Rotherham United 5 Gillingham 1: Millers have the look of champions after five-star display

It ended in exhibition football, but for much of the first half, Rotherham United had to grind out victory over Gillingham. It takes both to be champions.
Dan Barlaser celebrates scoring  Rotherham's third goal from the spot. Pictures: Bruce RollinsonDan Barlaser celebrates scoring  Rotherham's third goal from the spot. Pictures: Bruce Rollinson
Dan Barlaser celebrates scoring Rotherham's third goal from the spot. Pictures: Bruce Rollinson

Millers fans know better than most how difficult a Steve Evans side can be to play against, and for a while at least they were.

With the League One leaders unbeaten in 18 matches and Gillingham in the relegation zone having lost their last four, Millers manager Paul Warne was nervous before the game because that is how football people think.

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For a while, it looked like his worst fears might come true as the Gills took the lead and sucked the life out of the game, and their hosts struggled to do something about it. But they pounced on a lucky moment at the end of the first half and a difficult game suddenly became routine. Even with Dan Barlaser hitting the crossbar with his second penalty of the night, Rotherham still won 5-1.

Had it not been for that pesky penalty, Barlaser would have had a hat-trick and Michael Smith could have one too, such were the chances he missed. Barlaser even flashed an effort wide in the fourth added minute, by which times the floodgates were swinging wide open in the tide against 10 demoralised men.

Barlaser’s second goal came as his team stroked the ball around confidently, looking much more like the quality side they are than the first 45 minutes had showcased. Chiedozie Ogbene’s strike, coming inside to find the net after 90 minutes was a pearler too.

The Millers, masters of League One promotions, have a momentum which cannot possibly last until May, but is looking hard to stop at the moment. Warne was punching the air with both fists as he headed down the tunnel.

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The first half was far from a classic on a night so cold, Rotherham’s assistant manager Richie Barker was not even wearing shorts. The reason was that Gillingham took an early lead. Olly Lee got on the end of a sharp cross from right wing-back Ryan Jackson and his smart fifth-minute finish shaped the next 34.

Playing a back three to match Rotherham’s and with only four substitutes to choose from – one, Harvey Lintott, needed after just 11 minutes because of an injury to Max Ehmer – Evans’s side needed little encouragement to play conservatively or to run down the clock. It was the 38th minute before Ross Joyce showed his first yellow card for time-wasting – to Ryan Jackson. It could have been sooner.

At the same time the Gills deserved great credit for the way they got in front of shots in the game of attack-versus-defence, and Rotherham a bit less for the sloppiness in some of their play.

Aaron Chapman had to make a good back-pedalling save when Michael Ihiekwe won his header at a seventh-minute corner but that was pretty much the full extent of the goalkeeper’s workload in that phase of the game, spared by a Ben Wiles shot and a Smith header from Wes Harding’s cross missing the target.

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Then, after 39 minutes, the Millers were gift-wrapped an equaliser, Chapman’s defenders getting in his way after saving Smith’s shot and Freddie Ladapo escorting his own effort in.

Rotherham instantly upped their game, unfortunate Smith was offside when Barlaser cut out a poor Chapman cross, Ladapo failing to make the most of an excellent Barlaser long ball when the visitors surprisingly over-committed in the few minutes before Mickel Miller found the net with a controlled volley.

He had the chance because Ihiekwe did so well heading a Barlaser free-kick from the byline.

Rotherham came out far later than Gillingham for the second half but in the mood to kill the game off. Barlaser blazed a free-kick over and Smith three times missed the target, the last after the game ended as a contest.

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Long before the third goal went in, Ollie Rathbone played an important part in it. He hungrily closed the ball down for Smith’s second chance and it was his excellent tackle and Barlaser’s pass for Ladapo which very indirectly led to the goal.

Ladapo’s cross was put behind for the first of two Barlaser corners. Chapman had to backtrack to stop the first going in direct and when Lintott pulled Ihiekwe from the second, Barlaser smashed home the penalty.

He did the same with the second, only this time against the bar. It was still decisive, Jackson sent off for clipping Ogbene as the wing-back sped past.

By the time Barlaser and Ogbene rounded it off, it was bordering on cruel but disguised what hard work the early stages were.

Fortunately, Rotherham are unafraid of that.

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Rotherham United: Johansson; Edmonds-Green, Ihiekwe, Harding; Barlaser; Ogbene, Wiles, Rathbone, Miller (Ferguson 64); Ladapo (Grigg 80), Smith (Kayode 75). Unused substitutes: Mattock, Lindsay, Odoffin, Vickers.

Gillingham: Chapman; McKenzie, Ehmer (Lintott 11), Tucker; Jackson, O’Keefe, Phillips (Akehurst 73), Lloyd; Lee, Carayol; Akinde (Sithole 56). Unused substitutes: Crump.

Referee: R Joyce (Teesside).

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