Rotherham United 1 West Bromwich Albion 1
Ladapo (2) (Pen) O’Shea (64)
A competitive game at the New York Stadium on Tuesday evening saw the friendly between the Millers and visitors West Brom end in a draw.
Semi Ajayi who had left the Millers a few days previously for the Hawthorns was welcomed back firstly by his old (not in age of course!) Gaffer Warney with a ‘Welcome Back’ message on the away teams dressing room and then by the watching Millers fans.
Unfortunately his return probably didn’t start the way he wanted when on two minutes he was forced into a poor tackle in the area on Freddie Ladapo giving the hosts a penalty which Ladapo put away. The tall Nigerian International could have made amends when he rose highest to a free-kick but headed over instead of down. New boy Daniel Iversen in goal did well to push a Chris Brunt free-kick to safety which was followed minutes later by a yellow card for Jamie Proctor and he caught Jack Fitzwater when both went up for a ball. Some good work between Ladapo and Kyle Vassell saw the latter bring off a great save from Baggies’ ‘keeper Jonathan Bond which was followed by yellow card for Kareen Harper for bringing Lapado down with Bond again doing well to hold onto another shot from Vassell after the Joe Mattock free-kick. This was soon followed by Lapado and Mattock trying and failing to beat the visiting goalie. As the first half was coming to an end a poor challenge from Brunt on Vassell saw the Albion man yellow carded and more worrying for the Millers is that Joe Mattock went off injured being replaced by Richard Wood.
Both Ben Wiles and Carlton Morris, on for Kyle Vassell, sent superb passes across goal for Jamie Proctor, the first going for a corner and the second just a bit too far for the striker to get on the end of. Minutes later Proctor has a clearer chance which he saw Jonathan Bond equal too and at the other end Daniel Iversen did well to get down to a smother a shot from Rakeem Harper. On sixty-four minutes West Brom equalised after a corner saw Dara O’Shea rise above everyone else and send in a header from close range. Some good work between Matt Crooks and Matthew Olosunde saw the ball find Ben Wiles who sent it to Freddie Ladapo with Bond again doing well to tip over the bar with the Daniel Barlaser corner finding the head of Richard Wood but was deflected wide. Iversen did ever so well to get his fingertips to send a ball from Kyle Edwards, on for Jonathan Leko, behind with the corner coming to nothing and minutes later Matt Phillips, on for Robson-Kanu, didn’t bother the Millers’ ‘keeper with a shot that went over.
Another good work out for the Millers and probably a better one due to the opposition to see how Paul Warne will be setting his team out in a couple of weeks for the beginning of the season.
Teams
ROTHERHAM – Iversen, Olosunde, Ihiekwe (Cooper 82), Robertson, Mattock (Wood 42), Wiles, Barlaser, Crooks (A Trialist 80), Vassell (Morris 45), Proctor (Smith 61), Ladapo (Kayode 70)
WEST BROM – Bond, Furlong (Ferguson 61), Ajayi (Bartley 61), Fitzwater (O’Shea 61), Townsend (Melbourne 45), Harper (Livermore 61), Brunt (Field 61), Tulloch (Burke 45), Robson-Kanu (Phillips 61), Zohore (Krovinović 61), Leko (Edwards 61).
