Shrewsbury Town 0 Rotherham United 0
This was definitely a game of two halves with Rotherham having the better of the first forty-five minutes with Shrewsbury being the best team in the second half.
The Millers started the game with a number of changes, Angus MacDonald and Hakeem Odoffin getting their first league starts of the season.
Rotherham got the first throw-in of the half after some good work from first Freddie Ladapo then Wes Harding with the latter taking the throw finding MacDonald who put the ball into the path of Michael Ihiekwe who put it over the crossbar. A Millers corner on eight minutes saw Richard Wood head the ball down for Michael Smith who saw his shot cleared as far as Rathbone who let fly from some twenty yards out seeing the ball go inches past the upright. A Shrewsbury long throw was picked up by Ladapo who was tripped with the resulting free-kick coming to nothing. Jordi Osei-Tutu was causing problems for Elliott Bennett who found the only way to stop him was to foul him. Millers’ ‘keeper Josh Vickers made an appearance on eighteen minutes coming out to clear a cross from Ryan Bowman before it reached Tom Bloxham who had skipped past his marker. Rathbone won the ball back in midfield getting it back from Harding before getting the ball to Ladapo who saw his shot blocked with Osei-Tutu’s corner finding the head of MacDonald but he put the ball over. And it was the Arsenal loannee minutes later who flew towards the box before a tackle from Tyrese Fornah saw the ball go out for a corner which came to nothing. At the other end Vickers climbed to hold onto a cross from Bennett before a nice looking ball from Ihiekwe was cleared but only as far as Rathbone who again had a shot from distance that went past the post. Just after the half hour mark the hosts got a free-kick which Bennett whipped in finding his skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell who couldn’t get his feet sorted in time to have a shot. At the other end a long throw from Harding found MacDonald who shot high before the first yellow of the game went to Ebanks-Landell for a poor tackle on Rathbone. The Millers seem to switch off three minutes before the half-time whistle when some nice football saw Fornah find Bowman who got the better of his marker and shot but it was straight at Vickers. The last action of the half saw the ball find Ihiekwe in the area but he headed straight into the waiting arms of Marko Marosi to leave it goalless at half-time.
Paul Warne’s side started the second half with two changes with Ben Wiles and Chieo Ogbene replacing Ollie Rathbone and Wes Harding. The Millers started how they had finished with Marko Marosi giving away a corner which found its way to Ogbene via Smith whose shot from just outside the box caught by the Shrews ‘keeper. A corner at the other end was headed towards goal by Matthew Pennington but didn’t bother anyone as it went behind before a a Daniel Udoh cross was punched away by Josh Vickers. Minutes later Tom Bloxham sent a dangerous ball to Tom Flanagan on the edge of the box which was blocked before Daniel Udoh put in a ball to Luke Leahy who saw his shot go inches past the upright. Michael Ihiekwe did well to block a cross from George Nurse before it could reach a Shrews player with the following corner finding it’s way to Nurse who slammed the ball against the post which ricochet out to Pennington who Vickers brought off a brilliant save from. Angus MacDonald was the next Miller to stop the home side scoring after a cross from Elliott Bennett found Udoh who only had to slide foot the ball in the net but the Millers number twenty-one denied him with a last ditch tackle. Tyrese Fornah was the next to try his luck from distance but hit it straight into the waiting arms of Vickers followed by a Bloxham effort that went over the bar. Vickers was on hand to catch from a Leahy effort which was followed by the Millers last change seeing MacDonald make way for Joe Mattock with ten minutes to go. The visitors won a free-kick in a dangerous place which Mattock took finding the head of Ihiekwe who headed down for Freddie Ladapo his effort blocked by the Shrewsbury defence. The corner saw Mattock take it short to Jordi Osei-Tutu but his cross went over the head of Ihiekwe and out for a goal kick. A home corner was headed wide by Pennington before a cross from Ogbene towards the near post was headed wide. With three minutes to go the hosts really should have scored after a fantastic shot from Bloxham saw Vickers gather at the second attempt from under his body. At the other end Wiles tried his luck from distance which was deflected for a corner which Mattock took finding the head of Richard Wood who saw his effort go wide. As the board went up for just one additional minutes Shrewsbury made their first change with Saikou Janneh coming on for Daniel Udoh which was the last action of the game.
Well from looking comfortable for the first forty-five minutes Rotherham were probably lucky to come away with a point at the end of the game with Shrewsbury peppering the Millers goal at every opportunity of the second half.
But, a point away from home and another clean sheet – thanks to Josh Vickers – can’t be sniffed at at this stage of the season. But I really do wish we’d find some form again.
Attendance – 5,111 with 496 of those being Millers
Referee – Carl Brook
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