The wait is finally over ... on-the-whistle report: Cambridge United 0 Rotherham United 1
Rotherham United's long, long wait for a victory on the road is finally over.
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Hide AdIt looked like being yet another frustrating away day as the clocked ticked into added time at the Abbey Stadium with the match against Cambridge United locked at 0-0.
But then Joe Powell crossed, Sam Nombe was there and the substitute striker claimed the winner.
It might have been that Powell's delivery went straight in. Again, who cared! Just as long as the ball crossed the line.
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Hide AdNot since November 2022 had the Millers triumphed on their travels. 44 matches ago. 693 days ago. An age ago.
The win lifted them to 17th in the League One table. In truth, they were lucky to claim it, having played poorly for much of the contest against the division's bottom club and it had taken a second-half wonder-save from Cameron Dawson to prevent them falling behind.
Three-hundred-and eighty-four travelling supporters braving the elements for a midweek fixture a long way from home deserved their celebration at the end.
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Hide AdThe game was briefly stopped after six minutes because of a medical incident in a home section of the stadium.
On a wet, wet evening, neither goalkeeper was tested in the opening 20 minutes.
The weather in Cambridgeshire had been so bad that a 5pm pitch inspection had been required to rule that the contest could go ahead.
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Hide AdA home player turned the ball on to his own post following a Joe Rafferty cross and Shaun McWilliams flick-on just before the half-hour mark while at the other end Korey Smith let fly from distance and Cameron Dawson tipped the ball over the bar.
Mallik Wilks headed too high when Reece James delivered deep to the back post as a good chance to open the scoring went begging.
In a forgettable first half, the Millers got in good positions at times but too often hit the first man with the final ball.
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Hide AdThey had made four changes to the side that had started in the 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury Town three days earlier.
Jonson Clarke-Harris, Joe Jungbo, McWilliams and Cohen Bramall came into the team, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jordan Hugill, Sam Nombe, Christ Tiehi and Alex MacDonald dropping to the bench.
Cambridge's Dan Nlundulu clipped a close-range effort just wide at the near post soon after the restart as the contest continued to offer little in quality.
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Hide AdThe visitors' most threatening moment of the game came in the 52nd minute when Rafferty delivered a pinpoint cross from the right flank and Clarke-Harris rose to force a fine save from Vicente Reyes.
It required a stunning point-blank stop from Dawson to keep the scores level when Nlundulu looked certain to put the home team ahead.
Clarke-Harris's 85th-minute slip and lack of connection on a shooting opportunity seremed to have summed up Rotherham's night.
Then came that moment. 44 matches. 693 days. An age.
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Hide AdCambridge (3-1-4-2): Vicente Reyes; Jubril Odekina, Michael Morrison, Danny Andrew; Paul Digby; Liam Bennett, James Brophy, James Gibbons, Korey Smith; Dan Nlundulu (Ryan Loft 79), Brandon Njoku (Elias Kachunga 79). Subs not used: Jack Stevens, Zeno Ibsen Rossi, Jordan Cousins, Connor O'Riordan.
Rotherham (4-2-3-1): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty, Cameron Humphreys, Jamie McCart, Reece James; Shaun McWilliams (Christ Tiehi 79), Joe Powell; Joe Hungbo (Sam Nombe 79), Mallik Wilks (Jack Holmes 86), Cohen Bramall; Jonson Clarke-Harris (Jordan Hugill 86). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Zak Jules, Alex McDonald.
Goals: Nombe 90+2 (Rotherham).
Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire).
Attendance: 5,085 (384).
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