Clucas Goal Sees Millers Get Point Against Sunderland

Rotherham United 1 Sunderland 1
Clucas (48)                      Clarke (73)


Another cracking shot at the New York Stadium, this time from Sam Clucas, saw the Millers take the lead this evening only to be pegged back by a deflected shot twenty-five minutes later.

The opening quarter of an hour of this game was a bit touchy passy with neither team creating much before Jack Clarke went on a run sending the ball for Dan Neil who saw his shot from distance go inches past the upright. An injury to Patrick Roberts saw the Black Cats have to make an early change fetching on Abdoullah Ba in his place. At the other end a good chance for the Millers saw a good ball in from Clucas find Sam Nombe with the Rotherham striker bringing off a good finger-tip save from visiting ‘keeper Anthony Patterson. And a minute again Nombe wriggled his way into space to shoot from outside the box with Patterson doing well to get a hand to it and turn the ball out for a corner which found the head of Hakeem Odoffin who in turn found Nombe who saw Patterson again save. Jamie Lindsay was the next to get a good ball from Clucas but his shot was blocked before coming back out to Lindsay who won another corner. A couple of minutes later the Millers were up front again with Clucas looking to get the ball to Jordan Hugill who had got himself into a good shooting position but Neil was there to stop the Millers striker receiving the pass. Clarke then got free with the ball at the other end only for his shot to go just wide which was followed by Dexter Lembikisa winning a free-kick which Clucas delivered towards Sean Morrison but a defender was there to block. On forty minutes Christ Tiehi got the ball and set off on a run with the only way to stop him was to foul him which saw Jobe Bellingham get the first yellow of the game. Clucas launched the resulting set-piece into the box finding Nombe who then sent the ball over for Morrison who in turn found Odoffin who headed over. Two minutes of time added on brought no more leaving the game goalless going into the half-time break.

A change for the visitors at half-time saw Mason Burstow replace Adil Aouchiche. The second half couldn’t have started better for the Millers when a cross from Jordan Hugill was cleared by Pierre Ekwah but only as far as Sam Clucas who let fly from the edge of the area score his first goal in a Rotherham shirt. Sunderland were stunned and the next ten minutes belonged to the hosts without them getting close before a ball back from Abdoullah Ba found Jack Clarke just outside the area whose shot went just past the top of the post. At the other end a Rotherham corner found Clucas who sent the ball high into the box for Sean Morrison who headed over the crossbar. Viktor Johansson had to be on his mettle to get down to a shot from Trai Hume before a Luke O’Nien shot whistled past the upright. Two changes from Sunderland saw Jensen Seelt and Pierre Ekwah replaced by Timothee Pembele and Alex Pritchard. A poor challenge on Dan Ballard earned Nombe a booking which was followed by Sam Clucas making way for Cafu. With seventeen minutes of the ninety left the Black Cats got the equaliser after a cross from Pritchard was thumped away by Johansson but only went out as far as Clarke whose shot took a wicked deflection off Jamie Lindsay and agonisingly dipped into the net. At the other end a long throw from Morrison looked to hit the hand of a Sunderland defender but referee Tony Harrington was having none of it before Cafu took a free-kick which came back to him off the Sunderland wall only for him to see his shot go just wide. On seventy-eight minutes the Millers made a triple change fetching on Georgie Kelly, Tom Eaves and Arvin Appiah for Sam Nombe, Jordan Hugill and Dexter Lembikisa. A header from Morrison found Lindsay who put the ball wide before a couple Sunderland corners came to nothing and Clarke put the ball wide. Another Sunderland corner fell to Dan Ballard who shot just past the post before Seb Revan saw a shot blocked before being brought down for a free-kick which didn’t bother anyone. As the board went up for a further six minutes a flick on from Eaves found Kelly but his shot went over and at the other end Ba brought off a good save from Johansson which was followed by Ba and Clarke working well together before the latter put the ball into the area but it flew over everyone. Cafu saw yellow for a poor challenge on Ballard before the Portuguese midfielder sent a cross into the box which Eaves headed wide.

All in all a good game at the New York Stadium this evening and maybe, with a bit of luck or a bit more quick thinking in the first half, might have seen the Millers come away with all three points against a good Sunderland side.

Attendance – 11,323 with 2,420 Sunderland fans making the journey

Referee – Tony Harrington