Another Away Win For Millers

Preston North End 1 Rotherham United 2
Evans (65)                       Rafferty og (1)
                                           Wiles (55)

Both teams made five changes for the game and it was the five changes of Rotherham United that went in front in the opening twenty seconds. From the kick-off Freddie Ladapo caused problems in the Preston box and his shot hit Joe Rafferty and went beyond former Millers loanee Daniel Iverson into the net to give the Millers an early lead. Lewis Wing, making his first start for Rotherham, stopped Ryan Ledson getting the ball to an unmarked Preston player before Ladapo went put pressure on Iversen at the other end but the ‘keeper got it away followed by Jamie Lindsay have a shot cleared. Wes Harding won a free-kick which Wing took finding Clark Robertson whose shot from some twenty-yards out was blocked. Anthony Gordon was causing problems down the wing and a free-kick from him found Liam Lindsay at the back post but he couldn’t control and it went out for a goal kick. After an earlier incident Jamie Lindsay had to be replaced by Ben Wiles just before the quarter of an hour mark. Jayson Molumby got the better of Dan Barlaser but his shot was well wide before another Gordon free-kick also went wide. Some great defending from Michael Ihiekwe stopped Gordon in his tracks followed by a yellow card for Dan Barlaser for a foul on Jayson Molumby. At the other end Ladapo did well to get by his marker but his cross for Wing was blocked before Wing and Ryan Giles worked well together the latter seeing his cross-cum-shot cleared at the near post. Ihiekwe defended well again after he cleared a low cross that would have given Gordon the chance to shoot. It was Gordon again causing problems with a shot just inside the box going inches over which was followed by some great goalkeeping from Viktor Johansson who was at full-stretch to stop a shot from Molumby going in. Preston came so close when a Ledson cross found Evans but Johansson put his head down where it hurts and hung onto the ball despite getting a boot in the face which Evans was eventually yellow carded for after the Millers ‘keeper received minutes of treatment on the pitch. When play resumed Wing and Wiles combined again with the latter sending Ladapo on his way who earned a corner. A free-kick from Ben Whiteman came off the post and across goal with the last action of the half seeing the Millers get a corner which came to nothing.

The Millers came out better for the second half with Dan Barlaser sending a perfect ball to Ben Wiles who put his shot high and wide from a tight angle before more good play from Barlaser saw Ryan Giles win a throw-in off Joe Rafferty which the Wolves loanee put a great ball into the area for Freddie Ladapo who put his header just wide of the near post. The pressure paid off on the fifty-fifth minute when a Giles ball in was touched by Ladapo to Lewis Wing who saw Wiles running in gave him the ball and the Rawmarsh lad put it in the net to make it two-nil to the Millers. A few minutes later a super ball from Barlaser found the head of George Hirst but he couldn’t get the better of Daniel Iversen. Viktor Johansson did well at the other end to get to a Tom Barkhuizen shot before Iversen did the same saving from Hirst. Some good defending by Angus MacDonald saw him block a shot from Anthony Gordon before a superb pass from Wing found Wiles but some good ‘keeping from Iversen saw the ball go out for a corner. On sixty-five minutes the hosts pulled one back when a corner came into the box the ball falling to Ched Evans who put it into the next from close range. Six substitutions saw the hosts put on Scott Sinclair, Daniel Johnson and Brad Potts for Gordon, Ledson and Molumby and the Millers replacing Giles, Ladapo and Hirst with Matthew Olosunde, Michael Smith and Matt Crooks. The Crooks and Smith partnership nearly brought a goal in their first minute on the pitch but Iversen got down to stop Smith scoring. At the other end Tom Barkhuizan had a chance but his shot was blocked and went out for a goal kick. Michael Ihiekwe took one for the team getting yellow for a cynical foul on Sinclair who was breaking free before Wes Harding and Ihiekwe worked well in defence to stop a low cross from Rafferty cause problems. More good work from Wing saw him find Wiles free in the box but he headed over which was followed by another Preston change seeing Sepp van den Berg replace Paul Huntington and not long after Rafferty went off for Sean Maguire. After Ihiekwe and Olosunde saw off danger from the hosts Smith forced Iversen into a good save at the other end. As the board went up for four further minutes a Johnson shot was easily saved by Johansson just before Richard Wood came off the bench for Dan Barlaser. Crooks was booked for a challenge on van den Berg and soon after referee Gavin Ward brought the game to an end the Millers victorious.

Phew.

I think a lot of us were sending the quizzical emoji sign to our friends at 2 o’clock when we saw the line-up and this was definitely not the best the Millers have played this season. But we defended as one, mostly, and kept the hosts out, almost, to bring three hard earned points back over the Pennines to Rotherham.