There were wild scenes at Priestland as Rotherhan United finally confirmed their promotion to the Championship by defeating Gillingham 2-0 this afternoon.
It was a typically nervy climax to a Rotherham season that has ended full of worry. The Millers seemed to be nailed-on for automatic promotion eight weeks ago but have stumbled through the last month. However, after a back-and-forth game against Gillingham, former Bohs striker Georgie Kelly put Rotherham's fears to bed with a goal on his debut.
There was bedlam in the away end after Kelly fired home, after being set up by Ireland international Cheio Ogbene.
What a way to mark your debut for Rotherham!
Georgie Kelly sends them to the Championship, with the help of Chiedozie Ogbene 🤩pic.twitter.com/TXb1JMF72b— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) April 30, 2022
It's a wonderful moment for Kelly, who joined the club in January but didn't make his first appearance for the Millers until the 80th minute of today's game.
"It's brilliant for Georgie Kelly. It was a big Roy of the Rovers moment. I'm sorry for JJ(Kayode) who I didn't put on but I had a sneaking feeling," Rotherham manager Paul Warne said afterwards.
Ogbene was also involved in some peacemaking after the match as Rotherham and Gillingham fans scrapped on the pitch after the game.
🚨 | Paul Warne escapes the stadium as fans storm the pitch after a Rotherham's promotion and a Gillingham's relegation! pic.twitter.com/Dr9CarzhaY
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 30, 2022
You can see in the clip below that Ogbene goes out of his way to separate his club's supporters from the Gillingham fans as stewards sought to impose order. He's the only player trying to bring calm to the situation, and is doing so while his teammates celebrate promotion.
Ogbene plays Rotherham peacemaker
Scuffles breaking out on the pitch between Gillingham fans and Rotherham fans.
Chiedozie Ogbene gets in the middle and tells Rotherham fans to move back pic.twitter.com/ey60ecISxj— Jamie Ralph (@ModernLepra) April 30, 2022
You can believe there were celebrations in the dressing room afterwards.
🕺 @OfficialRUFC 🆙#EFL | #SkyBetLeagueOne pic.twitter.com/5Ba8XGXivT
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) April 30, 2022
It's been an unbelievably stressful end of the year for Rotherham, who really struggled to lock up the automatic promotion place.
Warne spoke of the stress the club is under in the middle of the week.
"The problem is the elephant in the room – which isn’t really an elephant but more of a herd – because eight weeks ago, we were in an unbelievable position.
“I have said on numerous occasions we’d won (earlier) games we didn’t deserve to win and weren’t amazing, but just went through a spell of having a lot of luck."
Rotherham were relegated last season. The club's Irish contingent of Ogbene, Kelly and Kayode will join Will Keane and James McClean of Wigan in the Championship next year.
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