Rotherham United: Williams wants six Millers points in four days

Ryan Williams is targeting a maximum haul from a home double-header as Rotherham United look to step up their League One play-off push.
Ryan WilliamsRyan Williams
Ryan Williams

The Millers, just two points away from the top six, entertain Portsmouth this weekend and then face Bradford City at AESSEAL New York Stadium on Tuesday.

Pompey and the Bantams are ahead of eighth-placed Rotherham in the table and Williams knows he and his teammates, who are unbeaten in their last seven matches, could gatecrash the promotion reckoning with successive two victories in four days.

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“If we can get six points ... both teams are above us at the moment, so we could sneak up there,” the winger said.

“We’re all really looking forward to those matches. Two home games offer us a chance of points.

Williams grabbed his fourth goal of the season last Saturday as the Millers scrapped hard for a 1-1 draw on a poor pitch at Oldham Athletic.

Rotherham have scored in their last 20 matches, and the 24-year-old added: “We can play ugly, we can play pretty. It’s testimony to how versatile this team is. We can play in different types of situation.

Kenny JackettKenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett
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“We’re unbeaten in seven now. The pitch at Oldham didn’t suit the way we like to play but we showed we can play ‘scruffy’ and grind out a point.

“We’re just trying to stay on this run. To be fair, most of the seven games haven’t been pretty. We’ve dug in and in a couple have scored last-minute equalisers. That shows the spirit in the dressing room.”

The Portsmouth clash sees the return to New York of Kenny Jackett, the manager who lasted only 39 days with the Millers in last season’s Championship relegation campaign before quitting and eventually becoming the boss at Fratton Park.

Paul Warne, who took the Rotherham hot-seat after Jackett’s departure, said: “As well as we have done in the last six weeks, Portsmouth boast an equally impressive record and I know Kenny will be keen to get a result.

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“We have put ourselves in a handy position after a good point at Oldham. It’s important that we keep the momentum going and keep putting points on the board to put the sides above us under pressure.

“Pompey always travel in big numbers and this is the first time that they have played at our stadium, so we’re expecting a big following for them.”

The Millers are in the market for central midfielders, a striker and a centre-half in the January transfer window and would like to have a new face in place by the weekend.

Meanwhile, former Rotherham player and assistant manager John Breckin led the tributes to ex-Millers forward Rodney Fern who has died aged 69.

Kenny JackettKenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett
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“I’m very sad to wake up to the news that my old teammate, good friend and one of the best strikers I played with has passed away,” Breckin said.

Fern, a big fans’ favourite, was with the club from 1979 to 1983.