Rotherham, a short journey from Grantham to watch the Rams play the Millers, unless the A1's closed, unless the M1 has problems. They do. Rotherham home place of the Chuckle Brothers, it's no laughing matter.

A snarled up, coned off ring road takes us past the most gorgeous beautiful new stadium, New York. It's a beauty with its pan faced floodlights and it's neon lighting.

Park up, Bridge Inn, serving Old Mill Snaith Ales and Barnsley Growler Pork Pies. The beer goes down a treat. Good company, friendly folk apart from the youths who ran in smacked a couple of Derby lads and ran out again in a totally unprovoked attack. By smacked I don't mean slapstick.

A strident walk to the ground, half built, half lit, the earlier assault makes you cautious in the dark.

Arriving safely, hot pies & coffee and the inside of the ground is as good as the outside, credit to the designer, plenty of leg room and an excellent rake height wise.

Then it's the football, the Millers have Ben Pringle and Paul Green in their side, the latter is Captain for the day. We on the other hand have Lee Grant, Jake Buxton, Craig Forsyth, Tom Ince, Jamie Ward and Will Hughes back, as full strength as we can be after Saturdays exit from the cup at the hands of Reading.

We start on the back foot, Rotherham press, condense and give us no time to settle, we struggle to adjust to the pace of the game and although we keep possession as soon as the ball is turned over (too much thinking of Shrovetide football there) it is relentlessly pumped back into our half, We can't play our passing game.

We can't defend the long throws effectively, we don't hold the ball upfront, it comes back time after time.

Eventually the dam bursts, Pringles lofted ball to the back of the box, headed across goal and Green unmarked just steers the ball home to the delight of the home crowd.

Barely had we kicked off when Jeff Hendrick finds Ince and our loanee from Hull, curls an exquisite shot into the far corner of the net a cracking goal of the highest quality.

But we are not playing well, not competing, Ward in particular is having an off day.

Half time we forecast changes, they don't come.

Instead the Millers continue where they left off. A foul by Ince gives the home side a free kick left hand side well out of the box, Richie Smallwood flights the ball towards the goal and Grant under a fair challenge flaps a fist at it and misses completely with the ball coming to rest in the goal.

2-1 then.

Two becomes three some five minutes later when Omar Mascarell under pressure plays a weak pass to Richard Keogh, Matt Derbyshire is quicker to the ball and then rifles his shot straight through Grant's legs.

So much for resting the players on Saturday.

At least we try something positive, with thirty minutes remaining McClaren makes a triple substitution, off come Hendrick, Ward and Mascarell and Jesse Lingard, Simon Dawkins and Craig Bryson enter the play.

It's gung ho, all guns blazing from the Rams, Bryson & Hughes sit in front of the back four and the rest attack.

It pays dividends.

Forsyth finds Ince and his shot across the face of Adam Collin, clips the inside of the post and rolls over the line to reduce the deficit to a single goal. 3-2.

Lingard on the by-line centres low and square, and Darren Bent pops up to flick the ball over the line. 3-3.

We are finally playing football as both teams battle to the final whistle.

In the end a fair draw against relegation threatened Rotherham, if only we had gone for the Reading game in the final stages in the same way.

Finally a word for the referee, Nigel Miller from County Durham, you had a good game sir - well done.

Players I.Saw:

Grant 6 - Despite his howler.

Christie 7 - Preferred over Shotton, a decision I'd agree with.

Buxton 6 - Seemed to be struggling with a leg injury but gave his all.

Keogh 6 - Under a lot of pressure it showed.

Forsyth 7 - Restricted going forward early doors but by the end was playing as a left winger adding to the attack.

Mascarell 5 - Caught out by pace and the lack of movement and options, hope Thorne is fit for Saturday.

Ince 8 - Another game where he for long periods looked like the only one capable of scoring, my man of the match.

Hughes 7 - What we missed at the weekend, even playing from the back he oozes quality. Hendrick 5 - Let his man go for the first goal.

Ward 5 - Well below the level he can achieve, poor decision making with the ball.

Bent 6 - Scored a goal and worked hard but we didn't play to his strengths.

Subs:

Bryson 6 - An improvement over Hendrick.

Dawkins 6 - More end product than Ward.

Lingard 7 - An attacking option to savour, made the third goal.

Photo: Action Images

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