FA Cup Win For Millers

Rotherham United 2 Bromley 0
Wiles (43)
Ladapo (45+2)
Grigg (80)

Rotherham United made it thirteen games without defeat this afternoon beating non-league Bromley to go into the draw for the second round of the FA Cup.

Before the game there was a perfectly observed minutes silence to remember the fallen in the wars.

The hosts had the first chance on five minutes when a cross in from Chieo Ogbene found the head of Will Grigg but Byron Webster was there to clear. Minutes later a long throw from Chris Bush found Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson come out to claim before a good sliding challenge from Wes Harding stopped a ball from Liam Trotter getting to James Alabi in a good position. At the other end Will Grigg sent a lovely ball through for Ogbene whose shot was a comfortable save for Grenada International Reice Charles-Cook in Bromley’s goal. Both sides had to make early changes after Hakeem Odoffin and Billy Bingham clashed heads with the Millers putting on Ben Wiles and Jack Cawley coming on for Bromley. A good cross from Wiles towards Grigg saw the Millers’ loanee forward well tackled by Omar Sowunmi followed by another good cross from the Rotherham sub this time towards Ogbene at the post who saw the ball taken off his toes by Harry Forster. After a trip on Ollie Rathbone, Liam Trotter received the first yellow of the game. A cross from Ogbene minutes later towards Grigg was again well defended before Ogbene and Rathbone worked well the latter seeing his shot held by Charles-Cook. The visitors had a good chance with Alabi getting the ball in the area but shot over the cross bar before the same player got the better of Millers’ skipper Richard Wood sending the ball to George Alexander who saw Johansson punch the ball out only finding the lively Alabi but Wes Harding did well to make a goal saving challenge and the Bromley player put his shot wide. At the other end a shot from Grigg was blocked finding Ogbene who in turn found Dan Barlaser whose shot was punched away. There was concern for the visitors when three of their players were down at one time, all getting up after treatment. In the final five minutes of the half a ball over the top was heading towards Freddie Ladapo but some good defending saw Webster clear the ball away. A long ball from Barlaser found Ogbene and a super dummy from Rathbone who let the ball go through his legs to Wiles who swept the ball into the top corner of the goal to give the Millers the lead. A Barlaser free-kick was looking like it was on target but was blocked before the Shane Ferguson corner flew into the area, hitting a few players before Ladapo, on the line, put the ball into the net to make it two-nil. At the other end Bromley came close to halving the deficit after Alabi turned and shot seeing Johansson collect at the second attempt.

Rotherham started the second half with Michael Ihiekwe making way for Rarmani Edmonds-Green while Bromley made a number of changes fetching on Louis Dennis, Jude Arthurs, Haji Mnoga and Mark Cousins for George Alexander, Liam Trotter, Harry Forster and goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook. It was the Millers who could have scored in the opening minute of the half after some good work between Dan Barlaser and Shane Ferguson saw the ball go to Ollie Rathbone whose rasping shot went inches past the post. At the other end Edmonds-Green did well to clear from Louis Dennis on the line followed by another from Richard Wood. An horrendous challenge on Chieo Ogbene saw Bromley down to ten men with Haji Mnoga walking after coming on just five minutes earlier. After treatment Ogbene was replaced by Kieran Sadlier and minutes later Shane Ferguson and Freddie Ladapo were subbed Tolaji Bola and Joshua Kayode replacing them, Bola’s first action seeing him trip James Alabi and getting a yellow card. From the resulting free-kick Edmonds-Green did well to put behind with the corner coming to nothing. The Millers won a corner which Bola put into the area with Kayode heading wide. Minutes later a free-kick saw Edmonds-Green head the ball against the crossbar with the ball eventually being scrambled away with calls for handball being ignored by referee Declan Bourne. Some great goalkeeping from Mark Coulson saw him make a great save from Rathbone with the ball falling back at the Rotherham players feet only to see Coulson save again. Kayode sent the ball to Sadlier whose cross went to the far post where Ben Wiles was waiting only for some good defending from Chris Bush to get the ball away. At the other end the visitors won a corner which the Millers defended well. Bromley make another change fetching Marcus Sablier on for Luke Coulson. With ten minutes to go Bola drilled in a low cross to find Will Grigg who hit the ball into the roof of the net from four yards out. And Grigg might have got another a minute later when he found himself in a good position to shoot only to see Mark Coulson get across the goal well to save the shot. Substitute Marcus Sablier had a good chance from distance but his shot went over. After some good work from the Millers Barlaser looked to be fouled in the area but again Mr Bourne wasn’t interested. A super pass from Grigg found Wiles who left his marker for dead only to see his shot go across the face of goal with no red shirt there to collect. In four minutes of time added on Bromley won a free-kick in a good place which Louis Dennis took curling it over the crossbar before a great throw from Viktor Johansson found Sadlier who in turn found Grigg in the area but the Millers loanee glanced the ball wide.

Attendance – 4,064 – 437 from Bromley

Referee – Declan Bourne