Rotherham United 0-1 Barnsley

Wet, windy, half-built stadium 3 extremely vital points.

It wasn't pretty last night at Millmoor but at the final whistle just over a 1000 Barnsley fans were elated.

Substitute Martin Devaney popped up with the winner 17 minutes from time after an awful defensive mix-up between Rotherham keeper Montgomery and defender Robertson to give Barnsley only their second away win of the season and shoot the Reds SEVEN places up the table to the verge of the play-offs.

Howling wind coming through the huge hole that used to be Millmoor's Main Stand made any kind of pretty football very difficult but with Stephen McPhail playing poetry with the ball the Reds had the edge in what was a very poor first half.

Paul Hayes had Barnsley's best two chances, seeing one shot well saved by Montgomery with Howard somehow been thwarted by a defender from putting the rebound in.

On 40 minutes Hayes missed an even better chance as his goal drought stretched to nine games, ironically the last time he scored was against his former club Scunthorpe on 9th August. A lovely passing move involving Tonge, Shuker and Richards sent Hayes clean through but he shot woefully wide.

Rotherham showed very little in the opening 45minutes. Deon Burton, who was taunted mercifully by the Barnsley fans for his lack of effort when in a Red shirt, attempted a scissor kick that flew wide and apart from a few nervous moments in the defence the Reds were comfortable.

The second half wasn't much better as both teams couldn’t find any consistency. Shuker fired wide for The Reds while Monkhouse (by far the Millers best player) went close.

The game just seemed to be drifting to a draw. That was until an awful cock-up at the back after 73 minutes saw Barnsley snatch the lead.

Devaney who had replaced Shuker 10 minutes previously, took advantage of Montgomery and Robertson's indecision to nod the ball over the keeper and steady himself before rolling the ball over the line in front of the away following.

Devaney raced across the front of the fans with shirt off, resulting in a booking.

This goal though forced Rotherham into action and they practically dominated the remaining 20 or so minutes.

Colgan made an excellent catch on the line from from Will Hoskins after 81 minutes but try as they might Rotherham just couldn't stick the ball in and Barnsley held on for a vital win against their South Yorkshire rivals to reignite the season.

As Andy Ritchie has stated consistency is the key and 3 points against Walsall Saturday is just as vital whilst Paul Hayes really needs to be taken out of the firing line for a while as he seems to be suffering a real crisis of confidence.

Steven Watt's arrival from Chelsea on loan should steady the shaky defence.

The Reds now have the opportunity to take their season to new heights, will they accept the situation????

Player ratings:

Nick Colgan: Despite late Rotherham pressure had very little to do although his catch on the line from Hoskins could well have given The Reds the points. 7

Neil Austin: Battled well but can tend to go to ground too early. Threw himself in front of everything at the end. 6

Antony Kay: His usual hoof it all philosophy was evident but I suppose it was needed at Millmoor. 6

Bobby Hassell: Kept the defence together and hopefully has put his recent poor performances behind him. 7

Dale Tonge: Did really well and also got forward when he could. Probably our best defender last night. 7

Chris Shuker: Prepared to run at the defence and was quite surprised he was taken off although his replacement won us the game. Subbed 6

Stephen McPhail: Just seems to have acres of space when on the ball. Dictated play from midfield. A joy to watch. Booked. 8

Jacob Burns: Well I say it every game. Gave 100% and his tackles were awesome. Unlucky to get booked. At least it's only the FA Cup game he misses. Booked. 8

Brian Howard: Really pushed himself last night and you could see this result meant alot to him. Tried to gee the fans up. 7

Paul Hayes: 9 games now without a goal and this was the first game I've seen when he actually played pretty poor as well. May be time to rest him. Subbed. 5

Marc Richards: Impressive especially in the air. Didn't give the Rotherham defence much peace. Subbed 7

Substitutes:

Martin Devaney (for Shuker 63) Did my eyes deceive me or did Ritchie put Devaney on the RIGHT when he came on!!!! Was awake to grab the all-important goal. Booked. 7

Daniel Nardiello (for Richards 67) The fans chanted for his arrival for about 10 minutes although to be honest he didn't really have an impact. 6

Nathan Jarman (for Hayes 83) Showed some good touches. Pushing Hayes for his place. Would like to see him start the Cup game with Darlington. 6

Man of The Match: Stephen McPhail, just beats Burns to the accolade because Burns plays well every match.

Coca Cola League Results Tuesday 25th October 2005

Rotherham 0-1 Barnsley

Barnsley lie 7th in League One with 22 points from 15 games. We are 1 point off the PlayOffs, 8 points off the Automatic Promotion Places and 8 points clear of the Relegation Zone.


Next Up:

At Oakwell: Barnsley v Walsall Saturday 29th October 2005 Kick-Off 3pm ( Note: Any children under ten can watch this match for free when accompanied by a paying adult)

On The Road: Bradford City v Barnsley Saturday 12th November 2005 Kick Off 2pm ( Note earlier time) ( Note: This match is pay on the gate)

Stephen McPhail: Man of the Match