'New' boy does trick for Millers

A first win in four League Two games and a clear sight of the play-off positions should have had Rotherham manager Mark Robins dancing in the streets on Saturday night.

After all, for the most part, this was one of their best performances of the season in blowing away the division's bottom side Mansfield.

Or so you thought after 67 minutes.

Goals from Marcus Bean, Marc Newsham and Stephen Brogan had the Millers fans breathing a huge sigh of relief as their side raced into a wholly deserved 3-0 lead.

But never under-estimate the power of complacency - and a Rotherham second-half collapse.

And every credit to the visiting Stags, who forced more than a few nervous twitches with goals from Michael Boulding and Nathan Arnold in the space of eight minutes.

They then had the best part of ten minutes, injury time included, to force the most unlikely point.

Fortunately for Robins, things turned out all right. "They did come back into it," conceded the gaffer. "But I am not dwelling on it.

"Overall I think it was decent performance and great to get back to winning ways.

"When they came back into the game, we dropped deeper and deeper. That is something that we have got to work on - simple as that.

"But I was grateful for the three points, which, in the end, were thoroughly deserved."

It was quite plain to see right from the first whistle that the home side were going to take control of the contest.

Striker Derek Holmes had already caused problems in the air, and with it two corners, before on-loan midfielder Bean drove home right-footed from the edge of the box after just three minutes.

It was from the second of these corners that Bean pounced. Brogan's left-wing delivery was cleared as far as the 18-yard line where Bean outfoxed Stags keeper Carl Muggleton.

To be totally fair to the much-travelled Muggleton, the ball flew through a pack of bodies before he was forced into action.

But he should have done a lot better - and it had some people wondering whether he was still feeling the after-effects of a broken nose suffered during a midweek defeat to MK Dons.

That notion was all but confirmed when he was replaced at half-time by his deputy, Jason White.

There was absolutely nothing the 39 year-old former Stoke stopper could do about Rotherham's second, though.

Full back Paul Hurst got forward to deliver to the far post Holmes nodded back across the box where Newsham was waiting to spectacularly volley home into the roof of the net after 20 minutes.

In doing so, Newsham earned himself some high praise from his boss.

"He was excellent, and his performances in the reserves justified his start," continued Robins.

"His game merits a run in the side, and as long as he continues to cause problems like that for the opposition then the shirt is his to keep.

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“I was really pleased with his contribution because he made us work and look like a decent passing side.”

Before kick-off, there was actually renewed hope among the travelling contingent - despite seeing their side plunge towards the Blue Square Premier after a promising opening-day draw at Brentford.

Much-maligned managing director Keith Haslam has concluded a deal to sell the club to new owner James Derry.

But when Brogan was rewarded for all his hard work when he headed home a Marc Newsham header that had rebounded back off the underside of bar after 67, that hope seemed to have gone.

It hadn’t. Boulding poked home after 75 minutes, and substitute Arnold fired home in the 83rd - and the hope was back again.

Thankfully for the Millers, it was only briefly.

“There are no easy games in any league, and you expect spells where you are going to come under pressure,” continued Robins.

“In terms of possession, the way we played, and the chances we created, we should have won more comfortably - although they did make it difficult for us in the second half.”

Robins has yet to decide the exact make-up of his side for tomorrow’s meeting with Grimsby in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy - but competition rules state he has to play six of his first team.