more goal. A long throw was flicked on by Dan. It seemed like an easy take for the keeper but he left it squirm through his hands and as it was about to trickle over the line Chris Grist poked the ball in, much to the fury of Bennett. A comfortable win in the end that saw the Millers book a ¼ final tie with Sheffield Wednesday of all people.

Internet Millers 2-0 Pigs (1/4 Final)

There was an unfortunate two hour break before this game which gave plenty of time for the legs to stiffen up. Talk before the game was that Wednesday fancied their chances in this game but that was never really on the cards as IM took early control of the game. However, they couldn’t break the deadlock despite efforts from Dan and Chris Grist.

Wednesday managed to get to half time on level terms and it was clear that they would settle for penalties. However, with the arrival of Burnsy in to the team it didn’t take long for us to open the scoring. The 8 foot striker had the ball on the edge of the area and he volleyed the ball home, beating the keeper at his near post. Wednesday never threatened at the Millers doubled their lead and secured a semi final meeting with the Blunts when Jeb played a peach of a ball behind the defence where JV latched on to it and prodded past the keeper. Easy, easy, easy.

Internet Millers 1-1 Blunts (Millers win 7-6 win on penalties) (Semi-Final)

The Millers were a little disappointed that they had been drawn against Sheffield United as it was the general consensus that these were the strongest two teams left in the tournament. It promised to be a tight game and the Blunts must have been ecstatic when they took an early lead with one of the most outrageous penalty decisions in the history of the game. A free kick clipped JV’s arm as he was protecting his face. The linesman flagged but told the referee he didn’t know if JV was in the penalty area or not. So the referee, who was 20 yards away, gave a penalty. An utterly shambolic decision.

Justice was almost done when Yeardy saved the penalty but unfortunately as he kicked the rebound away he could only do so in to the legs of the penalty taker and the ball went in. The Millers were still a little riled by this and took a while to get in to the game before they equalised out of the blue with a stunning goal. JV beat a couple of men and squared the ball to Andy P. He was allowed time to control the ball before volleying a sensational shot in to the top corner of the net.

Rotherham were now playing much better but couldn’t really create anything and they took that form in to the second half. They had long spells of pressure and put many balls in to the box but couldn’t get a sight of goal. It had been a close game throughout and perhaps it was always on the cards that it would take penalties to separate the two. Burnsy, Gaz, Andy P, Dan, Denti, Mark Morris were all successful in taking the penalties to sudden death where Dudsy saved the world when he sent the keeper the wrong way after the Blunts taker had skied the ball. The Millers had reached the final in a dramatic fashion.

Internet Millers 0-1 Hull City (Final)

There were plenty of tired and aching legs as Rotherham prepared for the final that was going to be played on pitch number one- the first time they had appeared on that pitch.

A change of kits saw the Millers revert to their customary red and they began the final superbly. Gaz was pulling the strings from midfield and he went close with a free kick and after a dubious looking challenge on the Hull keeper Symon somehow contrived to hit the bar when the goal was at his mercy. More pressure was applied in the way of corners and crosses but Rotherham could not get that vital breakthrough whilst they were on top.

And that is as good as it got for them. A combination of tired legs and a tendency to knock the long ball towards Burnsy meant that for the first time in the whole day, IMFC really put on a poor show. Nothing was created, no passes were strung together and Hull were the better team although they never really created much either. The game looked destined for another penalty shoot-out but Hull won it in a freak way that left the Millers stunned.

A poor clearance from Rotherham was picked up on the edge of the centre circle by the alice-band wearing centre back (gay??). He got the ball under control and let fly with a vicious shot that dipped and swerved and landed just over Yeardy’s head and in the back of the net. A gutted Millers team were left with no time to make a comeback, though Burnsy did try a similar effort that the Hull keeper saved easily.

The final whistle blew soon after to give Hull an unexpected win against a team that over 90 minutes would blow them away. The Rotherham players were devastated that a poor 15 minutes, their worst of the tournament came in the second half of the final and proved to be so costly. Nevertheless a good effort over what turned out to be a very long day. The Millers time may come at Worldnet.