Rotherham United v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League One, AESSEAL New York Stadium, Saturday 17 August, 3:00pm
Bristol Rovers will look to return to winning ways after their first-round Carabao Cup defeat to Cardiff City when they travel to Rotherham United in Sky Bet League One.
The Gas lost 2-0 to the Bluebirds in Wales, with second-half goals from Mark McGuinness and Rubin Colwill helping their side to a 2-0 triumph. However, the Pirates will get the chance to make it two consecutive wins in the league after beating Northampton Town on the opening day last Saturday.
As for the Millers, they were defeated 1-0 by Exeter City in their first outing of the campaign but will have confidence after beating Crewe Alexandra 2-1 in the cup.
Tickets...
Tickets are no longer available online, but you can purchase them on the day at The New York Stadium.
Travel...
If travelling by car, you should take the M1 to junction 33 and then the A630. Make sure to follow the signs to Rotherham town centre.
When travelling by train, Rotherham Central railway station is approximately 0.4 miles away, around nine minutes to walk.
Opposition...
Rotherham were promoted to the Championship in the 2021/22 season and avoided relegation in their first campaign back in the second tier but finished bottom last term on 27 points.
In April, former manager Steve Evans returned for his second stint at the club. The 61-year-old previously helped the club achieve back-to-back promotions out of Sky Bet League Two to the Championship before guiding them to survival in the league in a spell between 2012 and 2015.
He’s brought in plenty of experience at this level, with Joe Rafferty and Sean Raggett switching from Portsmouth, who won League One last campaign. Other notable additions include Cameron Dawson and Reece James, with the pair moving from Sheffield Wednesday.
There will also be a familiar face in the Rotherham ranks to Gasheads, with Jonson Clarke-Harris signing in the summer from Peterborough United, where he scored 78 goals in 166 league appearances for the Posh.
Previous Meetings...
The Pirates have won five of the last eight meetings between the two sides, stretching back to 2011. The teams were previously in the same division in the 2019/2020 campaign, winning one match each.
Rovers beat Rotherham 1-0 at The Memorial Stadium after a goal from Clarke-Harris, but the Millers got their revenge in the reverse fixture, coming away with a 3-0 victory after goals from Kyle Vassell, Michael Smith and Chiedozie Ogbene.
Officials...
Referee: Neil Hair
Assistant Referees: Daniel Woodward and Stephen Wade
Fourth Official: Martin Woods
