Rotherham United's Jonson Clarke-Harris on penalties, captaincy and extra training

Rotherham United had yet to score in League One this season, they were behind in the closing Yorkshire derby, now they had a penalty.

If their promotion aspirations were serious, the spot-kick had to go in.

AESSEAL New York Stadium held its breath. New York had its doubts. Jonson Clarke-Harris didn't.

The striker calmly went for the right corner and sent Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Lee Nicholls the wrong way to set the Millers on their way to a vital comeback victory.

“No, absolutely not,” the summer signing grinned when he was asked if the thought of missing had ever crossed his mind as he waited to step up.

Clarke-Harris loves taking penalties. Or ‘pennos’, as he calls them.

“I've been thinking about getting pennos for months and months,” he said. “I knew when I was practising them the day before with Cam (goalkeeper Dawson) that that was where I was going to go. It was a good one, yeah.”

Last Saturday's display was Rotherham's best of the campaign so far and now they're looking for a repeat when they head to Charlton Athletic this weekend in search of a first away triumph since November 2022.

“We have to deliver performances like the Huddersfield one every week,” Clarke-Harris said.

The centre-forward - twice a winner of League One's 'Golden Boot' with Peterborough United - has been brought in to score the goals that will take Rotherham straight back to the Championship.

Like the team's generally, his start hasn't been quite the one he was hoping for. However, good things may be about to come as he approaches full fitness.

A calf injury cost him more than half of his pre-season training and he'll be making up for lost time by putting in extra hours at the club's Roundwood base now that there is a four-week break in midweek fixtures and more time available to train.

“I'm just lacking a bit of sharpness,” he said. “I'm probably at about 80 per cent. That's something we're going to work on.

“I've already had conversations with the physios and sports-science team here. There'll be no days off for me, I'll be on the training pitch doing the work.”

Manager Steve Evans has trusted him with the armband and the 30-year-old is revelling in the responsibility.

“Yeah, I'm absolutely loving it,” he said. “I feel like it's a job I'm well suited for. I was a captain at Peterborough.

“At times when things are tough, like before the Huddersfield game, I always come in with a positive mind. I know there is more than enough quality in this changing room for us to do well.”

Victory over Town lifted the Millers up to 17th spot and, with third-tier proceedings still in their early stages, a successful September would put them firmly in the play-off picture.

“I am captain of a team that can win promotion,” the skipper said. “But you don’t win promotion at this part of a season. I’ve always said I like to be chasing and putting the pressure on other teams rather than being chased.”

So, on to Charlton ... and if there's a penno we all know who's taking it.