Alex Revell saw red as the Millers played out a 0-0 draw at Underhill against Barnet.
The Millers made two changes to the side that suffered their first home defeat of the season, as they searched for a first victory on the road. Mitchell Rose replaced Gareth Evans to make his full debut as part of a midfield trio, whilst Nicky Hunt dropped to the bench in order for Mark Bradley to start at right back.
However, it was the home side who started brightest with Ricky Holmes seeing plenty of the ball early on, and it was his play in midfield that created the space for Jordan Brown to cross for Jake Hyde to head just wide of Scott Shearer’s goal.
Neither side really managed to test the goalkeepers and it wasn’t until the 25th minute that Holmes again got on the ball and calved out an opportunity, forcing Shearer into a save from a tight angle, and then Oliver Lee volleyed over after being picked out from John Oster’s corner.
The final action of the half again saw that man Holmes wriggle free of the defence and fire low from the angle; although Shearer was again equal to it.
Half-time
Barnet 0-0 Millers
The second half had little to live up to, and the Millers, kicking up the slope spent the majority on top, with the best chance of the game falling to Revell who met Ben Pringle’s free-kick with a diving header at the far post only to see Graham Stack pull off a fine point-blank save.
At the other end, Shearer had to be alert once again as Barry Fuller cut inside after a fine run from full back and unleashed a shot from the edge of the area. The home side did carve out two chances in three minutes midway through the second half, but this time the Millers stopper had little to worry about as Holmes but his first effort from the left and his second one from the right, wide of the goal.
The game entered the final 15 minutes, and Kieran Agard, just on as a substitute for Kayode Odejayi got in behind the defence but couldn’t beat the goalkeeper before the Millers’ cause was hindered further. Revell deemed guilty of serious foul play after a challenge on the edge of the Barnet penalty area saw him receive a red card.
It would be an uphill task for the Millers, but they continued to press, and Agard again found space, beating Krystian Pearce and David Stephens to the ball, only to be denied by Graham Stack. The last chance of the game came from the boot of Ben Pringle; the midfielder, who scored on this ground last season fired his free-kick just wide of the goal in injury time.
Full-time
Barnet 0–0 Millers
Barnet: Stack, Fuller, Brown, Kamdjo, Lee (Fortune 88), Holmes, Abdullah (Weston 86), Hyde, Stephens, Oster, Pearce.
Unused: Saville, Nurse, Warren, Cowler, Sykes.
Millers: Shearer, Bradley (Hunt 83), Sharps, Morgan, Tonge, Rose (Ainsworth 69), Taylor, O’Connor, Pringle, Revell, Odejayi (69).
Unused: Warrington, Mullins, Evans, Nardiello
Att: 1,821 (384)