Taylor rescues point as Millers held in stalemate

Such as the Millers drawing at home to Nottingham Forest, with last night’s latest instalment incredibly representing the eighth successive time that they have finished level-pegging with Forest in Rotherham.

Another head-turning statistic extended Rotherham’s winless streak against the East Midlanders to 21 matches, with their last victory ironically arriving exactly 60 years ago today, when Anthony Eden was Prime Minister.

Like Saturday, the game ended 2-2, but the scenes at the end were the polar opposite to the boos which greeted the final whistle against Bristol City.

This time, home fans warmly applauded the efforts of the pugnacious hosts, who managed to rescue proceedings with a second goal of the game three minutes from time from record signing Jon Taylor.

It arrived during a madcap finale when the Millers went down to 10 men on 83 minutes when Darnell Fisher picked up his second booking – and two minutes later, a brilliant overhead kick from Aspostolos Vellios put Forest ahead to seemingly inflict a cruel defeat upon Rotherham.

But the Millers had other ideas and while two points from successive home games will not have been the return that Alan Stubbs was hoping for, their efforts at least provide something substantive to build upon for Saturday’s big game at Blackburn.

The hosts grew into a slow-burner of a contest and produced the one moment of bonafide first-half quality to forge a lead, orchestrated by the excellent Izzy Brown.

The loanee is busily making friends and influencing people and has shown more than enough to suggest that he will be a huge player for the Millers.

A clearance from Joe Mattock was flicked on by Danny Ward and Brown drove deep into Forest territory. He unselfishly set up Taylor and he coolly slotted the ball low past Vladimir Stojkovic for an opener on the half-hour.

It was counter-attacking of the highest order, with the clinical Millers – cajoled throughout the half by Stubbs from his technical area – making hay when Forest were caught with bodies upfield.

For all their territory, Forest lacked penetration with their most dangerous moment being an opportunist strike just before the break from Vellios, which was turned away by Lee Camp.

While not exactly creating a surfeit of chances, the Millers persisted with Taylor’s strike serving a visible transfusion of confidence.

Taylor soon fired straight at Stojkovic after another Brown-inspired move, with the ‘number 10’ popping up in that corridor of uncertainty between the lines where central defenders fear to tread.

After an uncomfortable final 15 minutes of the half, Forest had issues to ponder at the interval.

The stout efforts of the hosts continued to earn an increasing amount of favour from home fans, with ex-Arsenal frontman Nicklas Bendtner thrown on in a clear bid to pep up Forest.

The chance that the visitors were craving arrived on 63 minutes, but Pajitim Kasami skied his effort when well placed.

At the other end, a rare raid saw Brown see a shot deflected over before a corner found its way to Greg Halford, but his steered effort flashed wide.

Forest duly punished that profligacy not long after, although in truth, their leveller was served up on a platter following a rare aberration from Camp against his old club. He failed to block Mills’s header amid a sea of bodies following Henri Lansbury’s corner.

The visitors suddenly scented a winner with Ben Osborn firing just wide – the prelude to a breathless finale.

Fisher soon received his second caution following a late challenge on Osborn, eight minutes after picking up his first yellow after a high boot on the same player.

Straightaway, the Millers sacrificed substitute Jerry Yates – just minutes after coming on – for a defender in Stephen Kelly.

But moments later, Forest struck through a sublime overhead kick from Vellios.

Incredibly, there were more to come in a pulsating finale with Taylor shooting home following Lee Frecklington’s assist.

The odds on a further twist in the tale looked likely in an open and engrossing finale and it nearly came with Bendtner’s rebound hitting the post after Camp denied Lansbury.

But the Millers survived and thoroughly merited their point with the acclaim at the end at least being music to the ears of Stubbs and his players.

Rotherham United: Camp; Fisher, Fry, Wilson, Mattock; Halford, Adeyemi (Frecklington 82); Taylor, Brown, Allan; Ward (Yates 69, Kelly 84)). Unused substitutes: Price, Vaulks, Forde, Ball.

Nottingham Forest: Stojkovic; Lichaj, Mills, Perquis (Mancienne 45), Traore; Dumitru (Bendtner 59), Kasami; Osborn, Grant Licá 84), Lansbury, Dumitru; Vellios. Unused substitutes: Smith, Fox, Carayol, Ahmedhodzic.

Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).