Rotherham United 3 Stoke City 3 - Millers mark Paul Warne milestone with a six-goal thriller

DOING the business on a cold, rainy night in Stoke used to be the traditional barometer for all aspiring visiting sides during the Potters’ Premier League days.
Double up: Matt Crooks celebrates scoring his second goal for Rotherham United against Stoke City last night. Picture Bruce RollinsonDouble up: Matt Crooks celebrates scoring his second goal for Rotherham United against Stoke City last night. Picture Bruce Rollinson
Double up: Matt Crooks celebrates scoring his second goal for Rotherham United against Stoke City last night. Picture Bruce Rollinson

The Championship’s equivalent is surely performing on a wet and windy evening in Rotherham – and should represent a big compliment in the direction of Paul Warne’s Millers, just as it was to top-flight Stoke in their years of plenty under Tony Pulis.

Rotherham displayed everything that has been good about them here, certainly in an offensive sense, in Warne’s 200th milestone match in charge.

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Matt Crooks and Michael Smith – who helped themselves to three goals between them – simply terrorised the Potters backline and made a total mockery of their defensive resolution on the road.

On target: Michael Smith heads in Rotherham's second goal.
 Picture Bruce RollinsonOn target: Michael Smith heads in Rotherham's second goal.
 Picture Bruce Rollinson
On target: Michael Smith heads in Rotherham's second goal. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Unfortunately, it was not the whole story on an occasion where both rearguards did not showcase themselves in a flattering light. But what entertainment, unexpected it has to be said.

On a night when victory would have taken them out of the drop zone, Rotherham allowed Stoke to equalise twice in a rip-roaring second half, courtesy of Danny Batth and Nick Powell as the Potters’ bench power ultimately told.

It made for a crazy evening on a night when Crooks afforded himself an early 27th birthday present by way of two goals. But there were gifts at the other end, with the chaos starting early on when Angus MacDonald put through his own net for his third own goal this term after diverting a Rhys Norrington-Davies cross past Jamal Blackman.

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The hosts’ response was indicative of a side in decent order as they soon re-imposed their will.

Stoke arrived in South Yorkshire armed with formidable away statistics. Stingy Stoke might have shipped their first goal on the road in 576 minutes – just over nine-and-a-half hours – in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Blackburn, but they failed to convince in the first half.

Stoke were handed a warning shortly after their opener when a thumping header from Wes Harding crashed against the woodwork, while only a brave block from captain John-Obi Mikel prevented Crooks from scoring a close-range leveller.

Crooks was not to be denied and was the beneficiary of some sterling work from the selfless Smith just after the half-hour mark.

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A renowned chaser of lost causes, Smith forced a mistake from Batth down Stoke’s left channel and his cross was rammed home from close in by Crooks.

Stoke had some semi-threatening moments, home captain Richard Wood making a fine saving challenge to thwart Jordan Thompson, yet Rotherham steadfastly refused to allow them to dictate and get into a rhythm.

A former team-mate of Warne’s in their playing days at Wigan Athletic, Michael O’Neill had a bit more to think about at the interval than his counterpart, but one glance at his bench provided a certain amount of insurance.

But the hosts continued to unsettle the Potters and it reaped a quick dividend. Dan Barlaser’s deep corner found Ben Wiles, who showed good technique to hook a volley towards goal and after the ball was not cleared, Smith cashed in on uncertainty in the Stoke backline to nod home.

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Stoke’s continued efforts to play out from the back, with former Doncaster Rovers loanee Joe Bursik looking uncertain in goal, were entitled to further enthuse the hosts. It made their poor concession to provide Stoke with a soft 62nd-minute leveller all the more galling.

Powell’s centre was not attacked by the Millers defence and with Blackman rooted to his line, Batth needed no second invitation to power home a far-post header with O’Neill quickly calling for some of his cavalry in the shape of Steven Fletcher and Joe Allen.

But an increasingly compelling game took another twist when City again failed to clear in their own box and Crooks seized upon the indecision to blast the loose ball into the roof of the net off the underside of the bar.

Crooks then spurned a chance for his hat-trick before another Stoke replacement in James McClean played a telling hand when his cross was clinically headed home by Powell.

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It was all happening and at the other end, only a last-ditch challenge from Batth prevented Crooks from taking home the match ball. Batth almost won it with a late header. It was that sort of night.

Rotherham United: Blackman; Olosunde; Ihiekwe, Wood, A MacDonald (Robertson 80), Harding; J Lindsay, Barlaser (Ladapo 83), Wiles; Crooks; M Smith (Hirst 89). Substitutes unused: Johansson, Jones, S MacDonald, A Thompson, T Clarke, Tilt.

Stoke City: Bursik; Collins, Souttar, Batth, Norrington-Davies; Cousins (Allen 66), Mikel, J Thompson (McClean 73); Matondo (J Clarke 73), Powell, Brown (Fletcher 66). Substitutes unused: Davies, L Lindsay, Vokes, T Smith, Clucas.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).

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