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ROTHERHAM UNITED: Steve pays price for Tonge wager
It was a red-letter day when Dale Tonge broke his scoring duck in professional football recently – just ask team-mate Stephen Brogan!
Millers full-back Tonge had copped a fair bit of banter for his drought in front of goal since heading across the Dearne Valley from Barnsley in the summer of 2007.
Most especially from fellow defender Brogan, in gloating mode last autumn when he notched his first goal in Millers colours after beating Tonge to the particular milestone.
Stick was promptly handed in Tonge's direction and continued right up until late last month when the Bolton-upon-Dearne born ace finally got his own back, with Brogan made to pay!
Tonge, who failed to find the net during his spell at Barnsley, notched his first-ever senior goal in the Millers' 2-1 success at Macclesfield on October 25.
Just for good measure, the right-back, who made his debut for the Reds in April 2004, hit another in the superb 2-0 Johnstone Paint Trophy quarter-final slaying of Leicester in midweek – with the goals suddenly arriving like London buses.
On ending his barren streak, Tonge told Yorkshire Sport: "I had a funny little bet with Steve (Brogan), because I never thought I'd score my first goal.
"We bet that if I scored, he'd have to dye his hair to the colour of my choice. And it's now red!
"I'd hit the bar and post a lot with Barnsley and couldn't score last season with Rotherham, so it was a massive relief to get the first goal.
"I'm not doing too bad on the goalscoring front now, to be fair, after the Leicester game.
"It was only a little sliding dink from ten yards out, but I'll take them when they come.
"Everyone is contributing on the scoring front.
"Our centre-halves have got three or four goals each, the strikers have got four or five and the midfielders have chipped in with two or three.
"That has helped take the pressure off the strikers, so that can only be good for the team."
Tonge's late strike against the Foxes – one of boss Mark Robins' former clubs – added the gloss to another magic cup night for the Millers, with Don Valley Stadium rapidly becoming a real giant-killing cauldron.
The likes of Hereford's Edgar Street and Yeovil's old Huish ground famously assumed legendary status in cup folklore for delivering a fair few upsets.
And given Carling Cup home wins over Southampton and Wolves and JPT triumphs over Leeds and Leicester, United's temporary home is rapidly becoming the latest addition to the list.
The Foxes' success leaves the Millers – Autowindscreens Shield winners in 1996 – three games away from Wembley, but Tonge insists no-one is getting carried away yet.
The 23-year-old, a sub' in Barnsley's thrilling League One play-off final penalty-shoot-out success over Swansea at the Millennium Stadium in May 2006, said:
"Obviously, beating Leeds was a massive scalp for us and a good test to see how far we'd come.We did really well against them and against Leicester, we just totally outplayed them and deserved the win.
"It was another good measure to see how far we've come and we acquainted ourselves well.
"We're in the semi-finals now and have three games to the big prize.
"But we're just taking things one game at a time.
"There's lots of games before then and we aren't getting ahead of ourselves as the league is the most important thing. But the cups are a good distraction."
In the midst of a run of three successive cup games in three separate competitions, United visit Premiership Stoke City in the last 16 of the Carling Cup on Tuesday – and it promises to be a big test in every respect, according to Tonge.
He added: "It's a massive game. We've pitted our wits against League One and Championship teams and this will be the biggest test.
"They are all giants as well at Stoke and it will be totally different game.
"Don't get me wrong, I know they'll pass the ball around, but obviously with a lot of their players being six-foot-plus, it will be a weird sort of test for us."
Enjoying his place in the sun after being second fiddle to Mark Lynch at the start of the season before the ex-Hull andYeovil man suffered a serious shoulder injury, Tonge said: "It's unfortunate what's happened to Lynchy, but I've been happy with my form and think I have been playing well since I came back in.
"But there's always room to improve and the gaffer knows there's a lot more to come from me and that's my aim.
"We're all enjoying it this season. It's a great dressing room to be in, long may it continue.
"With what has happened to us over the last season or two, it has brought us together more.
"We've all been through the mire together, with not getting paid and the like and it has bonded us.
"You learn things about team-mates in certain situations and that has only benefitted the team."
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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