Exeter V Rotherham at St James Park - Match Preview




Woodman banned for Millers meeting

Exeter boss Paul Tisdale will be forced into changing his victorious side for the visit of Rotherham with defender Craig Woodman missing through suspension..

The 29-year-old left-back will serve a one-game ban for his fifth booking of the season, picked up in the midweek win at npower League Two leaders Gillingham, with young defender Jordan Moore-Taylor set to deputise.

Striker Tom Nichols has moved to Bath City on loan while midfielder Jimmy Keohane is pushing for a start after catching the eye and winning a penalty as a late substitute on Tuesday.

City moved into the last play-off spot following wins over Bradford and then the Gills and Tisdale is looking forward to seeing if his team can build on that fantastic four days against the Millers.

Tisdale said: "It is another big game, it has been a long couple of months of hard graft as players play two games a week and Tuesday was the last midweek game until the new year.

"I'd like to see it through now with a good performance at home on Saturday. That has to now be our target - getting through Saturday with a result. Lets start with a good performance, very similar to the way we played in the final part of the Fleetwood game."

Rotherham could hand debuts to Liam Ridehalgh and Jack O'Connell.

Left-back Ridehalgh has arrived on an emergency loan from Huddersfield while centre-back O'Connell has joined on a youth loan from Blackburn and with a crippling injury list, Steve Evans is likely to throw them straight into his starting XI.

Evans also recalled centre-back Johnny Mullins back from his loan spell at Oxford and he is likely to get an outing as the Millers boss contends with a host of absentees.

Lee Frecklington (back), Lionel Ainsworth, Kari Arnason (both shoulder), Dale Tonge (ankle/knee), Scott Shearer (knee), Kieran Agard (thigh), Craig Morgan (leg) and David Noble (hamstring) are all out.

A knee injury to left-back's Josh Morris cut his loan spell at Blackburn short, prompting Ridehalgh's move, while Jamie Devitt returned to Hull last week with a hamstring strain.

The good news for Evans is that midfielder Michael O'Connor has served a one-match ban and striker Alex Revell has recovered from the illness which forced him off in the second half of Tuesday's abject defeat to Wycombe.

Source: PA

Source: PA