Rotherham Utd 0 v 1 Nottingham Forest
Wed 22 Jul 2009
Robert Earnshaw's seventh-minute strike was enough to earn Forest a confidence-boosting victory against League Two Rotherham United.
On a fine evening at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium it was the hosts who started the brightest, with Tom Pope's low cross forcing young Forest keeper Karl Darlow into a diving save low to his right in the first minute.
Forest then threatened , but Robert Earnshaw shot high and wide as he tried to bend the ball around the Millers goalkeeper Andy Warrington and into the top corner.
However, he did not have to wait long for a goal as Forest took the lead inside seven minutes.
Dele Adebola laid a pass into his strike partner and Earnshaw made space for himself before shooting low into the net off Warrington's right-hand post.
Rotherham came close to an equaliser after 14 minutes when Ian Sharps's header looped over Darlow, but was headed clear, with the aid of the crossbar, by Paul Anderson, who then bravely threw himself in the way of Paul Warne's close-range follow-up.
And Rotherham thought they had equalised a minute later. Jason Taylor's powerful effort crashed back off the post to Pope who stroked into the empty net with the diving Darlow stranded, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
A minute later it was Forest's turn to have a goal chalked off.
Earnshaw blocked a defensive clearance and the ball fell kindly for him to lift over Warrington from six yards, but it was disallowed for handball.
Rotherham were looking dangerous at the other end and Darlow had to be alive to tip away Kevin Ellison's left-wing cross.
And from a corner, Darlow was back-pedalling dangerously close to crossing his own goal-line as he caught Ian Sharps looping header.
Adebola and Earnshaw then combined to set up Tyson, but he sliced horribly wide when well-placed from 12 yards.
Rotherham nearly had an equaliser just before the hour mark as a shot deflected up and over the diving Darlow, but Jordan Fairclough managed to get back to hack the ball clear as Nicky Law looked to force the ball home.
Five minutes later Fairclough had to be alive again to block Sharps's header as he looked to get on the end of Pablo Mills's long free-kick.
Ellison then forced a flying save from Darlow as he looked to lob him from the corner of the penalty area.
But from the corner, Rotherham won a penalty when Kevin Ellison's cross was alleged to have been handled by Mickael Darnet.
Stephen Brogan, just on as substitute, stepped up but, with his first touch, sent the penalty against the crossbar and over.
Law then blazed over after substitute Andy Liddell broke down the right wing and pulled the ball back to him.
And Rotherham's fans were up celebrating when Ryan Taylor's header beat Darlow and headed for the top corner, only for Morgan to appear from nowhere to head the ball clear from under the crossbar.
Brogan then beat three Forest players before seeing his low shot well turned round the post by Darlow.
However, despite Rotherham's second-half dominance, they could not find their way through and Forest held on for a confidence-boosting win.
FOREST: Darlow, Fairclough, Diagne (McCashin 73 mins), Darnet, Morgan, Wilson (capt), Anderson, Moussi (Elliott HT), Adebola, Earnshaw, Tyson (Hopkinson 79 mins). Subs not used: Gathercole, Mullen.
ROTHERHAM: Warrington, Tonge, Green (Brogan 65 mins), Sharps (capt) (Joseph 80 mins), Fenton (Nicholas 80 mins), Mills (Cummins 80 mins), Warne (Liddell 70 mins), Law, J Taylor (Harrison 74 mins), Ellison, Pope (R Taylor 65 mins).
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 1,223
On a fine evening at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium it was the hosts who started the brightest, with Tom Pope's low cross forcing young Forest keeper Karl Darlow into a diving save low to his right in the first minute.
Forest then threatened , but Robert Earnshaw shot high and wide as he tried to bend the ball around the Millers goalkeeper Andy Warrington and into the top corner.
However, he did not have to wait long for a goal as Forest took the lead inside seven minutes.
Dele Adebola laid a pass into his strike partner and Earnshaw made space for himself before shooting low into the net off Warrington's right-hand post.
Rotherham came close to an equaliser after 14 minutes when Ian Sharps's header looped over Darlow, but was headed clear, with the aid of the crossbar, by Paul Anderson, who then bravely threw himself in the way of Paul Warne's close-range follow-up.
And Rotherham thought they had equalised a minute later. Jason Taylor's powerful effort crashed back off the post to Pope who stroked into the empty net with the diving Darlow stranded, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
A minute later it was Forest's turn to have a goal chalked off.
Earnshaw blocked a defensive clearance and the ball fell kindly for him to lift over Warrington from six yards, but it was disallowed for handball.
Rotherham were looking dangerous at the other end and Darlow had to be alive to tip away Kevin Ellison's left-wing cross.
And from a corner, Darlow was back-pedalling dangerously close to crossing his own goal-line as he caught Ian Sharps looping header.
Adebola and Earnshaw then combined to set up Tyson, but he sliced horribly wide when well-placed from 12 yards.
Rotherham nearly had an equaliser just before the hour mark as a shot deflected up and over the diving Darlow, but Jordan Fairclough managed to get back to hack the ball clear as Nicky Law looked to force the ball home.
Five minutes later Fairclough had to be alive again to block Sharps's header as he looked to get on the end of Pablo Mills's long free-kick.
Ellison then forced a flying save from Darlow as he looked to lob him from the corner of the penalty area.
But from the corner, Rotherham won a penalty when Kevin Ellison's cross was alleged to have been handled by Mickael Darnet.
Stephen Brogan, just on as substitute, stepped up but, with his first touch, sent the penalty against the crossbar and over.
Law then blazed over after substitute Andy Liddell broke down the right wing and pulled the ball back to him.
And Rotherham's fans were up celebrating when Ryan Taylor's header beat Darlow and headed for the top corner, only for Morgan to appear from nowhere to head the ball clear from under the crossbar.
Brogan then beat three Forest players before seeing his low shot well turned round the post by Darlow.
However, despite Rotherham's second-half dominance, they could not find their way through and Forest held on for a confidence-boosting win.
FOREST: Darlow, Fairclough, Diagne (McCashin 73 mins), Darnet, Morgan, Wilson (capt), Anderson, Moussi (Elliott HT), Adebola, Earnshaw, Tyson (Hopkinson 79 mins). Subs not used: Gathercole, Mullen.
ROTHERHAM: Warrington, Tonge, Green (Brogan 65 mins), Sharps (capt) (Joseph 80 mins), Fenton (Nicholas 80 mins), Mills (Cummins 80 mins), Warne (Liddell 70 mins), Law, J Taylor (Harrison 74 mins), Ellison, Pope (R Taylor 65 mins).
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 1,223
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