Rotherham United 2
Stevenage 0
League (League One)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

Two goals in three minutes denied Stevenage a good point on the road at Rotherham United.

Jordan Hugill and Mallik Wilks were credited with them, the first on 70 minutes potentially an own goal from Lewis Freestone, giving the hosts, managed by former Boro boss Steve Evans.

Prior to that though Stevenage had frustrated the Millers and had the home support openly booing their sides efforts.

There was a lack of shots from the visitors again, a trait that continues to get worrying, but this was an away performance to applaud until the quick sucker punches.

A poor performance against Cambridge United, as well as suspensions, meant changes were inevitable for Stevenage.

Carl Piergianni and Louis Thompson were the ones serving a one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

They were joined by Den Kemp and Murphy Cooper going out of the starting XI. Taye Ashby-Hammond, Luther Wildin, Harvey White and Eli King were the quartet who came in.

Wildin's inclusion meant a few brows would have been wiped in relief, the full-back going into centre-half alongside birthday boy Lewis Freestone.

Jordan Roberts took the captain's armband.

The panic and the worry over team selection in the build-up had taken some of the spotlight off the occasion.

It was apparent though from the very first whistle that Stevenage was very much up for this.

With their fans in full voice, they began snapping into tackles and pressing Rotherham at every moment.

Dan Phillips and Roberts were key to that and the early pressure also had the desired effect of quieting the home support.

It didn't quieten the Rotherham bench though and the sight of Evans coming out to complain about a decision had ironic cheers from the travelling army.

Chances were limited though for the visitors, Phillips with a low effort straight at Cameron Dawson on the stroke of half-time all Boro could really muster.

But that would be the only grumble by the time half-time came around.

Their makeshift defence had a relatively comfortable first 45 too.

A shot from Wilks was screwed low across goal and out for a throw-in by the corner flag while the same player forced Ashby-Hammond to block the ball behind at his near post.

But Rotherham's well documented problems in front of goal was clear and when a simple pass from Cohen Brammall was blasted out of play, the grumbles began to be heard.

Boos at half-time would not have been music to Evans' ears and there was the suggestion that there might have been more forceful words in the home dressing room at the break than in Boro's.

The hosts did have a chance early on but Brammall hit a free-kick well over and wide.

And to be honest that was it until the suddenly there was two goals inside the final 20 minutes.

The first was a fluke, plain and simple. Jordan Hugill took aim from just outside the box but it hit the outstretched leg of Lewis Freestone.

It could have gone anywhere but it chose up, looping high and dropping down into the net over Ashby-Hammond.

That was a sucker punch for Stevenage who were still reeling when they conceded a second.

There was fortune in this one too although this time it favoured Boro.

Jack Holmes turned a low cross towards goal and it seemed destined for the net until it hit the keeper's foot and rebounded up off the bar.

That luck soon evaporated though as Wilks picked up the rebound and after a couple of touches, he lashed it into the net.

It was three minutes that Boro will regret all the way back down the A1.