With Pre-Season dawning and no real certainty over a start date for the season proper, arrangements couldn’t have been easy for the management team.
We opened with two away games against old friends from our SCEFL days.
With a possibility that the season at Step 5/6 would be kicking off a week before ours, we started against a Chatham Town side who had already seen match action and were determined to get one over a close rival.
A hard fought encounter saw Ade Yusuff notch 2 goals on his first appearance in a Millers shirt, in addition to having a penalty saved.
We moved on to Foxbury just 4 days later to face Glebe in temperatures more suited to the summer sport normally enjoyed in early August.
In a match sadly memorable for an unfortunate achilles injury suffered by new signing Nat Blanks, Ryan Flack’s powerful 22nd minute strike was cancelled out by a deflected Frankie Sawyer free kick as the 30+ degree temperatures proved the eventual winner.
Our first home fixture saw possibly the highlight – certainly result wise – of our pre-season, as we comfortably dispatched Premier Division Margate 4-0.
A Yusuff penalty, free kick from Matt Warren and an excellent team goal finished by the superb Hassan Ibrahiym saw The Millers take a 3-0 half time lead. Francis Babalola completing the scoring late on.
A wet and windy afternoon – in stark contrast to Glebe just 7 days earlier – saw us take on Premier Division Folkestone Invicta on Saturday 15 August.
Invicta put in a strong performance, taking a 2-0 lead into the break before Denzel Gayle pulled a goal back late on as Kevin Watson took the opportunity to look at some of his younger players.
Next up as fixtures came thick and fast, was Welling United – again at The Artic Stadium.
With Gayle giving the hosts a 7th minute lead, youngster Ollie Farmer gave a particularly impressive performance in centre midfield as our National League South opponents drew level midway through the first half to draw the game.
One of the most memorable moments of pre-season was to follow at Colston Avenue just one week later as we drew 2-2 with Premier Division highflyers Carshalton Athletic.
Spectators now permitted to watch on were treated to an entertaining encounter with a late twist in the tail.
Following a Yusuff penalty shortly after half-time, we found ourselves trailing 2-1 as Matt Warren’s free kick from the left was powerfully headed into the roof of the Robins’ net with just minutes left by Ade Adiyemo – the youngster having entered the fray earlier as a substitute to make his first Millers appearance.
The new season now fast approaching, we next travelled to Essex to meet Pitching In Isthmian League North opposition in Tilbury.
In a game best forgotten, the physical approach of our hosts came as an introduction to the more physical aspects of Step 4 football we may have to encounter during the coming months, as the match ended scoreless.
One of the more exciting matches came as we entertained a young Charlton Athletic Under 23 side on Tuesday 1st September, in front of our first “paying” attendance since the 2019/20 season ground to an unexpected halt back in March.
A rasping 25 yard drive from Flack was followed by a deflected Yusuff effort from within the 18 yard box, as we achieved parity in a 2-2 draw.
Pre-season 2020/21 was brought to a close at Brentwood where a dominant Millers performance saw us have to wait until the 84 minute for Babalola to round off a fine team display in preparation for the competitive fixtures ahead.
So only time will tell as to the effectiveness of the warm-up matches, but given the variety and quality of opposition, all is looking positive for the 2020/21 season with the exception of the disappointing injury to Blanks.
| 4 Aug | Chatham Town 2 Millers 2 | |
| 8 Aug | Glebe 1 Millers 1 | |
| 11 Aug | Millers 4 Margate 0 | |
| 15 Aug | Millers 1 Folkestone Invicta 2 | |
| 18 Aug | Millers 1 Welling United 1 | |
| 24 Aug | Carshalton Athletic 2 Millers 2 | |
| 29 Aug | Tilbury 0 Millers 0 | |
| 1 Sep | Millers 2 Charlton Athletic U23’s 2 | |
| 5 Sep | Brentwood Town 0 Millers 1 |
Images courtesy of Dave Cumberbatch