Solihull Moors v Rotherham United - Paul Warne is wary of Solihull’s threat to Millers’ FA Cup ambitions

The FA Cup romance is on hold for Rotherham United this season, with manager Paul Warne insisting the final game of second round weekend is not the David and Goliath tie the broadcasters might like to portray it as.
Paul Warne (Picture: PA)Paul Warne (Picture: PA)
Paul Warne (Picture: PA)

Warne is clearly keen to stamp on any complacency when the Millers travel to Solihull Moors, third in the Conference.

He says he will not be resting players, or taking Tim Flowers’s side lightly.

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“I don’t see it as David and Goliath, they’re third in the league, they played Stockport in midweek and had 10 ex-pros in their starting XI,” Warne pointed out.

“They’ve conceded the least amount of goals (in the division), they’ve won the most home games, they’re a club on the up and up.

“I don’t want to build it up as this romantic notion that we’re playing a little non-league village team with the butcher and the electrician playing.

“We’re playing a proper outfit who are used to winning and who play a way that is really effective for them, which I like. It’s going to be a really tough game and if we’re fortunate enough to get through, that will only be because we played at our absolute best. I’ll pick the best XI, we’ll prepare them as I always do, and hopefully I can put on a performance that will get us through.

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“Teams that come up from the Conference don’t then struggle in the lower echelons of the league, they do really well in the subsequent season.

“If they’re fortunate to go up this season, they’ll do well next season.

“It will be a proper Cup game and I can imagine it being a feisty one.

“If we both play to our potential, we will have more quality.”

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Billy Jones is missing with a hamstring injury picked up against Portsmouth, while Joe Mattock has a back problem.Matty Crooks and Clark Robertson have been sent to a specialist to investigate their ongoing groin problems.

Last six: Solihull Moors WWWWDW; Rotherham United WWLWWL.

Referee: C Boyeson (East Yorkshire).

Last time: Never met.

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