Notts County v Rotherham United match ratings

Last updated : 29 December 2008 By Dane Vincent

Poor punch: Pilkington was partly at fault for the third.
Kevin Pilkington 5 - Looked vulnerable in the air again and punched poorly for the visitors' third goal. He didn't have much chance with the other two and remained untroubled for the majority.

Mitchell Hanson 4 - Dithered way too much throughout, hesitating when heading into challenges, and in making passes. The latter led to United's second strike, when he was tackled deep inside his own half. He does look to be good prospect, but this was his worst performance in the black and white stripes to date.

Michael Edwards 5 - Looked to be at fault for the opener when he was easily turned inside by Reuben Reid, who lashed the ball into the bottom-right corner. Prancing around uncharacteristically on several occasions, the team's captain looked anything but convincing.

Stephen Hunt 7 *STAR MAN* - Easily the pick of the back-four with a performance that saw him dominate aerially for the majority. He never looked phased and it was difficult to spot that he had been out with a long-term injury recently. Playing the simple ball is still an issue, with the longer option plumped for far too frequently.


Jamie Clapham 6 -
Defensively, the former Birmingham City full-back looked relatively untroubled, but he constantly failed to offer support to Myles Weston on the wing. He came close with a free-kick in the second period, which was well saved.


Matthew Hamshaw 5 -
Did not make any significant contributions and went missing for large chunks of the match. He remains composed in possession but needs players hungry for the ball around him to fulfill his early season promise.


Gavin Strachan 4 -
Bypassed way too often both offensively and defensively. He saw limited possession of the ball and struggled to close down the Rotherham midfielders effectively. The ex-Peterborough man looked the weaker of the two defensive midfielders and was deservedly omitted.


John Thompson 6 -
Came closest for County when he surged into the box and unleashed a powerful low shot that was somehow tipped around the post. His passing was a little erratic but his aerial presence was invaluable. Covering well at several points, it was like having a third centre-back.


Myles Weston 6 -
In the first period he looked a huge threat, beating his marker constantly, and frequently demonstrated his tricky technical abilities. Unfortunately he faded after the break along with the Magpies' hopes of getting back into the game.


Delroy Facey 5 -
Huffs and puffs but fails to get involved enough in the final third. He needs to strive to get onto the end of the deliveries from out wide in order to make use of his aerial power. His build-up play was not as prominent as it has been in the past.


Sean Canham 4 -
Apart from a few good flick-ons, the tall striker was looked totally out of his depth and offered very little. He worked extremely

Direct: Smith looked as though he might create something.
hard, but sadly to no avail.


Subs:


Jay Smith 6 -
Although several misplaced passes were made by the substitute, he showed glimpses of what the team had been missing. His direct passing and short link-up play seemed to indicate that had he been on the pitch longer, something of note might have been created.


Adam Nowland 6 -
Failed to make a bad pass and looked calm in the middle alongside Smith. With Thompson suspended for the clash with Aldershot Town, the duo could form an interesting - and more productive - partnership.


Not used:
Paul Mayo, Ben Fairclough, Spencer Weir-Daley