There were some games you just have to win – yesterday was one of those occasions, and thankfully we got the job done against a Rotherham side who never win away.
The performance was secondary – had we lost but played well it would have been of no consolation. In the end, we were much improved in the second half, with Gary O’Neil scoring the winner from close range, after Sammy Ameobi’s first half goal had been cancelled out by Will Vaulks’ effort from a set-piece, what felt like a very soft equaliser to concede.
Phil Parkinson bemused many with his team selection, but he’s done that before, sometimes even paying off, and it paid off yesterday as well. O’Neil and Ameobi were excellent in the wide midfield positions, while Jason Lowe did well filling in at both full-back positions over the course of the afternoon. Christian Doidge was lively up top even though he couldn’t get any of his efforts on target.
It may be a poor Rotherham side we beat, but it’s nice just to win a game again. Stoke on Saturday should prove a tougher test.