MILLERS IN HAT AFTER MAG SCARE
MILLERS boss Paul Warne saluted his side for coming through a tricky away day that turned on a controversial sending-off of captain Alan Massey.
The Magpies looked like pulling off the biggest shock of the day when Jake Cassidy’s fine solo effort put them ahead on 25 minutes.
But the National League side were left reeling eight minutes into the second half when Massey was shown a straight red card by referee Ollie Yates for a sliding challenge on Ben Wiles.
Millers’ boss Paul Warne commented: “It was tough work and we didn’t expect anything less. We did our due diligence on them, we’ve watched them on a Tuesday night and done all the work we possibly could.
“It was a tough afternoon and we had to move the ball quick. When we did we created enough chances to win the game comfortably but, as always, when they score it puts more pressure on us.
“At half-time we told them ‘don’t get frustrated, don’t chase the clock’ because you’ll create chances to hopefully get you back in it. Luckily for us we got a goal and from then on it was plain sailing. [The sending off] is a turning point but I thought prior to that we were on top. They took their one chance really well. But I always thought we were on top.”
Magpies boss Alan Devonshire said the decision “killed the game” and so it proved as the League One Millers strode home with three goals in the space of just nine minutes from Michael Ihiekwe, Freddie Ladapo and Matt Crooks saw the Millers comfortably home into round two.
The Magpies had their tails up in the opening exchanges with Josh Kelly registering the first shot of the game with a left-footed effort that flew over the bar.
Rotherham, however, contained the Magpies and started creating chances of their own. On 12 minutes, Chiedozie Ogbene lashed a shot narrowly wide of the post with some fans thinking it had found the back of the net.
The breakthrough came on 25 minutes. Ryan Upward threaded a ball through to Cassidy, who cut on to his left foot and slotted past Daniel Iversen.
Maidenhead came out for the second half determined to maintain the tempo they had shown in the first, but under ten minutes into the restart, disaster struck. Wiles’ pace down the left flank was too much for Massey who sent him into the boards.
Yates pulled out the red card and Maidenhead’s chances waned. Rotherham upped the ante and it was no surprise when they levelled on 68 minutes. Ihiekwe slotted past Dunn.
Six minutes later, sub Ladapo was given too much space and fired a low, driven, shot into the net before Crooks sealed the win in the 77th minute, poking home from Billy Jones’ surging run.