Ball hoping for another final flourish

The 28-year-old striker has experienced the pleasure and witnessed the pain of play-off deciders.

He was part of the Peterborough United squad which saw off Huddersfield in the 2011 League One final at Old Trafford.

Three years later he got to the League Two version at Wembley with Fleetwood and played his full part as they beat Burton 1-0 to reach League One for the first time. His current Millers team-mate, Matt Palmer, was on the other side.

Speaking to the Advertiser ahead of the League One decider with Shrewsbury, Ball said: "I've had two good days out at play-off finals and witnessed the other side of it in terms of lads who have lost. Going down to Wembley, you don't want to be in that position.

"A lof of people who have been involved in these matches will tell you it's the best way to go up, but ultimately if you could seal it before then you would.

"It's a hard way but a fantastic way to do it and a cruel way (to stay down).

"It would be brilliant for everyone involved if we could do it."

Wembley...destination for the Millers this weekend.

Ball has been on the bench for the last two matches and even if he is again on Sunday, his ability to come on add some extra skill and guile up front gives him a decent chance of seeing some game time against Shrewsbury.

"I will probably have 50 plus people in the crowd, I think everyone has," he said. "My two kids will come down as well, which is always nice, they'll see their dad at Wembley, so it's a great day for everyone involved.

"Last summer at our pre-season training camp in Austria when we all met up for the first time, we had a discussion about where we wanted to be. In that meeting, if someone had said we'd get 90 minutes at Wembley to get ourselves into the Championship then we'd have snatched their hands off.

"We're a  group with great togetherness and hopefully on the day that will help pull us through."