Another Game, Another Five Goals Against

Norwich City 5 Rotherham United 0
Sara (13, 47)
Sorensen (21)
Sainz (32)
Sargent (45+1)


Rotherham United fell to their second five-nil loss of the week this time at Carrow Road where Norwich City were four-up at half-time.

City came out for the first half with just one thing on their minds and that was to score with Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson saving from Gabriel Sara in the opening minute of the game. A low ball in from Sam McCallum on five minutes went across goal before Marcelino Nunez saw a shot from distance blocked. At the other end the Millers broke with Christ Tiehi who found Tom Eaves the tall forward sending the ball high for Charlie Wyke but it was easy for City ‘keeper Angus Gunn to take. Norwich were on the attack and the ball was sent towards a yellow shirted player on the back post but Hakeem Odoffin was there to clear getting the ball as far as Peter Kioso who sent the ball out for a City throw-in. On thirteen minutes a cross into the box from Jack Stacey took a deflection of Cameron Humphreys with it falling kindly for Sara who headed the ball straight down the middle and into the net to give the hosts the lead. Tiehi found Ollie Rathbone who flew up the pitch before trying to play Tom Eaves in but it was too long and went out for a goal-kick. Sara might have got another goal but in acres of space he sent the ball past the post when it looked easier to score. But City did get a second on the twenty-first minute after a corner found the head of Jacob Sorensen who headed in making it two-nil. Eaves won a throw-in for the visitors which Morrison launched into the box only for referee Charles Breakspear to see a foul and award the hosts a free-kick. At the other end Sargent got the ball in a good position but Odoffin but a great tackle from Odoffin stopped him getting a shot away but minutes later City were three-up after Borja Sainz collected the ball some way from goal swerved inside and let fly, the ball finding the top corner of the goal. Sainz and Sargent worked together the latter fetching off a good save from Johansson before Nunez saw a shot go wide. Nice play between Tiehi, Seb Revan and Clucas saw the Millers get their first corner on thirty-six minutes which Clucas sent in only for the Norwich defence to clear up field to Sainz who shot again from distance but this time the ball went wide. Odoffin did well to get in front of a strike from Sargent but as the board went up for a further four minutes Norwich scored their fourth after a Stacey cross found Sargent racing into the box and slotting home from close range making it four-nil at half-time.

Changes for the start of the second half saw Charlie Wyke making way for Andy Rinomhota for the Millers with Danny Batth replacing Ben Gibson for the Canaries. Just two minutes into the half saw City make it five-nil after Viktor Johansson made a good save from Josh Sargent only for the ball to fall to Gabriel Sara on the edge of the box whose powerful shot flew into the back of the net. City brought on Sydney van Hooijdonk for Josh Sargent and Christian Fassnacht replaced Kenny McLean. The Millers had a couple of corners and free-kicks which came to nothing before Hakeem Odoffin blocked a shot from van Hooijdonk before doing the same against Fassnacht which was followed by a chance for Marcelino Nunez who put the ball wide from the edge of the area. Three changes for the Millers saw Sean Morrison, Ollie Rathbone and Tom Eaves replaced by Arvin Appiah, Sam Nombe and former Canary Jordan Hugill while Marcelino Nunez made way for Laim Gibbs for the hosts. A foul on Hugill by Jacob Sorensen saw the Millers get a free-kick which Seb Revan took finding Hugill who headed over. The first yellow of the game went to Gibbs who hauled Appiah down the free-kick coming to nothing. Another change for the hosts saw Kenneth Aboh come on for Ashley Barnes while Jamie Lindsay took the pitch for Rotherham, Sam Clucas going the other way. Revan and Appiah worked well together the latter seeing his shot blocked before Nombe then Peter Kioso won free-kicks but nothing came of them.

I think most Millers fans are hoping this season could finish and we could start building for next season. We’re leaking goals, we can’t get forward and the midfield seems to have all but disappeared – apart from that . . .

Huddersfield Town are the visitors next weekend at the New York Stadium. Will that be the game that finally tells us our fate?

Attendance – 26,111 – 226 brave Millers fans in the crowd

Referee – Charles Breakspear