Millers have the wind taken out of their sails

Fixture: Oxford United 2 Rotherham United 1
Date: 12/2/11

A visit of fourth-placed Rotherham boasting the league's hottest striker in Adam Le Fondre provided Oxford with another chance to post their credentials as potential play-off material. There were two changes to the team with Clist and Craddock dropping to the bench being replaced by Heslop and Midson. Also on the bench was our recent loan signing from Colchester United, Simon Hackney. So the line up was: Clarke, Tonkin, Wright, Worley, Purkiss, McLaren, Heslop, Hall, Constable, Midson, MacLean. Subs: Eastwood, Sangare, Clist, Hackney, Payne, Potter, Craddock.

With Oxford and Rotherham set up in 4-3-3 formations, both sides rather negated each other in the early exchanges. Asa Hall had the first shot on 3 minutes but the ball flew wide of the target. A minute later a quick free kick by Rotherham resulted in a speculative lob by one of their players which left Clarke stranded, but luckily the ball landed on the roof of the net. Gradually Oxford began to up the pressure and on the quarter hour Hall made a great run down the left picking out Constable in the area. Although he was tightly marked he still managed to get a shot on goal but it was straight at the keeper and easily saved. Then a minute later MacLean had a shot from outside the area which just shaved the right hand post.

Oxford's spell of pressure finally bore fruit on 18 minutes. Purkiss, breaking up a Rotherham attack, fed the ball to Heslop who in turn found Constable just inside the Miller's half. Taking one touch, he flicked the ball into the path of Midson who was charging down the right wing. Riding a robust challenge, with the referee waving on play, Midson streaked free of his marker. Reaching the dead ball line he cut the ball back into the path of Simon Heslop whose first time shot was hammered into the net from inside the area. Four minutes later a great cross from Purkiss on the right was met by the head of Constable but his effort went over the bar. On the half hour Heslop had another chance after being set up by MacLean but this time Rotherham got bodies in the way of his shot and it was blocked to safety.

After having the lion share of the play Rotherham struck back on 35 minutes when they fashioned an equaliser. The frailties of Oxford's defence struck again when they were slow to react to an attack. Purkiss and McLaren both went to the same player leaving a gap behind them into which he found Nicky Law in acres of space. With Clarke rushing out to try and block the shot he deftly flicked the ball over him and into the net for a fine finish. Visibly buoyed by the goal Rotherham came back into the game and the half finished with neither side in the ascendency.

The start of the second half was almost a repeat of the first with both sides struggling to gain the upper hand. Rotherham went the closest when a free-kick from outside the area landed on top of the net. Ten minutes in Wilder made his first change when he brought on loanee Simon Hackney for Midson and was immediately in the action as he fed a great ball into Constable at the near post. Cheekily he tried a little back flick into the net but Warrington, the Miller's keeper, was alert to the situation and pushed the ball out for a corner.

The game see-sawed for the next five minutes but then Oxford finally regained the lead. Another tricky run by Hackney forced Rotherham to concede a corner. From the corner the ball was cleared but Tonkin won possession back and then found Hackney who clipped a delightful pass to MacLean. Breaking into the box the striker was wrestled to the ground by Callum Kennedy (on loan from the Scum - oh the irony). The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and then issuing the inevitable red card. Steve MacLean stepped up for the penalty, placing the ball to the keepers left. Warrington guessed correctly, getting his hand to the ball but it managed to spin up in the air and squirm behind him going over the line!

Ten man Rotherham decided that their only option was to go gung-ho and went for all out attack. Whilst looking really dangerous going forward it inevitably left them light at the back and Hackney was exploiting the space. On one attack he easily slipped past his marker on the left, whipping over a teasing cross right across the area which MacLean was a hairs-breadth away from putting in the net. Another cross, this time from the right, looked to be covered by a defender at the far post but somehow he completely missed it and had a lucky escape when the ball hit a surprised Constable, going out for a goal kick.

Searching for an equaliser, the Millers were causing some heart-stopping moments for the defence. Purkiss had to make one goal-saving block but the worst moment was when Le Fondre was put clean through on the left. Clarke came rushing out to the edge of his area, he didn't get the ball but did enough to put Le Fondre off sufficiently for him to hit his shot into the side netting. With play switching to the other end Constable was given the ideal opportunity to seal the game when he was put through with just the keeper to beat. Instead of taking the ball on he took his shot early which allowed Warrington to get enough on the ball to deflect it wide for a corner. Again Constable got through after a defender mis-judged a bouncing ball, but with it being just too far in front of him the keeper was able to make the save.

From a cleared corner Hackney went on a long run at goal but his shot was pushed behind for a corner. Then Alfie Potter, on as a sub for Heslop, was fed by MacLean on the left hand side, but his curling shot went just past the right hand post. With the three additional minutes played out the referee finally called a halt to the proceedings to secure us another three valuable points.

The win moved Oxford up to 8th place, just two points outside the playoffs and it also means we have now taken points off of all the top clubs. Tuesday night sees us travel to Stevenage where we can expect a bruising encounter against a side we've never beaten away.