Rough justice?

By Jr
September 27 2004

Both camps seemed to think they should have won this game, but a draw seemed a fair result. Millwall had to settle for a 1-1 draw at bottom-of-the-table Rotherham on Saturday, after taking a late lead through Paul Ifill.

Millwall had to settle for a 1-1 draw at bottom-of-the-table Rotherham on Saturday, after taking a late lead through Paul Ifill.

Ifill made his first start since the beginning of the season against Derby County four days before, and was on target in that game also.

Against the Rams, a clever Dennis Wise free kick opened the scoring before Neil Harris set up Canada international Josh Simpson for his first ever professional goal.

Derby’s Marco Reich pulled one back for the visitors, but Ifill’s strike following a Dave Livermore made the scoreline more emphatic than it deserved to be.

Against Rotherham, it was meagre fare once more, and perhaps a draw was a fair result though neither manager would necessarily agree with that assessment.

Millwall assistant boss Ray Wilkins admitted he was unhappy about the Chris Sedgwick’s equaliser for the Millers, with Darren Ward off the pitch receiving attention for a head wound.

Wilkins said: "We lost Darren with a cut under his eye, so they were able to put us under a but of pressure, and it told in the end.

"We knew they were playing at home and would put us under pressure. They are fighting for their lives, and it was always going to be a toughie for us.

"We weren't happy about the equaliser. I'm sure Darren would have been in there defending from where the goal was scored.

“He was off the pitch, but the blood wasn't dripping from his eye, the Vaseline had stopped it.

“But the fourth official wasn't happy with him going back on.

"We had enough chances to have won two games.

“They put us under a bit of pressure at the finish, but I thought we were the better side overall.

“It was a dire game.

“Managers tell teams to pass the ball, but both sides abused it."

Rotherham boss Ronnie Moore thought his side deserved to win. He said: "If we had lost the game it would have been a travesty.

“They had one chance in the first half, and then scored out of nothing with a long ball over the top, and we were caught flat.

"But we had some good chances.

“Paul Ward had a great chance just after half-time, and should have hit the target with it.

"I thought right at the death when Chris Swailes got underneath the ball that Rob Scott had been pulled back anyway.

“You could see it best from where we were sitting, and I thought it was a penalty. But it wasn't given, and that's the way it goes."

After an historic UEFA Cup trip to Hungary to face Ferencvaros on Thursday, Millwall host struggling Nottingham Forest at the Den on Sunday (kick off 3pm).