Millers hit back to beat Mainz

Two goals in the last eight minutes from Matt Derbyshire and Jordan Bowery turned the contest on its head and provided the Millers with a perfect tonic in their last public pre-season friendly before next week’s Championship kick-off.

Although there were obvious flashes of quality from the visitors, gearing up for their seventh straight season inGerman football’s top division, the Millers showed plenty of resilience to stay in the contest and then shade it.

Chris Maguire and Derbyshire both tested goalkeeper Loris Karius in the first half and when the Germans did threaten, the back four led by Tom Thorpe and Danny Collins were able to deal with any threats. Christian Clemens’ came closest for Mainz with a 25-yard drive that had Kelle Roos scrambling.

Roos was much busier in the second half, sticking out a leg to deny Yunus Malli and seeing the same player hit a post.

The pressure paid on 72 minutes when a deep free-kick was headed back into the goalmouth and big defender Leon Balogun volleyed in.

Rotherham absorbed more pressure before equalising with a well-constructed goal eight minutes later. Substitute Emmanuel Ledesma set a counter-attack in motion from deep and Jordan Bowery carried it on before freeing Derbyshire, who cut in to curl high past Karius.

The match looked like ending in a draw until another cutting breakaway a minute from time. A long ball from Joe Newell, the trialist on loan from Peterborough United, sent Bowery clear and he thrashed in from an angle to complete the comeback.

Millers: Roos, Halford, Newell, Thorpe, Collins, Frecklington (Green 82), G. Ward (Bowery 67), Smallwood, White (Wood 82), Maguire (Ledesma 67) , Derbyshire

FSV Mainz: Karius, Balogun, Bengtsson, Malli, Baumgartlinger, Bell, Samperio, Brosinksi, Frei, Clemens, Muto

Referee: P. Tierney

Attendance: 3,746