Feb 2 Rotherham United 1-3 AFC Bournemouth Att: 3108 (124 away fans)

Last updated : 12 February 2010 By Richie Barker

Fortunately, the snow abated long before kick-off time, but as our tram went past an apparently empty Don Valley Stadium there was renewed cause for concern, which only eased as we got near the ground and encountered a few hardy home fans and stewards.

Before the game Rotherham announced that they had secured a site for a new ground back in theit home town, great news for them if not for those of us who have come to appreciate the hostelries of Shefield. Certainly Millmoor would have been much tougher setting for this game than the atmospherically challenged Don Valley, with a sparse crowd huddled into one oversized stand, peering at the distant action across a running track. All to the good for us of course, as was the fact that Rotherham had hardly played since mid-December, which was soon obvious as pass after pass went astray from team mates who looked like they needed to be reintroduced to each other. Apart from a half-chance hooked over the bar in the opening minute Rotherham barely posed a threat and Bournemouth dominated possession and territory without looking particularly fluent. McQuoid, given a rare opportunity to start by Bartley’s injury, troubled defenders with his pace, Feeney, Pitman and Hollands all missed early chances, and a succession of corners came to nothing.

Twenty-four minutes in, and rather out of the blue, Rotherham managed to mount a couple of attacks. Le Fondre’s header from a corner was blocked on the line, but a minute later Joseph’s perfect outswinging cross was headed powerfully home by Pope. Fortunately the setback had almost no effect on the pattern of the game as Bournemouth quickly reasserted their dominance. Rotherham keeper Warrington did well to turn a rasping 30 yarder from Pitman over the bar and Bradbury missed a good chance.

Rotherham somehow preserved their undeserved lead to half-time, but the game was obviously there for the taking - or was it going to be one of those frustrating (or exhilarating, depending on whose side you’re on) nights when a team gets a lead against the run of play and holds on against the odds? Not this time it wasn’t. The second half was barely under way when Pitman easily got the better of his Mills and finished with style, waiting for the keeper to commit himself before calmly lifting the ball over him and into the net.

That was enough to destroy whatever fragile confidence Rotherham had managed to muster and the rest of the game was almost embarrassingly plain sailing. Hollands, having his best game for a long while, added a second on the hour, collecting a poor defensive header and scoring with a precise low drive from outside the box, and he was on hand again to make it 3-1, turning the ball in from close range after Fletcher comfortably won a header at the far post. Belief that had gone missing for a couple of months was well and truly back as the team cruised through the remainder of the game, maintaining possession and restricting Rotherham to a couple of half-chances, Le Fondre hitting the post after a scramble in the box from the best of them. 

In truth the result was better than the performance, which was solid but unspectacular. We won because we believed we could and put the work in, and Rotherham couldn’t match us in either department. The real value will be if we can carry the confidence gained from this game and the win at Crewe into the tougher encounters to come.

Man Of The MatchDanny Hollands

AFCB: Jalal, Bradbury, Garry, Pearce, Wiggins, Feeney, Hollands, McQuoid, Robinson, Fletcher, Pitman
Subs: Thomas, Tindall, Connell (for McQuoid, 92 mins), Goulding (for Feeney, 94 mins)
Richard Barker, Leyton