KOMPANY’S PARTY WAIT
Millers fight back to stop Burnley boss sealing title
Rotherham 2 Burnley 2 BURNLEY had to leave the champagne on ice last night after Rotherham’s heroic defensive display gave them a vital point in their battle for Championship survival.
The Clarets needed to better Sheffield United’s result to be crowned champions.
However, the Blades beat Bristol City to trim the gap between them and Vincent Kompany’s table-toppers to 10 points with four games to play.
The Clarets led twice but were twice pegged back. They went ahead when Scott Twine looped the ball into the net from a Connor Roberts cross.
Lyle Foster almost made it 2-0 soon after with a curling shot which went just past a post, while Lee Peltier had to make a perfectly-timed challenge to prevent Twine from grabbing his second.
But it was the Millers who struck next when just before the break Shane Ferguson’s corner came off a combination of Vitinho and Ameen Al-Dhakil.
The Clarets unleashed wave after wave of attacks but the home side were holding out and it took something special from sub Manuel Benson for the Clarets to retake the lead
He curled the ball beyond the dive of third-choice rookie keeper Robbie Hemfrey, who had replaced Josh Vickers at half-time.
Yet the Millers hit back once more when Georgie Kelly stabbed home from close range.
Avoid defeat on Saturday and Burnley will match the run of 23 games unbeaten under Sean Dyche in the 2015/16 promotion season.
The Clarets almost took an early lead when Anass Zaroury had acres of time and space on the left and pulled the ball back for Roberts, whose low drive was blocked by Vickers.
Jamie Lindsay put a shot wide after Ferguson’s inswinging corner caused confusion in the Burnley ranks.
Zaroury was causing problems down the left and the visitors’ slick passing at pace and interplay was not allowing the Millers to find any real rhythm.
For all their intricate play, the Clarets were more than holding their own in a physical encounter which increased further in tempo following Twine’s opening goal.
Rotherham were forced to bring on Hemfrey at half-time to replace Vickers, who had been deputising for the injured Viktor Johansson. He denied Johann Gudmundsson and Roberts, but not Benson.
But Kelly’s leveller moved the Millers four points above the drop zone.