We had a lot of the ball and passed it very well

Last updated : 11 August 2004 By Tony Scholes

In a game that Burnley firstly dominated before losing their way somewhat home manager Ronnie Moore was less than impressed with the way his side played.


“I was disappointed, it was a disappointing game,” said the Rotherham boss. “Burnley played reasonably well as they came and played the way they wanted to. We never put them on the back foot, in fact for the home side we were the ones on the back foot.


“We improved a bit in the second half but not as much as I would have liked. We still have a lot to do in open play and our set players were also disappointing. They weren’t good and we didn’t threaten their goal very often.”

Moore, clearly upset at the way his side had played added, “There was no reason why we didn’t play at our own tempo. If we are going to win games at this level we have to play at a better tempo than that.


“In the end we had to change a little but the quality of our balls wasn’t good, if you don’t pass well at this level you will be in trouble because there are some quality teams. If you give the ball away as cheaply you will be in trouble.”

He was happy not to concede a goal though and concluded, “On the other hand it was a clean sheet and we are unbeaten, it is another point although it would have been nice to have all three.

“Michael Proctor should have scored. When a goalkeeper drops a ball in that area a natural scorer should pounce. We will keep working but it doesn’t look as if getting goals will come easy for us this season.”

Steve Cotterill was much happier than Moore and looked at the positive side of earning a point.


“I thought we played very well in the first half, we had a lot of the ball and passed it very well. In the second half however they came at us like the home side will do but we kept a clean sheet and not many teams will do at Rotherham this season”.


“We defended comfortably though and Danny Coyne only had a couple of saves to make. I’m very pleased with that and they had to change their formation to stop us which is a great compliment to our boys.

“It nullified the game but it’s been a good night’s work all round.”

There was some special praise for keeper Danny Coyne who, as we suggested, was the player who was rated only 50/50 to play.

“I thought Danny Coyne was magnificent considering he shouldn’t really have played. If you’d seen his ankle on Sunday you would have given him no chance.

“To add to that Michael Duff limped out of training on Monday and he did well too as did all nine others.”


Coyne earns Burnley point

Peter Gardner (Daily Telegraph)


The excellence of Danny Coyne, the Burnley goalkeeper, denied Rotherham at Millmoor last night. Four splendid saves, three in the second half, enabled the visitors to escape with a fortuitous point.


John Mullin, twice, Paul Shaw and Michael Proctor all failed to beat the inspired Coyne as both sides added to the drawn encounters they enjoyed on the opening day. Burnley's early authority enabled Graham Branch to head over when the industrious Richard Chaplow crossed only for Robbie Blake to shoot wide.

Rotherham responded with two equally serious threats in a spell of sustained home pressure. Chris Sedgwick drove in teasingly from the right with Mullin diving full-length to head in a near-post attempt that Coyne convincingly pushed behind.


Coyne earned the goalkeeping accolades after the break and he was even more spectacular when dealing with Shaw's crisp 25-yarder. Two further splendid saves in quick succession by Coyne, first from a volley by Mullin and then a follow-up from Proctor kept Burnley in the game.