Rotherham United: ‘It’s the best goal I’ve scored in my career by a mile

Their defence has rightly been lauded for keeping 17 clean sheets already for the League One leaders. Stephen Humprhys’s strike for Wigan in Friday’s summit meeting was the Millers’ first league concession in nine-and-a-half hours and ended their hopes of securing a seventh successive shut-out for the first time since 1982.

Up front, they possess arguably the best striker in the division in Michael Smith. As for the midfield? Well, look closely and the statistics are also head-turning, even if Friday’s hero Ollie Rathbone is not completely satisfied.

Rathbone’s brilliant long-ranger which restored parity for the Millers against the Latics was right out of the top drawer.

It was a welcome reward for a player who has enjoyed a stellar first season with Rotherham and won himself many admirers. Yet it was only his second goal of the campaign and his first since late September.

In the scoring stakes, Rathbone is some way behind fellow central midfielders Dan Barlaser and Ben Wiles, who have both mustered an impressive seven goals respectively and he readily admits he is playing catch-up in that regard.

Rathbone said: “That’s definitely something I want to do. I’ve been happy with my season so far, but I feel there have been times where I feel I’ve been bridesmaid instead of the bride.

“That’s fine by me. I just want the team to do well. But it’s nice for me to get the goal and the headlines (against Wigan).

“It’s the best goal I’ve scored in my career by a mile. For the quality of the strike and the size of the occasion.

“It happened so quickly and in a split-second, it was in the net.

“It was nice play from Chieo (Ogbene). He is so good that he attracts so many players to the ball.

“He was being crowded out, but he got his head up and saw me in loads of space. Then I had a decision to make: whether to go out wide or shoot.

“My first instinct was to put it on to my left foot where there might have been a bit more space but then I thought: ‘I’m going to have a go with my right.’ As soon as it left my boot I knew it was in.”

Rotherham’s hopes of a seventh consecutive league victory and clean sheet may have been scuppered by a similarly strong Wigan line-up on Friday, but for everyone connected with the Millers, the glass was half-full at the final whistle and why wouldn’t it be as they extended their unbeaten sequence in all competitions 18 home matches.

The Millers have a healthy nine-point advantage over third-placed MK Dons with a game in hand going in to Tuesday night’s home game with Morecambe and the display of both of the top two on Friday showed just why they are currently occupying the two automatic promotion spots.

Agreeing wholeheartedly with that notion, Rathbone commented: “Definitely. They were really strong throughout the team and the substitutions they make, they are bringing on good players and really dangerous players up front.

“I think we can take a lot of positives by the way they came here. I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I think they were pretty happy with a point.

“Towards the end, after we got the goal, there was no real impetus from them to go and get another. I think we outplayed them over large parts of the game and can take confidence from that.”

The way in which Rathbone, Barlaser and Wiles competed against a strong Wigan engine room in the shape of Max Power, Tom Naylor and James McClean also reflected well on the Millers.

They also possess another notable player at this level in Jamie Lindsay as another senior central midfield option at this level and back up in the shape of Hakeem Odoffin.

Rathbone, whose father Mick had a long playing association at Blackburn before serving as physiotherapist for the likes of Everton and Preston, continued: “Against the other side at the top of the league, we really showed our quality and were quite strong in there.

“I don’t think much of their play went through their midfield and we are three young lads who are really enjoying our football together and we work hard and push each other every day.

“I am really enjoying it and it is just reward for all the hard work we are putting in every single week on the training pitch. I think that we have every right to be where we are in the table and deserve to be.”