Rotherham Utd 1 Plymouth Argyle 1: Match report

IT was nearly a perfect homecoming for Ryan Taylor.

Much of the latter part of 2017 has been a nightmare for the forward, who was injured in Argyle's season opener at Peterbrough, and remained crocked until earlier this month.

After regaining his place in the side, he led the line at Rotherham United, his first club, in the town where he was born. And scored what looked like the winning goal.

The strike came seven minutes from time in an otherwise tense affair at the New York Stadium. United captain Richard Wood's sending off, early in the second period, had given the impetus to seek a goal, and after much pressing, Taylor's header from a corner obliged.

Rotherham, though, kept belief, and when Argyle failed to clear an injury time corner, defender Semi Ajayi prodded home from close range.

The still, cold temperature of the December Yorkshire air had a feel of Arctic about it, and thus the first half football was about as frigid as the barren tundra. Rotherham, to their credit, dominated possession for the most part, but far more of their passes went square rather than forward, and while they kept the ball well, they did so often without threat.

When they did find a way though, there was danger. Early sighters from midfielders Richie Towell and Will Vaulks was tame and from range, but Argyle loan goalkeeper Kelle Roos, who has previously had a spell with Rotherham, too, had to be alert to thwart the lively Ryan Williams at the winger's feet as he cut inside.

Carey's shot wide from long range was as close as Argyle got to testing Marek Rodek, although for long periods of the game the Pilgrims looked more than comfortable.

Roos took an accidental bang in the face when timing a dive at the feet of Anthony Forde, leaving all Pilgrims in attendance to fear the power of the goalkeeping curse, but Roos continued unharmed.

He was more threatened by a wild challenge by Millers' skipper Richard Wood, whose rather high attempt to play the ball was in all probability genuine, but that does not proclude it from being very high and dangerous. The yellow card shown was perhaps a little lenient.

Elsewhere in the game Graham Carey was booked for Argyle and, perhaps a bit harshly, Towell for Rotherham, as frustration reigned all round. Scattered boos from the home end greeted the end of a forgettable opening period, with the small amount of atmosphere being generated by the Green Army, intermittently.

A great piece of control and subsequent shot by David Ball was admirable, but other than that neat piece of skill in first half injury time, the whole thing had one feeling rather cold, frankly.

The first five minutes of the second half changed all that...

Read the full match report here.