Fleetwood Town 2 – Rooney (46), Coughlan (80)

Rotherham United 0

Rotherham United’s loss this afternoon at a sunny Highbury Stadium means the Millers have still never won at Fleetwood.

The hosts started the better and an early corner came in finding Shaun Rooney’s head but went not only high but wide and minutes later Finley Potter got the ball sending it round the Millers defence finding Ronan Coughlan whose super volley flew into the net only for the linesman to flag him offside. Goalkeeper Jay Lynch sent the ball down field finding Lewis McCann in the area whose shot blocked before a foul on Jili Buyabu – not the first of the afternoon – wasn’t given and his wrath at referee saw Steven Copeland send for captain Paul Mullin to calm him down. A couple of corners for the hosts didn’t make it into the box before a Tom Bradshaw ball for Jamie Jellis saw the midfielder’s shot from outside the box blocked. Buyabu sent in a cross-come-shot which Lynch did well to fist clear before his counterpart at the other end Julian Eyestone did well to to save from Mark Helm and then from a Harrison Neal shot from distance. The first yellow of the game went to Brandon Cover after he hauled down Helm followed by the Millers going down the other end with Denzel Hall who put the ball over the crossbar. After the first half the game was goalless.

The second half was only a minute old when a corner ball found Shaun Rooney who sent the ball into the net from close range. On the fifty-third minute Millers Head Coach Alex Bruce made four changes – Aaron Nemane, Kian Spence, Klaidi Lolos and Jayce Fitzgerald coming on with Sonny Aljofree, Josh Austerfield, Tom Bradshaw and Brandon Cover going the other way. And there was nearly an immediate impact after a cross from Fitzgerald into the box saw Paul Mullin win the header but sent the ball high much to the despair of the seven hundred travelling fans. Hamish Douglas was the next Millers player to see yellow after a foul on Ronan Coughlan who was heading towards goal. A Town corner found Rooney who headed just past the upright before the hosts brought on Will Davies for Ched Evans. A handball by Mark Helm saw the midfielder booked before a nasty challenge from behind on Dominic Iorfa saw Coughlan get the same. A corner for the Millers saw the ball come in for Lolos who saw his header go inches wide before Fitzgerald did well to get another corner which Jellis took finding Denzel Hall who headed high and wide. In the next passage of play Hall sent the ball through for Lolos whose shot went the wrong side of the upright followed by Jellis winning a free-kick which Fitzgerald took direct but he couldn’t find the net. Another change for Fleetwood saw Crispin McLean replace Adam Murphy. Lewis McCann saw a chance go begging hitting it behind with the Millers going forward with Buyabu whose cross found Fitzgerald his shot blocked by Finlay Potter for a corner which came to nothing. With ten minutes left on the clock the hosts doubled their lead with McLean crossing into the box for Coughlan who headed home. And it might have been another for Coughlan a couple of minutes later if Eyestone hadn’t been alert and got down well to save. Another two substitutes for the hosts saw Conor Haughey and Raffaele Cirino on for Ronan Coughlan and Mark Helm. In the final minute of the game a confrontation between Jay Lynch and Lolos saw a mass brawl break out in the penalty area the referee booking the two instigators. From the free-kick Lynch sent the ball downfield for McCann who in turned sent it for Will Davies whose shot towards the top left was clawed behind by Eyestone. In time added on another brawl broke out in the middle of the pitch which saw Iorfa and McCann booked. Harrison Neal and Davies had shots that bothered nobody before a corner for the Millers did the same and the referee blew the final whistle.

What can you say? We asked for ‘fight’ from the team which Lolos and Iorfa did although it wasn’t that sort of fight we meant. We asked for crosses into the box – we didn’t get many of them. We asked for passing football – we got very little of that.

What we did get was another loss which, in fairness, was probably what we deserved.

Now onto Tuesday when Newport make the trek from Wales to the New York Stadium. Will it be the lowest League crowd of the season?

Attendance – 3,084 with 728 Millers in the ground

Referee – Steven Copeland