Rotherham United suffered their first home defeat of the season after a second-half collapse saw them lose 4-1 to Gillingham. The result leaves Alex Bruce's side 20th in League Two, with just 10 points from their opening 10 games and a run of three consecutive defeats.
Paul Mullin gave the Millers a 17th-minute lead, scoring his fifth goal of the campaign from a move involving Kian Spence. Ronan Hale equalised for the visitors before the break. The game turned completely after the hour mark when Lamin Sillah put Gillingham ahead. Hale added a penalty seven minutes later after Julian Eyestone fouled Sillah, and Tom Eaves converted another spot-kick in the 89th minute to complete the rout.
Manager Alex Bruce was blunt in his assessment of a dismal defensive performance. "To concede four goals in the manner we did was very disappointing," Bruce said. He noted a brief positive spell after half-time before the game slipped away. "They scored against the run of play and the game totally changed. It’s been a bad week for us."
Bruce identified basic defensive errors as the core issue. "We need to do the basic things better, especially in how we are defending our box and indecisions from individuals at the minute." The team's recent form shows no wins in their last five matches, a sequence you can review on our standings page.
Rotherham's early promise faded quickly after Hale's 34th-minute leveller. Gillingham grew dominant in the second period, with Sillah's turn and finish on the hour mark proving decisive. The two late penalties, conceded by Eyestone and Sonny Aljofree, compounded a miserable afternoon for the 7,492 fans at AESSEAL New York Stadium. Gillingham goalkeeper Nathan Wright made several key saves to deny Brandon Cover and Aaron Nemane, preventing any hope of a comeback.
The defeat extends a worrying trend, with Rotherham having now conceded eight goals in their last two home games. They travel to face 16th-placed Fleetwood Town on Saturday, 17 October, desperately seeking to end their losing streak. The full schedule for that key period is available on our fixtures page.
Background and full detail: yorkshirepost.co.uk
