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dalianwasexciting added 18:18 - Nov 7
One of the few Town fans heading North not
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dalianwasexciting added 18:29 - Nov 7
North not South, What an away day, the loss of AMN gave some cause for concern before the game. But as it turned out Douglass had one of his best games in a town shirt. It was always going to be the case that when Murphy broke his duck more would follow but never did we dare dream of a hat Rick, Granted Rotherham were poor but today saw more passing football on the ground, it saw Town controlling the game and the large away following lapping it up. Today I thought the stand out players were PitmAn, Muprphy obviously and Tommy Smith. The use of Sears wide clearly has a future And he worried the defence a,, afternoon. After going. Four up a comeback was threatened as town stood off Rotherham and allowed two spectacular goals hath threatened.a come back.

Ratings.
Gergen. 6. Not a lot to do but still not the most decisive off his line. Having said that we could have Lee Camp!
Chambers 6. A better performance but seldom tested, one shot resulted in a chorus of swing lo by the blues faithful.
Knudsen. 7. Rarely troubled and decent going forward
Berra. 7. Commanding in he main but still, not quite back to his best
Smith. 8. Pick of the defence, won everything, calm and assured,
Douglass. 7. Great finish for the goals industrious and his best Town display I have see
Skuse. 7. Workman,I've, reliable and able to get the ball on the floor and control things.
Bru. 7. This would have been higher had he replicated his first half performance in the second.
Murphy. 8. Three very very clinically taken goals, a constant threat and could well kick on now
Sears. 8. A thorn in the side of Ritherham. Chased and ran at people, the defence was petrified of him.
Pitman 9. Great early goal, a real strikers finish. Clever and intelligence link up and hold up play, and his commitment typified by chasing down the keeper in the 93rd minute.

A good days work lads!
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brazil1982 added 19:40 - Nov 7
Strong performance which seemed too easy at times. Good to see Murphy back in the goals. I thought Pitman was outstanding today.
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MrMorgan added 21:04 - Nov 7
Entertaining, hat full of goals, Murphy hat-trick, Pitman was magnificent
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Mullet added 23:11 - Nov 7
Tentatively hopeful, the little Yorkshire borough of New York filled with hundreds of blues eagerly awaiting what difference one change to the team would bring. With a back five of Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra and Knudsen being easily recognisable the midfield and attack were more smudged than blended. Skuse sat, Douglas in for AMN perched just ahead of him and Bru was a central midfielder playing on the right when he remembered. Murphy was the pivot on which Pitman spanned the channels and Sears was a striker who dropped in front of Knudsen when he needed protection.

In a game that offered little in terms of football early on, Town took to the hosts like a wounded animal. Every bouncing ball was attacked as the reds soon cut themselves open if Town weren't on hand to do so. An early opener was a long time coming, but time seemed to jump as did Pitman when Chambers received an opening on the right, before the charged down ball was stutteringly whipped in. The cross was met with precision and surgically slid past Camp in the far corner off the Blues 11's head. When you're in scoring form, everything seems to go in. In a game where we longed for last year, the new point to McCarthy's attack rammed that home.

Town were firing forward at every opportunity and both teams seemed happy to start most moves from the boot of either keeper. Knudsen was clearly targeted but stood up to any of the men bearing down him whilst happy for Berra and Skuse to intervene and let Sears carry the ball clear. It was telling that even as Pitman cross the halfway line the left back Toffolo was happy to haul him down for a yellow rather than allow Town to free wheel their way toward goal time and again.

In the centre of the park where Town took the second phase far too easily and caught a second goal either side of pressure at both ends. With Sears unable to find a clear sight of goal; often enough, it was Douglas who capitalised on another square of unattended grass and bore down on goal. Camp's clearance under pressure popped up and down just outside his box. Where else but Rotherham could a midfielder ape a Miller and smash home after some neat control from midfield and a few yards to get up to speed to open up the lead further? Right-foot, right corner, right place, right time to snap all that stick you've been getting.

McCarthy had seen the weakness of the Reds left and the right and for such a lopsided formation made the most of keeping his wingers on the bench. A game where headers and flicks yielded possession and more importantly territory. As Rotherham were happy to let Camp kick from hands and floor, the front line were happy to barrack and harass anything that moved in the final third. Time and again the hosts struggled to find anything between the nearest man and furthest point in the stand to despatch the ball to safety.

However they did in rare glimpses of attacking intent find incisive moves that Town couldn't deal with. Their only chance of the half saw Derbyshire sneak in to the edge of six yard box, his arcing run behind the defence, followed a curved pass from the wing that was cut out by Berra at pace before the striker had a certain goal from close range.

Town meanwhile had an embarrassment of richly deserved chances going begging. Murphy still desperate to make it three was unlucky to find his run at goal blocked by a prone defender, dodging the outstretched leg took time enough for his shot to canon off another outstretched leg and onto Camp's glove for a corner. The fact the Irishman had been so influential in directing traffic by dropping deep and dropping his shoulder all half, won't always be counted in a season where he was yet to score.

Sears likewise found his path to goal blocked all too often, as he and Bru exchanged overhit cross and cross-goal balls more than once, a well worked move saw Pitman win a corner having fired viciously from distance as he cast glances toward goal. The resumption of exchanges across goal saw a lone toe stuck out and stab the ball home for a third. By the way the players all mobbed last year's 27 goal hero, that monkey he had just shrugged off ripplingly broad Irish shoulders was surely trampled to death under 10 sets of jubilant Ipswich boots.

Town's best chances could easily have seen them hitting the Millers for six before the break, Murphy peeled off his man and down the right channel, with Camp out and struggling he clipped all too eagerly against the bar. It fell to Sears and as one sure bet, failed so did the second. The follow up was likewise too hasty to find the mark. Before the half closed a special mention must be made of Pitman's audacious overhead kick. Dropping in stages with his back to goal the effort caught all unawares including the reds unawares but dropped the wrong side of the line when Town had only just opened the lead.

With Town flying, the second half arrived and Redfearn made an early double-sub. The fresh blood saw the game settle and the ball pumped up and away less from either side. While the difference of the new boys was yet to be felt Town pressed their advantage further. Collins bandaged from a collision in the first half was recognisable, hooking away a loose ball from a clearly fouled Pitman. A defensive header from Town carried so far it bounced inside the box and Murphy timed his run and turn perfectly to slam the ball home at 45 angle on 48 minutes in the bottom corner. 25 to go.

Rotherham who had secured a last minute loan just before the game, emulated Town's last away game in another disappointing way. Man City starlet Barker fired from distance past a crowd of players beyond Gerken with stunning accuracy. It was the goal of the game from a kid just making his way into it.

Three minutes later, the once equally hyped Derbyshire, made good on the singular promise of the opening half and took his one chance of note and slammed home viciously from inside the box. What looked like consolation had turned to confusion amongst the Town fans. A game we had dominated and looked to have a secure grip on had hurtled towards the floor in a short spell. We caught our breath and the momentum of the match with relative ease and relief.

The hard-running Bru who had Curried favour with the travelling fans all game thanks to his curling crosses and willingness to make space for himself and others was replaced by AMN. It was Premiership starlet vs Premiership starlet. Baker was soon dusting himself off as he and his colleagues were forced to chase down the teenager more than once as he hunted for successive goals in successive games.

The noise in ground had lulled following the fightback, and rather than throwdown all the Yorkshiremen could do was embarrassingly throw themselves around again. The best chance was an embarrassing dive long after the ball had gone, Town meanwhile made hard work of finding a fifth finish in another spell of easily pushing past everyone in their way until the 18 yard line was reached.

Both Sears and Pitman took a touch too long either side of tight Skuse passes, and failed to line up a shot first time with first sight of goal. The final breakthrough would come in relatively relieving circumstances. The Murphy of last year put to bed the corresponding fixture of last year, and drought of this one, by working himself into space with the ball and securing a hat-trick to the adulation of every blue in the ground. Arms aloft, and hopes atop of them Town wrapped up all the points with time to spare. All thanks to the big man's defence of his pedigree, protecting the ball long enough to move clear and fire home.

Mick moved Sears off for Coke as the left flank was braced by the bulk of the central midfielder. His main contribution was to stifle movement ahead of Knudsen, as well as an audacious shot that amusingly looped out for nearly a throw in. After the hosts went through the motions of closing the deficit again and the final change came with the final bow of Murphy. All stood as he marched off a hero, and Parr switched to right wingback pushing AMN as a support striker to Pitman now well and truly up top alone.

When the whistle came so did the realisation that Town might have reached down within themselves to put away the league's bottom clubs in successive games. As the run coming up looks kinder, so must the luck and endeavour so achingly missing in recent weeks. Still some way out of the running but not the race. There's something about South Yorkshire that over the years, brings out the goals, the hattricks and the results to make you feel good about going home a Town fan.
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2 MarPlymouth A0 - 25
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