With a place in the play-offs now guaranteed Rotherham United travel to Edgar Street able to relax as they look to for maximum points in the final league game of the season.
The 0-0 draw against Crewe Alexandra in their last outing kept the Millers in fourth spot in the League Two table, and with their final position and their opponents in the end of season lottery yet to be confirmed, three more points would give them the advantage of a second-leg home tie in the play-offs.
Ronnie Moore has no fresh concerns ahead of this trip but is expected to pick his team without the inclusion of top goalscorer Adam Le Fondre and midfielder Josh Walker. Although the pair are injury free the Millers boss has indicated that he may leave them both out of his squad to give them a much needed rest and while there are a number of possible options up front Danny Harrison is likely to replace Walker in midfield. Andy Liddell and Stephen Brogan continue their good progress after injuries while Dale Tonge and Tom Pope are still sidelined.
Hereford United's Graham Turner should also have no new injury or suspension worries and may be expected to name the same starting 11, however after seeing his team go down 2-1 to Dagenham and Redbridge in their last game he could opt for a re-shuffle.
The Millers will arrive in Hereford looking to improve their away record, with 11 victories and one draw they have picked up 34 of their 73 points on their travels, however they have returned to Don Valley without a single point on 10 occasions this season. In fact the 1-0 win at Barnet in their last away fixture put an end to five straight away defeats in the league and with an away leg in the play-offs yet to come they will be eager to take into it some good form.
The hosts are currently in 17th in the table thanks largely to their home record. With 11 wins and four draws 37 of their 56 points have been picked up on home soil, more than any team in the bottom half of the division and with that in mind they will be confident to end their own season on a positive note.
These two teams have not come face to face on many occasions throughout history as a matter of fact this will be just the 12th meeting and interestingly their records match exactly. Of the 11 matches so far the sides have won three apiece and fought out five stalemates therefore victory for any of them on the last day of the season will see them claim the temporary bragging rights. The biggest margin of success came during the 1988/89 campaign when Rotherham ran out 6-0 winners and this remains the only game between the two with more than one goal separating them. Of late the hosts have enjoyed a good spell against their Yorkshire counterparts having not lost in five games incidentally since that thumping, and with the reverse fixture this season ending 1-1 the Millers will be keen to stop the rot.
Words: Chris Ellison
