Memorable Match: Rotherham United 4-4 Norwich City

last year

With Norwich City travelling to South Yorkshire for Saturday’s Championship game against the Millers, we’ve taken a look back at a thrilling encounter between the sides in 2004.

Eight goals, one hat-trick, a sending off and a late equaliser - this fixture was chaos at Millmoor 16 years ago!

Rotherham United 4-4 Norwich City
January 17, 2004
Championship
Millmoor

What was on the line?

The Canaries had spent the entirety of the 2003/04 season in the top half of the Championship, climbing to the peak as they entered the second half of the campaign.

Following convincing, consecutive wins against Cardiff City, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Derby County, City travelled to Rotherham off the back of a 1-0 defeat at home to Bradford City - a timely reminder that complacency would be punished.

For Rotherham, it had been a season of mid-table mediocrity having finished the 2002/03 Championship campaign in 15th.

How the game unfolded

The 7,448 fans inside Millmoor waited until the 28th minute for the goals to start flying in, when Martin Butler began his prolific afternoon with the game’s opener in a clustered 18-yard box.

But City responded instantly, turning the game around within four minutes courtesy of goals from Iwan Roberts and Leon McKenzie, the latter nodding in a Darren Huckerby cross.

A Huckerby penalty made it 3-2 to City going into the break, with Rotherham manager Ronnie Moore sent to the stands for his reaction and Guy Branston getting sent off.

After Butler’s brace made it 3-3, the game remained level until John Mullin gave Rotherham the lead again with 15 minutes to go.

🔙 Who remembers this 89th minute equaliser from @MrDamienFrancis at Rotherham United? 👏 pic.twitter.com/syK6idTavU
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 15, 2020

But again, City responded. Damien Francis popped up in the 89th minute with a late equaliser to salvage a point and put the Canaries back on track.

Norwich City XI: Green, Edworthy (Rivers 85’), Fleming, Mackay, Drury, Francis, Holt, Huckerby, McKenzie, McVeigh (Henderson 76’), Roberts
Unused substitutes: Mulryne, Brennan, Crichton

What happened next?

Of the remaining 18 league games, Norwich won 13, drew two and lost three, securing the Championship title in style come May!

The Millers went on to finish 17th with 13 wins, 15 draws and 18 defeats.