IF there is one team to have been hit by the weather in recent weeks then it has to be Rotherham.

by MIKE SIMMONDS

IF there is one team to have been hit by the weather in recent weeks then it has to be Rotherham.

After beating Bradford City 4-2 on their own soil on December 12, the Millers then went over a month without action, until they were surprisingly turned over 2-1 at home by rock bottom Darlington.

The Quakers then completed an unexpected double at the weekend, as goals from Tadgh Purcell and Gareth Waite earned Steve Staunton's side a 2-0 win.

Ronnie Moore's team dropped down to fifth in the table, five points behind third-placed Bury, with two games in hand.

Much of their success has been based around the stunning form of Adam Le Fondre, who joined the club from Rochdale in the summer.

The 23-year-old has netted 19 goals in 29 matches this year, an impressive return by anyone's maths.

Second in the goalscoring ranks is Kevin Ellison, who has made a career out of endearing himself to home fans, while being loathed by away supporters.

He has nine to his name, while the rest of the team have been adept at sharing the goals round.

Joining the club in recent weeks have been Blackburn youngsters Gavin Gunning (defender) and Marcus Marshall (winger) on loan, while Burnley keeper Jonathan Lund also arrived for a month on deadline day.

It's not just on the field that the club are flourishing either, as Rotherham announced last week they had bought the site for a new 12,000-seater stadium on the former Guest and Chrimes foundry site in the town centre.

The stadium will cost about �20 million and work should take two years.

Chairman Tony Steward said: "It will provide significant regeneration benefits and leave a legacy for the future, not just for the football club, but for our town.

"We have been working hard on the new stadium project behind the scenes for over 18 months now.

"We have a good understanding of what is needed for it to be a success for both supporters and to work for us commercially to provide financial stability for Rotherham United Football Club for years to come."

FRIENDLY FACES

Drewe Broughton had three months at Daggers back in the 2000/2001 season and it was a success with five goals in 11 games.

Since then, the striker has never really settled, with Kidderminster his home for the longest, but he eventually moved to the Millers in August 2008.

Used sparingly this season, he has netted three times in his 11 matches.

FRIENDLY FACES

Daggers have never tasted victory against Rotherham in four attempts.

They came desperately close last season, in a 1-1 draw at Don Valley, with Ian Sharps' last-gasp goal securing a point.

The only other away visit ended in more controversy as Daggers thought they had netted an equaliser in the dying seconds, but the goal was ruled out.

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