Sat 16th Dec
Kick-off15:00

PLY Argyle

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ROT Rotherham

Rotherham Preview

Sync Fixtures

The Game 
Argyle v Rotherham United. Home Park. Saturday, 16 December. 3pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition
Rotherham United are bottom of the Championship table with 13 points from 21 games. Their two victories have both come at home, against Norwich City and Coventry City. Since the Coventry win, the Millers have played nine times, drawing four and losing five times. 

Their most recent two games have both been at home, where they lost 2-1 to Swansea City and, most recently, 2-0 to West Bromwich Albion. 

The Gaffer
Leam Richardson was appointed at Rotherham United on Monday of this week, a month after the departure of former boss Matt Taylor. 

Richardson played for Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and Accrington Stanley, becoming caretaker manager of Stanley after John Coleman left. Richardson would become assistant to new manager Paul Cook, and although Richardson took the job on a full-time basis after Cook left for Chesterfield, Richardson would follow to Derbyshire, six months later. 

His association with Cook continued at Portsmouth and then Wigan Athletic. Cook was sacked by Wigan, and replaced by John Sheridan, whom Richardson also assisted. When former Argyle boss Sheridan left for Swindon, Richardson got the job on a permanent basis, and took the Latics up to the Championship. He was sacked four months into the season after a poor start. 

The Squad
Jordan Hugill (below) has three goals from 16 starts and five substitute appearances this season. The goals he scored at Preston North End earned a move to West Ham United for a reported £8m, although he never broke through for the Irons. Loans at Middlesbrough and Queens Park Rangers led to a move to Norwich City. After further loans, to West Brom and Cardiff, Hugill signed for Rotherham in January 2023. He has scored eight goals in 40 games for the Millers. 

Jordan Hugill

Hakeem Odoffin also has three goals this season, but from the other end of the field. Defender Odoffin played for Northampton Town, Livingston and Hamilton Academical before signing for Rotherham in the summer of 2021. He has scored eight times in 60 games. 

Sean Morrison (below) was born in Plymouth, and attended the Argyle Academy, but did not receive a professional deal. He instead signed for Swindon Town, and later played for Reading, but it was at Cardiff  where he flourished. Playing nearly 300 games in almost a decade in South Wales, the centre-back became club captain for the Bluebirds. He signed for Rotherham in January 2023. 

Sean Morrison

Fancy a Stat?
The two sides met on the same day in 2017. The game, at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, finished 1-1.  

The History
Argyle and Rotherham have met 72 times in the clubs' histories. The Greens have won 28 of those games, Rotherham have won 27 and there have been 27 draws. 

The most recent meetings came in the 2021/22 season. Rotherham won at home 2-0 in the season's opening fixture, then won 1-0 at Home Park the following February. 

Tickets
If you have a season ticket and cannot attend, you can make your ticket available via the Ticket Exchange and receive face value credit if your ticket is resold. Find out more about the Ticket Exchange.

Fans' Guide
The game is a dedicated Academy Day fixture. For more information on this and other matters to enhance your match-day experience, see our Fans' Guide.

Argyle TV
Commentary for the game will be provided by Charlie Price and Ian Stonebridge.

Argyle TV’s pre-match show, hosted by Erin Black and Aaron Cusack, will begin at 2pm, and is available to watch for free on YouTube.

Domestic supporters can listen to audio commentary on Argyle TV, while international supporters can buy a match pass to watch the game, here.

New Year's Eve at Home Park

Whittaker scores Argyle's winner against Rotherham

Argyle 3
Azaz pen 45+5, 52
Whittaker 90+6

Rotherham United 2
Lindsay 16
Eaves 77

In a game that saw an incredible 20 minutes of stoppage time played over the two halves, Argyle won it in dramatic fashion, with two of their goals arriving in the added minutes.

The Millers grabbed an early lead through Jamie Lindsay but injuries and delays were the main story of the opening 45 (plus 13) minutes. The Greens did get some relief, however, Finn Azaz levelling with a penalty in the dying embers of an epic half.

Azaz grabbed his second after the break and Argyle were seemingly in control when the experienced Daniel Ayala was sent off for two bookable offences but Rotherham snatched responded with an equaliser from Tom Eaves.

The final word on a thrilling afternoon came from Morgan Whittaker, bundling the winner home following another delicious pass from Azaz.

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made three changes from the battling ten-man draw at QPR, and all three came in defence, where Joe Edwards, Mickel Miller and Julio Pleguezuelo replaced Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Brendan Galloway and the suspended Dan Scarr.

A chaotic first half, that eventually took over an hour to complete, started in rather sedate fashion on a drizzly day and the Millers were first to threaten, former Exeter forward Sam Nombe fizzing a dangerous ball across the penalty area that eluded everyone.

A terrific block from Lewis Gibson repelled the next Rotherham foray from Dexter Lembikisa before Argyle found some attacking impetus with a delicious Morgan Whittaker that just missed the run of Azaz.

Rotherham responded with the opening goal, Lindsay drilling a low strike past an exposed Conor Hazard. Ryan Hardie lifted a half chance over the bar in the immediate Argyle reaction but then play was halted for some minor treatment on Hazard.

Ayala picked up his first booking for a foul on Azaz and the subsequent free-kick from Whittaker clipped the outside of the post as it whistled wide. Moments later, the Millers very nearly doubled their lead, Jordan Hugill heading wide from a great position.

Azaz continued to ask the main Pilgrim questions, forcing a low save from Viktor Johansson before play stopped again after a horrible collision between Hardie and Ayala, prompting a long delay and the removal of Hardie for Mustapha Bundu.

The new man barely lasted a few minutes before a crude challenge saw him taken off for Ben Waine. The nett result was 13 minutes of stoppage time and Johansson was soon back in action, producing his best to thwart Whittaker.

Argyle’s moment finally arrived four minutes into added time. Nombe was the guilty man for Rotherham, shoving Gibson from a corner, and Azaz calmly slotted the penalty. In all the fun, Rotherham had two more players booked and there was still time for Azaz to crash a shot against the post.

An hour after it had begun, the first-half whistle sounded, and the Greens were immediately back on the front foot for the second period, Edwards nodding over from an Azaz cross. The next twist in the Azaz show was a lovely second, smartly picking up on a delightful Luke Cundle dummy and sliding a neat finish into the bottom corner.

The mountain got steeper for the Millers when Ayala received his second yellow for a deliberate handball, although they did create a moment of concern with good work from Ollie Rathbone, thankfully read by a covering Jordan Houghton.

Cundle and Edwards were withdrawn for Kesler-Hayden and Callum Wright, but the next twist came as a blow to the guts for Argyle, as Rotherham drew level on 77 minutes, substitute Eaves prodding past Hazard after a nod down from Grant Hall.

Adam Randell and Galloway replaced Miller and Bali Mumba for the final ten minutes of a rollercoaster game. The visitors, down to ten men, understandably sat in for the point but Azaz, again, made the difference, cleverly looping a pass for a gleeful Whittaker to convert.

Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard; 2 Bali Mumba (20 Adam Randell 82), 4 Jordan Houghton, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 8 Joe Edwards (capt) (29 Kaine Kesler-Hayden 66), 9 Ryan Hardie (15 Mustapha Bundu 35) (23 Ben Waine 40), 10 Morgan Whittaker, 14 Mickel Miller (22 Brendan Galloway 82), 17 Lewis Gibson, 18 Finn Azaz, 28 Luke Cundle (11 Callum Wright 66). Substitutes (not used): 23 Callum Burton (gk), 3 Macaulay Gillepshey, 7 Matt Butcher.

Booked:

Rotherham: 1 Viktor Johansson; 2 Dexter Lembikisa, 3 Cohen Bramall, 4 Daniel Ayala, 10 Jordan Hugill (23 Sean Morrison 58), 16 Jamie Lindsay (20 Grant Hall 73), 18 Ollie Rathbone, 21 Lee Peltier (28 Sebastian Revan 46+5), 22 Hakeem Odoffin (12 Georgie Kelly 88), 27 Christ Tiehi, 29 Sam Nombe (9 Tom Eaves 77). Substitutes (not used): 26 Dillon Phillips (gk), 30 Arvin Appiah, 35 Ciaran McGuckin.

Booked: Ayala 25, Odoffin 36, Peltier 45+3, Nombe 45+3, Lindsay 49

Sent-Off: Ayala 54

Referee: Gavin Ward

Attendance: 16,025 (345 away)