3rd tier* League fixture
*Then known as Division Three

Rotherham United 1     Notts County 2
Yates (OG) 64                                                          Barnes 6
                                                                                 Yates 89
 

Attendance:- 7,251
Referee:- W. A. Flood
Weather: Sunny but cold
Corners:- Millers 12 Notts 3
Goal attempts on target:- Millers 7 Notts 5
Goal attempts off target:- Millers 6 Notts 3
Bookings:- None
 

Rotherham United
Colours:- Red shirts, White shorts, Red socks
League Position:- before match 6th/24, after match 6th/24
Manager:- Billy McEwan

1.   Kelham O'Hanlon
2.   Billy Russell
3.   Ronnie Robinson
4.   Tony Grealish +
5.   Nigel Johnson
6.   Martin Scott
7.   John Buckley
8.   Shaun Goodwin
9.   Bobby Williamson
10. Stewart Evans *
11. Dez Hazel

Sub: Shaun Goater *53
Sub: Andy Barnsley +74
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black and white striped shirts with yellow trim, Black shorts, White socks
League Position:- before match 2nd/24, after match 2nd/24
Manager:- Neil Warnock

1.   Steve Cherry
2.   Charlie Palmer
3.   Nicky Platnauer
4.   Craig Short
5.   Dean Yates
6.   Phil Robinson
7.   Mark Draper
8.   Phil Turner
9.   Gary Lund
10. Paul Barnes
11. Don O'Riordan

Sub: Tommy Johnson
Sub: Phil Stant

Video of the match:- The longest report on TV was broadcast by Yorkshire Television on their "Goals on Sunday" programme.
 

Nottingham Evening Post Reports

ENDEAVOUR REWARDED
By David Stapleton

NOTTS COUNTY gained dramatic reward for feverishly answering the call of ‘all hands t'mill’ in the industrial wastelands of South Yorkshire on Saturday. Their familiar character and commitment enabled them to soak up intensive pressure from fifth placed Rotherham United at Millmoor. Then they moved back to within a point of leaders Bristol City as Dean Yates' last minute winner provided total compensation for his supplying Rotherham with an own goal leveller.

The suggested 'steal' was not quite as it seemed with Notts making the better chances. They scorned several opportunities of adding to Paul Barnes' fifth minute opener and, perhaps, putting the game out of The Millers' reach at an early stage. Conversely, Rotherham, easily the Division's highest scorers, were often restricted to distance shooting which simply endorsed the safe hands of Steve Cherry. Craig Short, who in his Scarborough days tagged 19 goals Rotherham striker Bobby Williamson as his chief tormenter, allowed Williamson one shot and that was from outside the box.

STEADFAST
Sweeper Don O'Riordan again proved a point about his invaluable experience, Yates underlined his quality, Charlie Palmer did well against a resourceful winger in John Buckley and Nicky Platnauer won his duel with Des Hazel on the opposite flank to complete a stead-fast back five. It was the best part of the team, though the midfield three worked hard enough to try and stem what was, at times, a tide of red shirts. Phil Robinson, in particular, made some telling runs and looked weary near the end. At the front Gary Lund had one of his least productive games of the season against the huge Nigel Johnson but Barnes was eager to capitalise on a lack of pace at the heart of the defence. There was absolute conviction in the way the striker moved on to his early chance from O'Riordan's through pass. He tore past one defender, held off another and squeezed a low shot past the advancing 'keeper into the far bottom corner. In the 14th minute, after a fine run, Phil Turner's cut-back was fractionally behind Barnes, who was unable to control the ball ten yards out. Then, in 32 minutes, Barnes reacting smartly to O'Riordan's free kick, netted, only for it to be ruled off-side.

Rotherham, having missed two chances at the start, were deprived of another until the 35th minute. Martin Scott got clear on a clever one-two but totally missed his kick, under pressure from Cherry in the six yards box. With half time imminent, Lund found himself goal side thirty yards out but he was overhauled.
Notts should have given themselves a two goal cushion in 57 minutes after another break had the Rotherham defence in tatters. Keeper Kevin O'Hanlon saved Mark Draper's strong cross drive. The ball rebounded to Draper, who middled it into Robinson's stride ten yards out only for the midfielder to have a weak shot blocked. Four minutes later Robinson ran purposefully down the left before laying the ball back to Barnes who, reaching for it, lifted over from six yards.

PRESSURE
For all their pressure and possession Rotherham had created no chances like those when Yates gave them their own goal equaliser in 64 minutes. Pressured a bit by substitute Shaun Goater and getting his wires crossed with team-mate O'Riordan, Yates sent the ball past Cherry as he tried to clear a free kick. It spurred Rotherham on even more furiously, though an off-side 'goal' by Goater was the only occasion when Cherry seemed likely to be beaten.
So United, now eight points behind County, could have no outsized complaints when Yates redeemed himself in the 89th minute. O'Hanlon punched away O'Riordan's free kick, Drapers side foot was blocked by the keeper and as it spiralled up Yates neatly wrapped his left leg around the ball to deposit it in the far bottom corner.
 
 

YATES HAPPY TO BE A HERO
By David Stapleton

DEAN YATES today spoke happily of the change in fortunes which saw him emerge as the hero of Notts County's excellent 2-1 success at Rotherham. The England under-21 defender hit a stunning 89th minute winner after earlier presenting Rotherham with an own goat equaliser . It took Notts to within one point again of leaders Bristol City, whose 'derby' at Bristol Rovers was among Saturday's postponements. Said Yates, whose goal in the right net was greeted ecstatically by a 2,000 army of travelling fans: "It was a great relief. I had feared that my own goal midway through the second half might spur on Rotherham to grab a second, and they certainly put on the pressure. But, in spite of their possession, I think it would have been unjust had they succeeded. We missed quite a few good chances to possibly wrap up the game before I beat Steve Cherry with my header." Yates said of his own goal: "I thought Don O'Riordan was going in for the clearance header from Rotherham's free-kick. In the event, we both missed it and with a man behind me, I tried to knock out of the way.”

HEADER
Yates, one of a splendid County back five which largely confined Rotherham to long-distance shooting, tried hard to redeem himself. He won a far post header from O'Riordan's free-kick but, at full stretch, could only glance the ball wide. Then, with the referee getting ready to blow for time, he delivered the pay off which sentenced fifth-placed Rotherham to only their second home defeat of the season.
Said Yates: "Don O'Riordan was again involved from a free-kick situation. They cleared the ball but only as far as Mark .Draper, who side-footed it back. The goalkeeper got a hand to it and flicked the ball into the air. Happily, I managed to get my left foot I to it and put it in the net."

MANAGER Neil Warnock, like the players, could not restrain his joy on the final whistle. He said: "Apart from the significance of the result. I was a Rotherham player for two years. It's always nice to go back and beat your old club." Warnock went on: "Even under pressure we stuck it out and gritted our teeth. I thought we played well, because Rotherham aren't a bad home side. 'In Bobby Williamson and John Buckley they have two in-form front players whom I've been impressed with all season, but we handled them splendidly. Craig Short showed how much he has grown up in the last 12 months. In Short's Scarborough days Williamson was too experienced for him, but there was no question who was the boss on Saturday. Charlie Palmer did well against Buckley and, apart from our defensive work, we created chances. In fact, I don't think Rotherham have had so many chances created against them at Millmoor for a long time."

NOTTS COUNTY striker Paul Barnes, who collected his first League goal of the season and generally looked sharp against Rotherham: "I really looked forward to the game after scoring the winner in the Leyland Daf Cup tie at Bristol City. If a chance came my way, I was pretty determined to take it. So it was particularly nice to get on the score-sheet early on, because it took a bit a pressure off the lads and allowed us to go at the game a bit. I might have scored more than once as well. When my effort around the half hour mark was ruled out for offside I thought I was unfortunate. I wasn't off-side when the ball was played. I think the lines-man looked up when I hit my shot and saw me offside then. Then, in the second half I poked a chance wide from Phil Robinson's pass. But I'm looking forward to every game now and can't wait for Wednesday's Leyland Daf game at Hereford."

ROTHERHAM manager Billy McEwan: "The game was a six-pointer and I’m very disappointed to have lost it. We had a lot of the play and I think we were worth a point."
 

Up the Maggies footnote:
I have very fond memories of this match; It was a local(ish) derby promotion clash that attracted enough supporters to almost fill the ground. There was a really good atmosphere, it was good entertainment, and the last minute winner rounded off a perfect afternoon in a week that also saw the government finally back down from their plans to enforce the dreaded Football supporters ID card following Lord Taylor's report into the Hillsborough disaster - Such a scheme would obviously have had a very significant impact on attendance's, as those who only turned up for the odd game would no longer have been able to make the spur of the moment decision to attend unless they had already secured an ID card (which presumably would have had to be renewed each season, at a price). In his report, Lord Taylor pointed out the obvious problem the cards would cause at turnstiles - long delays and potential crushes near kick off time (two of the most deadly ingredients in the Hillsborough disaster itself). It was a huge victory for supporters who had been fighting against the plans since they were first announced by the diminutive minister of sport Colin Moynihan almost 5 years earlier.
 

Notts County Season 1989/90
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