Match analysis: Port Vale 1, Rotherham 2

PORT Vale's football re-enactment of the Battle of Rorke's Drift ended in defeat as Rotherham shattered their resistance at the death.

Had the British Army been wearing Vale shirts, and if their infamous 1879 Anglo-Zulu dust-up had gone into stoppage-time, you suspect history would tell a different story.

Vale have now conceded late goals in three of their previous four matches, with league rivals Dagenham and FA Cup opponents Stevenage Borough snatching 1-1 draws in recent weeks.

The same result would have represented an excellent point for Vale on Saturday after they were forced to play the second half with 10 men following Luke Prosser's dismissal for two bookable offences.

The 21-year-old defender turned from hero to villain, having earlier netted his side's equaliser to cancel out Millers substitute Stephen Brogan's opener.

Vale were forced to switch from their successful 3-4-3 system to a much more defensive 4-4-1, but kept high-flying Rotherham at bay until two minutes into injury time when Nicky Law grabbed the winner.

The game threatened to boil over in the 44th minute when Prosser earned his first caution for chopping down Nick Fenton.

The melee that ensued also resulted in Fenton and Vale striker Marc Richards receiving yellow cards.

Moments later, Prosser saw red when his tug on striker Adam Le Fondre was punished with a second booking.

Vale's incensed 4,788-strong crowd had some justification in berating referee Peter Quinn, but Prosser should look at himself after committing an unnecessary foul 40 yards from goal.

The red card was a hammer blow for the transfer-listed youth graduate, who was handed another chance to shine on the first-team stage after Gareth Owen was ruled out with a fractured cheekbone.

Prosser will now serve a one-match ban, leaving Adams with just two senior centre-halves ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup replay at Stevenage Borough.

The Burslem masses were strangely subdued in the early part of the game as both sides struggled to create a clear-cut opening.

On 25 minutes Rotherham finally tested Vale keeper Chris Martin, who comfortably keep out Fenton's 10-yard strike.

Three minutes later Martin was back in the action, this time tipping over Le Fondre's powerful 25-yard drive.

But the 19-year-old stopper could do little about Rotherham's 31st-minute goal as Vale, not for the first time in recent weeks, failed to deal with a cross.

Full-back Dale Tonge delivered from the right, and Brogan rose highest to head home from close range. But it only took five minutes for the Valiants to hit back in similar fashion as Adam Yates's right-wing cross was superbly converted by Prosser.

Following Prosser's dismissal, Rotherham struggled to carve open their battling hosts during the second period. In fact, Vale could have taken the lead on the hour-mark when Richards raced on to a through-ball, only to shoot wide.

Vale refused to simply shut up shop, but they were offered a few warning signs as Yates produced a superb 66th-minute tackle to deny Brogan a shot on goal.

Law was then allowed to waltz through the middle, and after side-stepping John McCombe, guided his 25-yard strike just beyond the right-hand post.

But Vale didn't heed those warnings and surrendered in the 92nd minute.

As their midfield went missing, Law played a neat one-two with Paul Warne, which bypassed Anthony Griffith, before hitting a low effort into the left-hand corner from the edge of the area.

Griffith, despite another impressive display in midfield, accepted his share of the blame for Rotherham's winner.

"I've gone to close the ball down and with no wide man to come inside and help me I was in there two-against-one," he said.

"But I should have stayed with my man (Law) instead of getting done on the edge of the box. I hold my hand up to that."

Despite their late lapse in concentration, Adams insists he was proud of this side's display in the second half.

But he was clearly less impressed with Quinn's performance, and described Prosser's sending off as "a bit harsh".

Adams labelled some of Quinn's decisions as "strange", while his counterpart, Millers boss Ronnie Moore, described them as "daft".

Adams said: "With the emotion of the game, there are lots of things I would like to comment on.

"But unfortunately, the law of the land says I'm not able to because if I do I'll get myself into all sorts of trouble.

"However, I have the ability as a manager to make reports which I have to say, half the time, is a waste of time.

"My report will be slightly different to Ronnie Moore's, so that's why nothing ever gets done or will ever change in the game.

"Quite clearly, there were some strange decisions out there."