Player ratings and match stats from Leyton Orient 0 Rotherham United 2
MILLERS writer Paul Davis gives his verdict on League One proceedings at Brisbane Road today as the visitors bounced back from being relegated earlier in the week.
Millers (4-2-3-1)
Ted Cann: 7
Kicking, not the greatest. Handling and command of his area, excellent.
Denzel Hall: 7
Did well until taken off in the second half as part of his phased return from injury. Defended diligently and had a bit of class when he ventured higher up the pitch.
Emmanuel Adegboyega: 7
Another player not yet ready to last a full match. Probably his best game since his January arrival. Didn't give an inch at the back and showed some deft touches for a big lad.
Zak Jules: 7
Why doesn't he play like this every week? Won his battles, won his headers. A strong presence.
Jamal Baptiste: 7
Like Adegboyega with a couple more bells on. Moves really well for a centre-half. Having said that, he played left-back and right-back here.
Dan Gore: 8
Scrapping, driving forward and showing quality in possession in the first minute. Still scrapping, driving forward and showing quality in possession after an hour. Still scrapping, driving forward and showing quality in possession in the last minute.
Cohen Lee: 8
The Millers might have found a player here. Can look after the ball and can look after himself. A tough young lad who doesn't need to be asked twice to put a foot in and also looks easy on the eye.
Ar'Jany Martha: 5
A few woeful deliveries and he missed a huge opportunity to score. But there was some effort and flashes of danger.
James Clarke: 6
Picked up an assist by setting up Sam Nombe. He flitted in and out of the game. He's got something, Needs to show more of it.
Harry Gray: 8
Looked the game's most dangerous attacker with his twinkling feet, quick thinking and vision. Got lucky with his goal but he earned his good fortune.
Sam Nombe: 7
Bagged his 12th goal of the campaign. Not his best display but still asked questions of the O's defence.
The subs
Joe Rafferty (for Adegboyega H-T): 7
Slotted in and did a solid job with the minimum of fuss.
Harrison Duncan (for Hall 61): 7
An impressive league debut. Would have been an 8 had he been on the pitch for longer. Has the physicality and aggression that you'd expect from a kid of his size and soft feet that you wouldn't. Really put up his hand for more game time.
Dru Yearwood (for Lee 76): NA
Helped Rotherham see out the contest with no alarms.
Jack Holmes (for Martha 84): NA
No great moments, no bad ones.
Not used: Ben Childs, Gabriele Biancheri, Jordan Hugill.
Orient (4-2-3-1): Will Dennis 6; Tom James 6, Will Forrester 6 (Kaelan Casey 59, 6), Dan Happe 6, James Morris 6; Azeem Abdulai 5 (Sean Clare H-T, 5), Tyreeq Bakinson 5; Sonny Perkins 5 (Josh Koroma H-T, 4) Charlie Wellens 5 (Aaron Connolly 59, 5), Demetri Mitchell 5 (Dylan Levitt 59, 5); Dom Ballard 5. Subs not used: Killian Cahill, Michael Craig.
Goals:Gray 24, Nombe 73 (Rotherham)
Referee: James Bell (South Yorkshire)
Attendance: 7,816 (395)
Opposition view
“To be fair to Rotherham, they had the best player on the pitch – Gray was excellent. We worked all week on not showing him inside and then we showed him inside for the first goal.
“They chucked a few young kids in and they came to the game wanting to get on the ball and enjoy it.
“Maybe it’s the mentality that, because they are relegated and we’ve got them at home, it was going to be an easy game.
“We all have to take accountability because it was nowhere near good enough from us.”
- Orient boss Richie Wellens
The stats
Possession: Orient 60 per cent, Millers 40
Goal attempts: Orient 9, Millers 13
On target: Orient 1, Millers 5
Touches in opposition box: Orient 22, Millers 20
Corners: Orient 6, Millers 6
Fouls committed: Orient 13, Millers 14
Final word
Following relegation, no-one was predicting an away win. That made it even better when it came.