Moore of the same as Rotherham bag maximum

Stuart McCall would kill for a run like that.

Ronnie Moore sure enjoys coming to City and he certainly milked it on Saturday after Rotherham emerged on top after a helter-skelter Yorkshire derby.

Though his claim that the Millers were the best side by a mile was laughable.

McCall had called it right when he predicted a no-holds-barred collision and it made for gripping entertainment for the fans.

His side played their part, especially in a second-half showing that was light years away from the dismal display in the previous home game.

But in the cold light of day, the City boss was left to reflect on another Valley Parade setback against a side that he would love to be challenging with in the promotion mix.

Instead of cutting the margin to the division’s pace-setters, City have now slipped below halfway for the first time since the end of August.

McCall always insists that he ignores the table. It’s the gap to the last play-off spot – currently standing at four points – that matters.

But as he swallowed Saturday’s disappointment, there was a defensive nature in his comments. With all this talk about decisive December, it’s so far played two lost two against teams above them.

Post-Rochdale, though, there were few positives to cling to. This time, City’s spirited performance was full of them.

If only the same could be said of referee Lee Probert.

It’s not the first time that a Premier League official has swaggered into town and played the big man. Not one of the crucial calls – or non-calls – went with the home team.

Adam Le Fondre, the division’s top gun, was bottled up well by a defence shorn of hamstring victim Steve Williams. And the casualty list added another name 20 minutes in when Michael Boulding’s ankle gave in following a whack from Pablo Mills – one of two crunching fouls from the centre half that earned no card.

Rotherham only got one booking all game, for striker Drewe Broughton’s elbow on Matt Clarke. That was only nine minutes in and he’d already done the same to stand-in central defender Simon Ramsden.

On the stroke of half-time, the pair went up for another high ball in front of the away dug-out and Ramsden fell flat on the ground. Chaos ensued, with Moore sticking his oar in and accusing the City defender of cheating, but no action was taken.

You knew then that Broughton was bound to score before the end.

In another world, his tap-in to put the seal on Rotherham’s first win in five would not have counted. The flag would have been raised against provider Le Fondre, who appeared to be standing a couple of yards beyond the last man.

Then again, maybe Probert would have also pulled back the wonder strike that blew away City’s rising belief and self-confidence ten minutes earlier.

Gary Roberts did a fitting Maynor Figueroa impression with his free-kick from just over the halfway line. Maybe, as Alan Hansen said about Stoke on Match of the Day, City should have stood someone in front of the ball to slow play down.

It was, though, a stunning piece of skill and judgement and any blame on Simon Eastwood for being caught off his line is harsh.

But let’s not gloss over the fact that the free-kick was taken in the wrong place. Officials are usually picky over the ball being kicked from the exact blade of grass, yet Probert allowed Roberts to bring the ball far more central after Matt Clarke had fouled Broughton just inside the touchline.

Little things can make a huge difference.

Rotherham had been the better side for the first 45 minutes without a doubt.

They started much the brighter and only Eastwood’s body prevented Nicky Law making it a hat-trick of old boys to score on their comeback following Steve Schumacher and Michael Symes.

The Millers clocked up five corners in the first 15 minutes before City grabbed the lead against the run of play.

Simon Whaley’s free-kick pinged up off the wall and span awkwardly in the box, with Boulding creating enough space for City’s star man Lee Bullock to toe-poke his first goal since Easter.

But Rotherham were quickly back in it and ahead themselves by half-time.

Kevin Ellison, as much a hate figure in these parts as his manager, got both goals to add salt to the wound.

The first followed a fine save from Eastwood, who kept out Broughton’s free header, only to see Ellison latch on to the rebound.

Then the winger was played in by Le Fondre to slide a calculated shot through the keeper’s legs.

Ramsden’s rumpus with Broughton raised temperatures before the whistle. And the noise threatened to go through the roof when Michael Flynn seized on some comical attempts to clear and fired City level just 13 seconds after the restart.

There was no room to breathe now as both sides tore at each other looking for that decisive blow. Ian Sharps, a rock at the heart of Rotherham’s defence, somehow missed a free header when City’s offside trap sprung a leak at a Law free-kick. Then Flynn hacked off the line from substitute Danny Harrison.

The action was just as frenetic at the other end, where Andy Warrington was producing another Valley Parade wonder show.

He was brilliant here in April and performed similar heroics to deny goal-bound efforts from Bullock, Chris Brandon and James O’Brien.

Bullock, a trainee at York when silver-haired Warrington was their stopper, nearly ended up with a barnet the same colour as he watched his old team-mate with growing disbelief.

But that was nothing compared with City’s stunned reaction to the Roberts free-kick – or, more pertinently, the fact that Probert let it stand. Throw in the “offside” fourth and it’s fair to say the Gloucestershire official will not be welcome back in a hurry.

“Some of his decisions baffled me,” said a diplomatic McCall, eyes rolling. “But all I can concern myself with is our performance and the second half was excellent. We asked them at half-time to raise it and have a real go and I thought they did that. You couldn’t ask for any more.”