Fleetwood Town lose to Rotherham United in pre-season meeting

Georgie Kelly ensured it was the Millers who took victory as the two teams met in Croatia on Thursday evening.

The 70-minute match, played behind closed doors, provided the Cod Army’s new head coach, Scott Brown, with another opportunity to assess the players at his disposal with the new League One season three weeks away.

Rotherham, who are preparing for life back in the Championship, took the lead midway through the first half when Kelly found the net.

Town rallied with Danny Andrew’s free-kick finding Chris Conn-Clarke, whose effort was kept out by Rotherham keeper Viktor Johansson.

Both teams took the opportunity to make changes during the match with Town using nine substitutes as only Jay Lynch and Dan Batty played the full game.

One of Town’s replacements, Paddy Lane, fashioned their best opportunity after the break but fired over the Millers’ bar.

Rotherham completed the scoring when Peter Kioso was fouled and a penalty awarded, Kelly stepping up and netting from the spot.

Town are back in action on Saturday when they meet Croatian side HNK Orijent 1919 in the final game of their pre-season training camp.

Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Johnston (Rooney), Nsiala (Holgate), Earl (Johnson), Andrew (Edwards), Batty, Boyle (Vela), G Garner (Bird), Morris (Lane), Harrison (J Garner), Conn-Clarke (Hayes).

Rotherham United: Johansson, Wood (Bramall), Odoffin (Humphreys), Harding, Kioso, Barlaser (Hull), Lindsay, Rathbone, Bola, Washington, Kelly.