Great night for Millers

ROTHERHAM United ensured Championship survival by beating Reading on a fantastic night at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Second-half goals from Matt Derbyshire and Lee Frecklington paved the way for a 2-1 victory and means that the Millers can go to Leeds United for their final game on Saturday free of any relegation worries.

The first half was a non-event, with both sides struggling to put anything together in attack, and it took 44 minutes until Reading goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen was finally tested by a dipping volley from Lee Frecklington.

Rotherham needed to raise their game and they did so after half time, scoring twice in five minutes to bring the 11,000 plus crowd to life.

Derbyshire slid in the first on 52 minutes from a low cross by Danny Ward and  it was Ward who supplied the second, whipping in another low ball that was turned in by Frecklington at the far post.

Oliver Norwood set the nerves jangling by pulling a goal back from distance three minutes from time. Referee Graham Salisbury also added five minutes of stoppage time but Rotherham closed the match out to accomplish their mission despite the three-point deduction from the Football League.

The result also means Millwall and Wigan are relegated.

·         See Friday’s Advertiser for your free 16-page Millers Extra, including full report, reactions and more pictures from Tuesday’s victory.

 

Millers: Martinez, Hunt, Lafferty, Morgan, Broadfoot (Ward 62), Arnason, Smallwood, Pringle (Green 89), Frecklington, Ward, Derbyshire (Bowery 81)

Reading: Andersen, Gunter, Kelly, Norwood, Obita (McCleary 61), Cholobah (Mackie 61), Hector, Karacan, Cooper, Cox, Pogrebnyak (Stacey 82)

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire)

Attendance: 11,123 (210 visitors)