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Painful for Millers as season unravels; MATCH ACTION SLIDESHOW
Rochdale 4 Jones (30)Dagnall (81, 86, 90) Millers 1 Joseph (7)
A WEEK ago, it was the football club starting to unravel. Yesterday, it was the season itself, and the play-off chances in particular, which fell apart.
Rather cruelly, one has to say. Cruel because those looking only at the scoreline may idly reckon, in view of all what's going on, all the uncertainty and speculation, that the towel went in.
It didn't. But it all seems so pointless now to say that, at 1-1 with 10 minutes left, it was anybody's game and Rotherham were enjoying slightly the better of it.
But, a game they could not afford to lose, was eventually lost to a substitute playing for the first time since a serious knee injury six months ago who demonstrated a class of finishing that those who aspire in Millers striking ranks should note.
Chris Dagnall had a look about him the moment he started to get involved after his 68th minute introduction. A goal from him had an inevitability about it. No-one could have foreseen a hat-trick in the final 10 minutes!
What did you think of the game? Post your comment below.
Rotherham really had to win to keep convincing themselves and put some positivity in among the negativity surrounding administration. But Rochdale, with three games in hand and all at home, are now in the play-off driving seat.
The more chilling effect for Rotherham what was it really means and what the administrator does before Thursday's transfer deadline. He's on the horns of a dilemma.
Mark Robins said on Saturday that the administrator told him last week no one would be leaving – and Robins then added the word "yet".
But if Rotherham had won yesterday, the play-offs would still have been viable and offloading players would have been damaging if not foolish.
But, doing so now - whatever the financial essentials - would send the message that the play-off bid is over. What would be saved on wages would thus be lost through the gate because attendances would drop.
Keep everyone, you don't save any money but you're almost certainly not going to make the play-offs anyway.
Whatever the decision... gaining on the swings and losing on the roundabouts springs to mind.
The Millers could have helped themselves but really have failed in this second half of the season (Chesterfield apart) when they have had a crunch game against one of their competitors.
Indeed, things had started to slide before all this administration business reared its head.
From the night they succumbed at Peterborough at the end of January, the team has plummeted downwards and nine points from the last 13 games means any crumbs of comfort are difficult to find.
I could find some from yesterday up to the last 10 minutes.
More on next page.
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All sport categories. Those 80 minutes were just about the last throw of the dice although, to be honest, they have not done enough, often enough, to convince anyone they could turn things round.
Rochdale, dazzling on the break at Millmoor and excellent away from home, have had a pretty poor set of results at home.
Before yesterday, they'd won just five (Macclesfield and Mansfield had won fewer) and only scored 19 (Wrexham and Notts County had scored fewer).
So, this was a side dodgy on their own patch all season whatever their league position suggested. Rotherham were on course for extending it until Dagnall's arrival on the scene.
The Millers even scored a rare goal from a corner. Peter Holmes delivered and Marc Joseph's near post header couldn't be kept out by 19-year-old keeper Tommy Lee, making his home debut.
That was after seven minutes (Le Fondre had somehow missed from three yards before then) and only a clearance from right under the bar by Simon Ramsden from a Peter Holmes header stopped Rotherham extending the lead minutes later.
With Rochdale fans amusing themselves with a taunting little rendition of "You're supposed to pay your bills", Rotherham fans could afford to chuckle along until the half-hour mark. A high ball wasn't dealt with by Pablo Mills, Rene Howe put the loose ball into the path of Gary Jones and he fired home.
Only a fascinating piece of goalkeeping by Andy Warrington kept Rotherham level at the break.
Howe got clean away at an angle not dissimilar to Bradford's scorer Colbeck on Saturday. Le Fondre was racing in unmarked at the far post so Howe had two choices. Pass or shoot.
Rather than advance and make Howe's mind up for him (and be stranded anyway if Howe decided to square it), Warrington elected to stay where he was, virtually on his line. Howe simply carried on and actually ran into the six yard area and then had little other option but to shoot and his attempt to put the ball through or very close to Warrington's legs saw the wily keeper make the block.
At the start of the second half Howe glanced a header wide and Rochdale, clearly preferring to strike on the break, should have led but Adam Rundle's goalbound shot was blocked by Mills.
Rotherham then enjoyed a spell on top. Ryan Taylor shot inches wide of the far post, Joseph had a goalbound shot blocked from a corner and Hudson volleyed wide from 20 yards with keeper Lee stranded after a reckless dash from goal to try and grab a free-kick.
It all seemed set for a stalemate until 10 minutes from time. Rundle's cross was turned into the goalmouth from in front of the near post by sub Lee Thorpe. Rotherham had a couple like this last Saturday and no one was there. Dagnall, a regular scorer last season, was.
Five minutes from time Joseph's clearing header struck the upraised arm of the challenging Chris Basham.
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All sport categories. Appeals for handball got nowhere and Basham poked the ball to Dagnall who weaved into the area and saw his shot deflect over Warrington.
In stoppage time, Dagnall pulled down a diagonal ball before measuring a lovely effort into the far corner. It was class. Rochdale’s goalscoring hero is returning just in time for the play-offs.
He could become more popular in the little Lancashire town than Gracie Fields.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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