Match Preview: Rotherham United v Sunderland - all you need to know ahead of kick-off!

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Tuesday 21st February 2023

(21st) Rotherham United v Sunderland (5th)

Championship

New York Stadium

Kick-Off: 19:45

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are sold out.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via www.safc.com.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

After allowing two points to slip through our fingers at the weekend, the Lads have a perfect opportunity to take their frustration out as we travel to South Yorkshire to take on Championship strugglers Rotherham United.

A draw against Bristol City on Saturday might have been disappointing, but it does mean we have now only suffered one defeat in the last ten league games as the race for the play-offs inevitably becomes tighter. Five points now separates Luton Town in 4th down to Coventry City in 11th as the automatic spots appear to now be a race to fit three into two.

We’re back on the road where we have been impressive so far this season, with only two sides in the division having scored more and only five have conceded fewer goals.

Our history at the New York Stadium isn’t great, but it isn’t very long either, we’ve only played here once in a competitive fixture and that ended in a 5-1 defeat back in October 2021 that included a red card for Aiden McGeady on a day to forget. Instead, we could look back to our record at Millmoor where we won the four successive fixtures before they uprooted to the New York Stadium.

Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Rotherham United’s last season that didn’t result in promotion from League One or relegation from the Championship was back in 2015-16, and since then they have bounced continuously between the divisions and it looks like they are going to struggle to avoid yet another drop into the third tier.

It has been a season of change after Paul Warne left to join Derby County following six years in charge and was replaced with Matty Taylor from Exeter City, and he now finds himself with the job of keeping Rotherham in the Championship.

Their current form isn’t great, with only one win since the 8th November, they are just keeping themselves out of the relegation places with a two point gap between themselves and Huddersfield Town who occupy the final relegation place at the bottom.

On home soil they have also won only one of the last seven in the Championship and with Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic looking like they are improving under new management, Matt Taylor will be looking to pick up points to keep Rotherham out of trouble.

Photo by Kieran Cleeves/PA Images via Getty Images

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The betting...

The bookies fancy a win for the Lads tonight as they have us evens to take all three points.

Rotherham are 13/5, and the draw is around 12/5.

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Head to head... at Rotherham

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 6
• Draws: 4
• Rotherham United wins: 3
• Sunderland goals: 28
• Rotherham United goals: 18

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Last time we met... at the New York Stadium

Saturday 30th October 2021

Championship

Rotherham United 5-1 Sunderland

[Smith 10’, 73’, Ladapo 41’, 88’, Ihiekwe 53’ - Stewart 24’]

Sunderland: Hoffmann, Winchester, Doyle, Flanagan, Cirkin, Dajaku (Evans), O’Nien (Wright), Neil, McGeady, Embleton (Gooch), Stewart Substitutes not used: Burge, Alves, Wearne, O’Brien

Rotherham United: Vickers, Ogbene (Sadlier), Ferguson (Miller), Edmonds-Gree, Ihiekwe, Harding, Rathbone, Barlaser, Smith (Kayode), Ladapo, Wiles Substitutes not used: Johansson, Bola, Wood, Odoffin

Attendance: 10,573

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Played for both...

Vic Halom

Bob Stokoe signed the striker from Luton Town not long after taking charge at Roker ahead of our successful cup run of 1972-73. Halom then played a huge part, especially in the semi-final, scoring against Arsenal. He stayed on Wearside for three years before moving to Oldham and then finished his career at Rotherham United in 1981.

Photo by Peter Robinson/EMPICS via Getty Images

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