The resurgence, Ollie Rathbone, the new boy and *that* miss ... the story of Watford 1 Rotherham United 1, plus full player ratings and match stats

The Millers are back.

It says it all that the Hornets, with their Premier League pedigree and top-flight spending power, would have lost had the visitors taken the game's best chance as the end of the contest began to beckon.

For Rotherham, this campaign is all about surviving and building; staying up and going again.

"I think the last two games have shown we're capable of that," said manager Matt Taylor. "There is a belief there at the moment that we need to build on. 

"The dressing room has to take charge of what it wants to become, which is being an established Championship side. The commitment’s spot on. The effort’s there.

"People look at the squads and say that we shouldn’t be competing in this league, but we are. We deserve to be in this competition."

The visiting supporters, revelling in the turnaround of their team, had out-sung the home ones all afternoon. Red-and-white shirts had out-fought yellow-and-black ones.

The horrible wobble following the World Cup break is becoming a fading memory.

As three sides of the stadium emptied, the travelling faithful remained where they were to acknowledge a performance as good as any on the road this season.

THE MATCH

The Millers players were clapping, the supporters were clapping, Taylor was clapping, assistant boss Wayne Carlisle was clapping, Watford manager Slaven Bilic was having a right old go at the fourth official.

It was the kind of big-club-rattling Championship afternoon Rotherham do best: full pelt, full energy, fire met with fire.

Half-time was approaching on Saturday when tenacious defending blocked two Watford goalbound attempts and Taylor's men broke at speed. Only an slightly-overhit pass from Leo Hjelde stopped Ollie Rathbone racing clear.

Cue the applause and Bilic railing against some made-up injustice when the real the source of his ire was his side's frailty in the face of what the opposition were producing.

The Millers, now five points clear of the drop zone, had their trio of January signings - Sean Morrison, Hjelde and Tariqe Fosu - on the pitch and all three have made them stronger.

I’m so proud of the performance," Taylor said. "We are 'all in' at the moment. The players are giving absolutely everything.

"Regardless of who we play, we have to be like that. We are still incredibly short in certain areas of the pitch but that group is connected.

"There is simplicity to our game. We’ve added quality and we will look to add more. I am excited about what is to come."

Star man Ollie Rathbone

In an even start, Mario Gaspar grazed the post with a volley on the turn and Dan Barlaser let fly at the other end to bring a a full-stretch save from Daniel Bachmann

Fosu had been menacing from the off and on 20 minutes he cut inside from the left and sent in a curling shot that the Hornets keeper did well to get a hand to.

Images of Watford's pop-star former chairman, Elton John, are everywhere at Vicarage Road and, suitably inspired, Shane Ferguson performed his own version of Rocket Man as he sent Bachmann's parry whizzing at warp speed into the far corner of the net.

It was the Millers' first goal at Watford in 20 years.

Matheus Martins rattled the bar soon after the break before Hjelde produced only his second errant delivery of the day. His pass was intended to put his team on the attack but was cut out by Joao Ferreira who beat Viktor Johansson with a low effort the keeper would have normally kept out.

"It's frustrating because it's avoidable," Taylor said. "Leo will feel he could have done better and Viktor will feel he should have saved it.

"I can accept mistakes as long as the effort is where it is at the moment. We are not perfect, I am certainly not perfect. The perfect aspect about us at the moment is our togetherness and our will to win."

That will saw Rotherham force their way back into the encounter and Cohen Bramall's low cross from the right set up an open-goal opportunity right in front of the away throng with 16 minutes to go.

Fosu was about to become a hero but his close-range shot was too soft, too close to the keeper and totally out of keeping with everything else he'd done during the game.

New boy Tariqe Fosu

Taylor swallowed his disappointment over the untaken chance and consoled himself with the general upturn in his side.

"We’ve added some new bodies and we've got some bodies back from the injured list," he said. "It's a culmination of events: honest conversations, a change of shape. Confidence is back. We make it uncomfortable for the opposition.

"We are in a good place and we have got to keep hold of that good place. Whether we lose games or draw games, as long as the effort and intent is like it was today, I can't fault this group. We’ve re-found our identity."

TERRIFIC TARIQE

Forget that chance, remember how good he was for the rest of his first Millers outing.

A sharp touch and and an even sharper mind made Fosu a a very tricky customer. It was just such a shame that feet that had been so silky suddenly got tangled up when his big moment came.

"That would have been the perfect debut," Taylor said. "His performance warranted a goal. He’s a good player. He’s someone who’s a little bit different to what we’ve got. He can beat an opponent and he can get that ball exactly where he wants it. 

"We’ll go home satisfied in spite of what might have been."

More than satisfied. The backing up of the display against Blackburn was just as important as the result.

As the referee blew for time, the players went en masse to the away end.

There was Ollie Rathbone with his Alice band, Johansson with his towel, Cameron Humphreys with his white base layer, Hjelde with his youthful innocence, subbed Ferguson with his long, black coat, the fans with their pride, everyone with an uplifting sense of achievement.

The re-connection, the recovery, the optimism.

"Oh, Rotherham, we love you."

**********************************

Goals: Ferguson 20 (Rotherham); Ferreira 53 (Watford)

Attendance: 18,911

The Millers

Formation: 4-3-3

Viktor Johansson: 7

Might not be best pleased with himself over the goal. Saves from Gaspar and Ismaila Sarr were more like it.

Lee Peltier: 8

So, so solid. Did everything right. Used his experience and took no risks.

Sean Morrison: 7

Like your dad when you were little. He's three times bigger than you and you just feel safe when he's around.

Cameron Humphreys: 8

A talented lad doing the ugly stuff. Very good when he combines the two.

Leo Hjelde: 7

Really comfortable in possession. Doesn't panic and can see a pass. A couple of schoolboy errors, but then he is only 19. Good mobility. Has the potential to be a big player for the Millers.

Hakeem Odoffin: 8

Haks with a bit of a swagger. Great to see. Growing in confidence as he's trusted with more game-time. Lots of interceptions and interventions. A physical presence who showed a touch of quality on the ball at times as well.

Dan Barlaser: 7

Great moments, good moments, dodgy moments.

Ollie Rathbone: 9

The winter sun was out in Hertfordshire but shone nothing like as brightly as the midfielder. He scrapped for everything, won all his battles and kept Rotherham on the front foot with his driving runs. A real Championship player.

Shane Ferguson: 7

That lovely left foot. He was never going to miss and now has two goals in two games. Has more devil about him now he's being used as a winger.

Chiedozie Ogbene: 6

Pretty quiet by his standards. Flashes here and there, but this wasn't his best afternoon. Had to be used down the middle as he was the only member of the squad who can play there.

Tariqe Fosu: 8

Some debut. Watford couldn't get a grip on him. Does things quickly while keeping a calm head. Welcome aboard.

The subs

Cohen Bramall (for Ferguson 64): 7

Added thrust with his pace. Should have gone home with an assist to his name.

Not used: Robbie Hemfrey, Wes Harding, Grant Hall, Richard Wood, Jamie Lindsay, Peter Kioso.

Watford (4-2-3-1): Daniel Bachmann 6; Joao Ferreira 7, Francisco Sierralta 7, Craig Cathcart 7, James Morris 6 (Hassane Kamara H-T, 6); Mario Gaspar 7, Hamza Choudhury 7; Ismaila Sarr 6, Ismael Kone 6 (Yaser Asprilla 64, 6), Matheus Martins 7 (Michael Adu-Poku 79); Vakoun Bayo 6  (Tobi Adeyemo 73). Subs not used: Maduka Okoye, William Troost-Ekong, Leandro Bacuna.

Referee: David Webb (Lancashire): 9

Excellent. Stood strong against constant Watford appeals for penalties and handballs. Could spot a dive when he saw one.

Opposition view

"We could have won the game. Maybe we should have, although they had the best chance.

"That was one chance. To be fair, we had a few that you really expect your players take.

"Unfortunately we didn't score from them, so of course we're massively disappointed with the result.

That's where we are at the moment. We're trying, we're giving everything, we're getting in really good promising situations, but the quality today in these situations was not enough to get a goal."

- Hornets boss Slaven Bilic

The stats

Possession: Watford 59 per cent, Millers 41

Goal attempts: Watford 18, Millers 12

On target: Watford 5, Millers 5

Corners: Watford 9, Millers 3

Fouls: Watford 9, Millers 8

Final word

The real Rotherham again.