Skipper backing goalkeeper Viktor Johansson for Rotherham United derby number two

Viktor JohanssonViktor Johansson
Viktor Johansson

A SHOW of support from teammates has given Viktor Johansson the boost he needs to be back to his best for the South Yorkshire showdown against Doncaster Rovers.

A rare mistake from the goalkeeper contributed to the Millers suffering a 2-0 defeat in their home clash against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

But captain Richard Wood is tipping business as usual for the young Swede when the second derby in eight days takes place at AESSEAL New York Stadium this Saturday.

“Viktor has been unbelievable for us and that’s probably his first stand-out error,” the skipper said.

“If a player keeps making the same mistake, you might dig him out over it. But when it’s a one-off thing and you can see that the player is giving 100 per cent, that’s different.

“Last Saturday, everybody put their arm round him. He was really disappointed and felt like he’d let everyone down. The other players didn’t see it like that. We win together, we lose together and we stick together. We made sure he was all right.”

Against the Owls, Johansson let a tame 77th-minute shot slip from his grasp, presenting Lee Gregory with the game-clinching goal.

But Wood says that the slate had been wiped clean and all the focus is now on the Rovers match,

“It will be a good atmosphere again,” he said. “It will be a tough game. All derbies are battles.

“If we play like we did against Wednesday and just have that bit of quality to finish things off then, with respect, we don’t need to worry about Doncaster. As long as we concentrate on what we do, we’ll be okay.

“If we keep performing like that we’ll win a lot more games than we lose and be right up there.”

Rotherham are 11th in League One following two wins and two losses while Rovers are next to bottom after losing their opening three matches and then drawing against Portsmouth last Saturday.

“They picked up their first point and getting off the mark will have given them a boost,” Wood said. “Their manager, Richie Wellens, was a very good player. He liked to get the ball down and play and he’ll have his team playing the same way.”

With no midweek match, Rotherham have had a clear week to prepare for the visit of Doncaster who fielded a shadow team in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Stoke City.

“That’s good,” Wood said. “The new lads can learn a bit more about how we play and we can recover properly.

“The Doncaster game is even more important after a defeat. Two losses on the bounce isn’t what we need if we want promotion. We need to pick up points quickly.”

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FLANK duo Kieran Sadlier and Mickel Miller are battling to win manager Paul Warne’s vote as Rotherham United head into Saturday’s Doncaster Rovers derby without key man Chiedozie Ogbene.

Right winger Ogbene has been ruled out of the League One showdown at AESSEAL New York Stadium by a minor hamstring pull.

Warne is likely to hand Sadlier a first league start of the season against his former club or turn to Miller, who impressed in the opening two games and has been unfortunate to find himself on the substitutes’ bench since then.

“We could play Sads out there. The other option is to play Mickel out there because he likes to cut inside and shoot and gives us a bit more dynamism,” the boss said. “He’s had a great start to the season and has been unlucky not to get more game-time.”

Neither Sadlier or Miller are guaranteed a start, however, as Warne has been considering other options to cover Ogbene’s absence from a wing-back role in a 3-5-2 formation.

“I could play Wes (Harding) out there and bring Reg (Rarmani Edmonds-Green) in at centre-half,” the boss said. “I could play Ollie (Rathbone) out there as well.

“I need to look at it and pick the team that I think will call Donny most problems.”

The match pits Warne against his old pal, Richie Wellens, who took the Rovers hot-seat in May.

“I played with Richie at Oldham Athletic,” he said. “He will do a great job at Donny. It will be good to see him. I get on great with him.”

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DONCASTER Rovers will be without their captain when they face Rotherham United in the League One derby at AESSEAL New York Stadium on Saturday.

Centre-half Tom Anderson has an ankle problem that will sideline for three weeks.

Rovers, beaten 2-0 at Stoke City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, have more injury issues to contend with as well as they look to move away from the foot of the table.

Another central defender, Cameron John, limped off at the bet365 Stadium with a back complaint while midfielder John Bostock has a back spasm that is making his presence for the Millers clash touch and go.

Boss Richie Wellens said: “Cam has been struggling with his back for a few weeks now and I think he’s just had a spasm similar to what John had at the weekend. We need to get him back for Saturday with the news about Tom.”

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One to watch

Midfielder John Bostock was rested for Rovers’ midweek Carabao Cup clash with Stoke City to keep him fresh for this weekend’s derby. The 29-year-old, who once cost Spurs £700,000 when they signed him from Crystal Palace as a youngster, has been with Doncaster since January after spells in Belgium, France and Turkey.

Form guide

Millers: WLLWL

Rovers: DLLDL

Last time out

The Millers beat Rovers 3-2 in the group stages of the EFL Trophy in October 2019. Trevor Clarke hit the winner - his only goal for the club - after a Joe Wright own goal and a Carlton Morris strike - while Kieran Sadlier, now a Rotherham player, was one of the Doncaster scorers.

Other recent clashes

Sep 7 2019, League One:

Rovers 2 Millers 1 (Jake Hastie)

Feb 24 2018, League One:

Millers 2 (Michael Smith, Joe Newell pen) Rovers 1

Nov 11 2017, League One:

Rover 1 Millers 1 (Kieffer Moore)

Jan 27 2007, League One:

Rovers 3 Millers 2 (Ritchie Partridge, Martin Woods)

Sep 16 2006, League One:

Millers 0 Rovers 0

Rotherham have won 42 of 88 contests between the clubs since 1923, with Rovers emerging victorious 24 times. There have been 22 draws.

Rival boss

Richie Wellens led Swindon Town to League Two promotion in 2020 and then had a short spell at Salford City before taking the Rovers hot-seat in May. Now 41, Wellens had a long career as a midfielder and was a teammate of Millers boss Paul Warne when they were at Oldham Athletic together. His other sides include Blackpool, Leicester City and the club he is now managing.

Man in the middle

County Durham’s Martin Coy was the referee the last time the two teams met in League One, when Doncaster won 2-1 at the Keepmoat Stadium in September 2019, and also took charge of the Millers’ 1-0 victory at Lincoln City in the same season. He has been on the EFL refs’ list since 2017.

The odds

The bookmakers strongly fancy the Millers, offering 8/13 on a home triumph and 4/1 on a Doncaster win. The draw is 14/5.

Millers

1-0: 5/1

2-0: 13/2

2-1: 13/2

3-0: 11/1

3-1: 12/1

3-2: 22/1

4-0: 22/1

4-1: 22/1

4-2: 55/1

Draw

0-0: 17/2

1-1: 6/1

2-2: 13/1

3-3: 75/1

4-4: 200/1

Rovers

1-0: 12/1

2-0: 22/1

2-1: 13/1

3-0: 70/1

3-1: 40/1

3-2: 50/1

4-0: 200/1

4-1: 125/1

4-2: 175/1