By Longsider
May 3 2004

We bring you some media reports of our defeat at Rotherham. The reports come from the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times and the Sporting Life.

ROTHERHAM GUIDED TO SAFETY BY PROCTOR

Daily Telegraph

 

AS Stan Ternent delivered yet another rant about the shortcomings of Burnley, Ronnie Moore was congratulating Rotherham for the red-blooded performance they required to guarantee First Division football next season.

"I could not have asked for better than our performance in the first half," said the jubilant Rotherham manager.

The embodiment of Rotherham's whole-hearted approach was to be found in Michael Proctor, who provided the assists for the first two goals then scored the third, from the penalty spot. "I think the way we went about the job today was first class," said the former Sunderland player. "We couldn't rely on other teams losing, we knew that we had to get a result. It was an excellent team performance."

Burnley were on a rare first-half foray when Proctor spotted the opportunity to send strike partner, Martin Butler, clear to slip the ball past the on-rushing Brian Jensen and give Rotherham the lead, in the 15th minute.

However, Butler was hurt as he collided with the Burnley goalkeeper and his substitution robbed Rotherham of a potent attacking partnership.

Proctor simply looked elsewhere and provided the astute pass which sent full-back Robbie Stockdale away, to steer the ball between Lenny Johnrose and the hesitant Jensen, for his first goal since arriving on loan from Middlesbrough.

Ternent made changes at half-time and Burnley - who, despite losing, have also avoided relegation - enjoyed a period of domination.

Any doubts about the outcome disappeared in the 85th minute, when the ball struck Michael Branch on the arm and Rotherham were awarded a penalty which Proctor - who moments earlier had struck the bar - slotted home, to cap both a fine individual and team performance.

 

MORRIS INSPIRES MILLERS
Sunday Times



ULTIMATELY, a point would have been enough to safeguard Rotherham’s Division One status for another year, but this was the perfect way to banish any fears of relegation.
Despite the defeat, Burnley will join the Yorkshire club in the Nationwide League next season, but this showing does not augur well for them.

The Millers produced a captivating performance with Jody Morris, the former Chelsea and Leeds United midfielder, prominent. After 15 minutes, Martin Butler, the Rotherham striker, outpaced David May and slipped a shot beyond the onrushing goalkeeper Brian Jensen.

Jensen was just as culpable when Rotherham doubled their advantage in the 39th minute. This time he was hesitant to collect the ball inside his own penalty area and, as his teammate Lenny Johnrose attempted to hold off Robbie Stockdale, the on-loan defender thrust out a boot to divert the ball inside the far post.

Stan Ternent, the Burnley manager, replaced his full-backs with attacking players at half-time in an attempt to launch a salvage operation. But Burnley always looked more likely to concede another goal than mount a comeback. So it proved five minutes from time when Michael Proctor, a shrewd signing from Sunderland in February, capped a tremendous individual display with a confident penalty, deftly chipping the ball over the prost rate Jensen.

Rotherham: Pollitt, Stockdale, Swailes, Gilchrist, Minto, Sedgwick (Warne 82), Morris, S Barker, Mullin, Butler (R Barker 29), Proctor

Burnley: Jensen, Roche (Adebola 46), May, McGregor, Camara (Chadwick 46), Little, Chaplow (O’Neill 74), Johnrose, Weller, Branch, Blake

Scorers: Rotherham: Butler 15, Stockdale 39, Proctor 85 pen

Referee: P Walton

Attendance: 9,157
 

Rotherham 3 Burnley 0
Sporting Life

There was reason for Rotherham and Burnley fans to celebrate at Millmoor as both sides secured their First Division status.

The result, a 3-0 win for the hosts, proved irrelevant as third-bottom Walsall went down by a single goal at Crystal Palace.

Martin Butler scored for the fourth successive game, Robbie Stockdale opened his account for Rotherham and Michael Proctor capped a bright individual display with a late penalty.

Butler's contribution may not make the shortlist for goal of the season, but that will matter little to manager Ronnie Moore, whose side went into the match three points ahead of Walsall and within touching distance of safety.

Released by Michael Proctor, Butler had the relatively simple task of beating Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen as he raced out of his penalty area on 15 minutes.

Proctor, the pivotal figure in the first half, was again the provider when Stockdale struck six minutes before the interval, his first goal since joining on loan from Middlesbrough in February.

Proctor scored the goal his performance deserved five minutes from time, making no mistake from the spot after Graham Branch had been penalised for handball.

Rotherham's early pressure was reflected in the fact Jensen was tested twice inside the opening four minutes, Proctor and Jody Morris trying their luck from distance.

Lee Roche responded for the visitors with a wayward 25-yard drive, while Phil Gilchrist - passed fit following a knee injury - got his body in the way of Robbie Blake's powerful strike.

Butler eased the tension inside Millmoor with his well-taken goal, racing on to Proctor's long ball before prodding the ball past the advancing Jensen.

The Dane showed sharp reflexes in tipping Butler's close-range shot over the crossbar, and held another Proctor effort a minute later.

But Jensen could little to prevent Stockdale doubling Rotherham's lead, collecting Proctor's measured through-ball and clipping the ball into the far corner of the net.

The half-time introduction of Dele Adebola and Luke Chadwick for Roche and Mohammed Camara respectively had little impact on Burnley's play, although Glen Little sent a header over eight minutes after the break.

Proctor stung Jensen's palms on the hour mark with a fierce right-footed effort, while Rotherham goalkeeper Mike Pollitt was not overly troubled by Chadwick at the opposite end of the pitch.

Blake tried in vain to reduce the arrears as time ticked away, but Rotherham's victory was sealed by Proctor after Branch's error.