Paul Warne says ‘wonder’ goals in draw were befitting of League One’s top two

Posted Saturday, February 19, 2022 by PA

Rotherham boss Paul Warne said both goals in their 1-1 draw with Wigan were befitting of the top two sides in Sky Bet League One.

The Millers kept their six-point lead at the summit intact after Ollie Rathbone’s second-half strike cancelled out Stephen Humphreys’ effort before the break.

Both were high-quality goals as Rathbone found the same corner from 25 yards out that Humphreys earlier picked out from 20 yards.

“I thought it was two really good teams, full of really good players,” Warne said. “At times we might have cancelled each other out, no one gave an inch for the whole game.

“Wigan kept us quiet quite well in the first half and in the second half we were in the ascendency, our keeper didn’t make a save.

“It was just two wonder strikes, two great goals that were befitting of two teams at the top end of the league. If you had offered me a 1-1 after 70 minutes I’d have taken it.

“Both sets of teams go away happy with a point.

“I thought we were braver in the second half. We came to try and win the game, but we don’t come away disappointed that we only got a point.

“But we are in a good position.”

The draw ensures it is as you were at the top of the table as Rotherham sit six points clear at the summit, though Wigan have two games in hand.

This was a hard-fought battle between the best two sides in the division and on this evidence both should be celebrating promotion come the end of the season.

Wigan boss Leam Richardson was pleased to see his side end a run of three games in seven days with a point.

The Latics played on Saturday and again on Tuesday before this crunch clash and came through it with seven points.

“Any point away from home is a good point,” he said. “Playing Saturday, Tuesday and Friday our lads have put in a huge shift in.

“After walking off the pitch at 9.45pm on Tuesday to come here and be as competitive as we were was pleasing.

“We don’t look at the games in hand, we look at the points now and see where we are. We have got loads of challenges ahead of us. It is a tough turnaround.”

Things might have been different for Wigan had they not had a second goal ruled out for a soft-looking foul on goalkeeper Josh Vickers.

“I thought there were a couple of decisions,” Richardson added. “There was stuff going on all over the pitch, there are always moving parts.

“The officials have got a million decisions to make, you always hope the players make the result. We don’t have any qualms.”