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Rotherham United 3 Barnet 0: Millers turn on the style
ROTHERHAM captain Ian Sharps revealed that there had been minimum input from the players when it came to deciding the Millers' new manager but that the club owner had made the right choice.
Chairman and benefactor Tony Stewart said he would canvas the players over who should replace Mark Robins following his move to Barnsley.
Fans' choice Ronnie Moore beat competition from 50 candidates to resume control of the club he led for eight years from 1997 and got a hero's reception as he made his way to to his seat in the stand.
Sharps and Moore were like ships in the night as the central defender was on his way out of Prenton Park when the latter became manager at Tranmere three years ago.
But the Millers captain said: "I have never worked with him before but he is a legend here and he can help us maintain the momentum we have built. This is a new experience for me because whenever a new manager has been brought in it's always been because we've been doing badly.
"This time Mark Robins moved on in a different way and we were already working well. Hopefully, we will work even better now.
"It was the chairman who chose who he wanted. It was purely his pick and obviously the best candidate got it."
Moore had little influence on Saturday's proceedings, youth coach Steve Thornber taking charge for the third and last time. "He (Moore) just came down before the game and said 'good luck'. To be fair, he had not seen us train, Steve had worked well with us in the last few weeks and knew what he wanted out of us so he did everything," said Sharps.
Amid all the hype surrounding the return of Moore, who worked wonders on a shoestring budget keeping Rotherham in the Championship for four seasons, it would have been easy for the Millers to have been distracted from their task.
Instead, Rotherham dominated for long spells against a side who would have leapfrogged them with a win.
"It's a great result against a good side. Barnet are a good side especially going forward so it was good to keep a clean sheet and we took our chances well.
"We have always said that we need to start well and we could have scored in 10 seconds and starting on the front foot helped us keep the momentum going through the game," said Sharps.
Moore, whose first spell in charge began with a 3-2 defeat against Barnet, was delighted, too. "It was the perfect afternoon. The performance was absolutely brilliant. Steve Thornber has done a good job here, he's Rotherham through and through," said Moore.
"It's an unusual position to be in. A manager usually comes to a club when they are near the bottom and with no confidence in the side. I've come to a side that is third in the league with good players who know this division. We have 23 professionals who can all play in this division and, hopefully, we can go from strength to strength. It's just nice to come back to be involved and watching a performance like that doesn't half give you you some heart and some hope."
Of his reception, Moore added: "I would just like to thank the fans for their loyalty.
"The reception was overwhelming really. It was magnificent to be fair. They've been so good to me over the years it's untrue especially considering how the last year went when I was here. It was tremendous to get that reception and it brought a tear to my eye."
Barnet had not lost since the opening day of the season at Lincoln but the Millers were almost ahead in the first minute when Tom Pope went past a square defence and squared for Adam Le Fondre, who was denied at the near post by a sliding challenge from Kenny Gillett.
The Millers would not be denied and Le Fondre beat the offside trap down the right and squared across the six-yard area for Kevin Ellison to get in front of full-back Joe Devera and sidefoot home a fifth-minute opener.
Barnet had a chance to respond from a corner but captain Mark Hughes scuffed his shot and the danger was cleared.
Albert Jarrett was lucky to escape punishment when a late challenge left right-back Dale Tonge needing treatment and the winger went close with a low drive which Andy Warrington did well to push away.
Just as Barnet pressure was mounting, Pope beat two men on the left, knocked the ball through and Nicky Law kept his composure to run on and dink the ball over goalkeeper Jake Cole to make it 2-0 in the 25th minute with his first goal for the club.
Le Fondre virtually ensured victory on the hour mark, racing onto Danny Harrison's ball down the inside left channel and curling the ball beyond Cole for his seventh goal of the season.
Substitute Ryan Taylor also twice went close to making it 4-0 as Rotherham continued in the ascendancy as Barnet's challenge faded against a robust home defence.
Tonge took another clattering, though, and could be a doubt for tomorrow's trip to Northampton when Moore will be back in the dugout.
Rotherham United: Warrington, Tonge (Lynch 71), Sharps, Fenton, Green; Law, Mills, Harrison, Ellison; Pope (R Taylor 66), Le Fondre (Warne 82). Unused substitutes: Annerson, Joseph, Cummins, Liddell, Warne.
Barnet: Cole, Devera, Yakubu, Leach, Gillett; Adomah (Bolasie 62), Hughes, Deverdics (J Hyde 72), Jarrett; Furlong (Tabiri 86), O'Flynn. Unused substitutes: Carpenter, Deen, O'Neal, Tabiri, Kamdjo.
Referee: P Quinn (Cleveland).
MATCH FOCUS
Hero: Ronnie Moore
Received a standing ovation as he was introduced to the crowd after being appointed manager of the Millers for a second time, although he left team selection to youth coach Steve Thornber and watched from the stand.
Villain: Albert Jarrett
An early late challenge on Dale Tonge deserved at least a booking and the winger, right, became a pantomime villain as he sent a couple of corner kicks dead.
Key moment
25th-minute: As Barnet pressure builds, Tom Pope knocks the ball through for Nicky Law to make it 2-0.
Ref watch
Peter Quinn: A series of decisions went against the Millers but nothing too major to carp about.
Verdict
Ronnie Moore will be delighted to have inherited such a strong squad from Mark Robins and will not need to tinker much to keep the Millers on course.
Next game
Northampton Town v Rotherham United, League Two, tomorrow, 7.45.V
Quote of the day
It was tremendous to get that reception and it brought a tear to my eye.
– Millers chief Ronnie Moore on the standing ovation he received as he made his way to his seat in the stand.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
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Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
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