The young Millers’ hopes of a night in Dreamlamd came crashing down as Gate moved comfortably into the second round of the County Cup.

Fielding an inexperienced side in lieu of an injury stricken first team squad, Kevin Watson’s Millers fell behind in the fourth minute as a penetrative run to the right hand bye-line from the excellent James Bessey-Saldanha saw his low cross converted at the far post by Calvin Ekpiteta.

Before the visitors could re-group, the lead was extended two minutes later – Bessey-Saldanha’s cross being headed beyond the reach of Alex Nika by Vance Bola.

Bola was one of several members of the Gate first team squad taking advantage of the opportunity to gain match practice following a recent lay-off – and it showed as Valley struggled to get an early foothold in the game.

When Joshua Serry-Kamal brought down an opponent just outside his own penalty area shortly before the half hour, Reece Prestedge fired home the resultant free-kick despite the best efforts of Nika, to further extend the lead.

Now starting to come to grips with the task in hand, some intricate interplay in the Gate penalty area finished with Flint David-King firing narrowly wide after being set up by Robert Hughes for Valley – while Jude Salmon was on hand to halt a superb run from Fyn Rutherford that further threatened the Millers’ goal.

Bessey-Saldanha himself added further goals early in the second half – first with a low twenty yard drive, then following a solo raid on the left – before Serry-Kamal and Harry Day went close with efforts to giving Valley a late reward for their efforts.

MILLERS’ STAR MAN: – JAMIE OBIANIGWE – A all action display from the young Millers man

MATCH RATING: – ***

GATE : Colmer, Godo, Nzinga, Prestedge, Johnson, Oke, Bessey-Saldanha (Harman 74), Rutherford, Feyi(Nkeitah 71), Ekpiteta, Bola © (Lewis 46)

Substitutes Not used: Oliver, Weatherley

Cautions: Nzinga

MILLERS : Nika, Beerling, Serry-Kamal (Abiola 83), Salmon ©, Smeeth, Hopper, Obianigwe, H.Day (Waitson 88), David-King, Hughes, Kelsey (L.Day 89)

Not used : Osborne

Cautions: Serry-Kamal, Obianigwe

Referee    –  Simon Finnigan

Assistants –  Richard Joss and Samuel Hall 

Attendance: 110

Pic –  Charlie Smeeth denies Gate striker Ken Feyi

Photo courtesy of Kevin Oakley