Pride on the line for Ward and Millers

DANNY Ward wants Rotherham United to kick on and complete a productive Easter when they take on Reading on Monday, adding: “We’re playing for personal pride.”
Celebration time after Danny Ward's leveller against Birmingham. Picture: Dave PoucherCelebration time after Danny Ward's leveller against Birmingham. Picture: Dave Poucher
Celebration time after Danny Ward's leveller against Birmingham. Picture: Dave Poucher

It was the striker’s late equaliser which earned a 1-1 draw against Birmingham yesterday and snapped a club record run of ten straight defeats for the Championship’s wooden spoonists.

Play-off chasers Reading will present an altogether tougher challenge at the Madejski Stadium, especially as Rotherham have yet win away from home in 21 attempts, but Ward has been lifted by the Birmingham result.

“It was nice to score against Birmingham and we were unlucky not to get the three points,” he told the Advertiser. “It’s a big pitch at Reading. They will pass the ball about well and it will be a tough game for us but we have people are coming back from injury so we’ll go down there with a good group and we should be OK.”

Jon Taylor goes down under a challenge from Birmingham's Jonathan Grounds.

Manager Paul Warne will be at Villa Park today to see Reading take on Aston Villa and thanked his players again yesterday for not “downing tools” after such a wretched season.

Ward has come through a barren spell to notch two goals in two games to take his tally to 12 and intends making the most of the remaining five matches.

“Of course we’re down but we’ve a few games left and we want to get some personal pride out of it and win some games,” he added. “We don’t want it to just slip away.”