90 Minutes. 5,400 Seconds. One Match from Stepping out at the Home of Football.
On Wednesday, Hartlepool United welcome Rotherham United to the Suit Direct Stadium (7.45 KO) in the semi-finals of the Papa John’s Trophy. The game, which must be decided on the night, is set to be played in front of a sell-out crowd and hundreds of Poolies and Millers at home.
The Opposition
Currently top of the pile in League One, Rotherham come into the fixture with two wins in five after defeating Morecambe and Plymouth, drawing with Wigan and Shrewsbury, and losing to MK Dons.
The Millers’ side features plenty of well-known names, including former Pools loanee Jake Cooper, Northern Irish fan favourite Will Grigg, and former Newcastle United left-back Shane Ferguson.
The History
This will be the 38th meeting between the sides, with Pools winning just six of the previous encounters. Rotherham have won on 22 occasions, and nine games have ended in a draw.
The last match between the sides was in the same competition in 2013, though it was the third round and the cup was sponsored by Johnstone’s Paint. On that night, Kieran Agard and Tom Eaves netted either side of an Andy Monkhouse to put the Millers through.
Team News
Neill Byrne is once again available after serving his two-game suspension, though Gary Liddle and Timi Odusina combined well at Harrogate. Bryn Morris is cup-tied, and Graeme Lee has decisions to make as he picks a team to get Pools to their first major cup final.
How to Follow
If you’re not part of the sell-out crowd at the Suit Direct Stadium, there are still plenty of ways to follow the action. Live TV coverage is provided by Sky Sports Main Event from 7.45PM, audio coverage is available via iFollow, and live text coverage comes via our social media.
Join Alex Chandy and Adam Boyd for full match commentary by purchasing your audio pass below: