Good Three Home Points For Millers

Rotherham United 2 Preston North End 1
Wood (53)                         Ledson (80)
Crooks (86)

Rotherham United got their second home win of the season this afternoon against a Preston North End who hadn’t lost any away game until now.

The first minutes of the half were a little end to end with a good pass from Dan Barlaser sending Kieran Sadlier on his way before the referee saw a foul in the box. A free-kick from Sadlier found Kyle Vassell via a visitors head but the Millers’ forward couldn’t get anything behind his header before a Rotherham corner was initially cleared by former Miller Darnell Fisher before Brad Potts sent it down field. On the quarter of an hour mark the visitors got a free-kick which Ryan Ledson sent in finding the head of Paul Huntington who put it wide. At the other end a good tackle from Joe Rafferty stopped Sadlier in his tracks. Sadlier went down and after receiving treatment on the pitch limped off to be replaced by Flo Jozefzoon. Some good work by Emil Riis saw him set up Daniel Johnson who brought off a good save by the Rotherham debutant ‘keeper Victor Johansson before coming off Potts for a goal kick. Some nice word between Ben Wiles and Jozefzoon saw Freddie Ladapo go up for the cross but Huntington did well to get there before him to clear. A pass from Dan Barlaser saw Ladapo try his luck from outside the box which went well wide before a Vassell free-kick brought off a good save from Declan Rudd. The first booking of the game went to Daniel Johnson after a great run down the wing by Matt Olosunde saw him brought down with the resulting free-kick coming to nothing.

The Millers went close a few minutes into the second half when Ben Wiles got away from his marker before sending it across to Freddie Ladapo who put it wide. But a minute later Rotherham were ahead with the Millers flying up the pitch Michael Ihiekwe flicked the ball in to Richard Wood who took it on his chest to his feet and put it in the back of the net. Preston North End made a double substitution fetching on Tom Barkhuizen and Jayden Stockley for Scott Sinclair and Emil Riis Jakobsen. Worry for the Millers when Ihiekwe stayed down but, after treatment on the pitch, came back on. Declan Rudd got the ball back from one of his defenders but some good work from Ladapo saw Rudd kick the ball to the Millers forward and he had to scurry to back to clear. A second change for the hosts saw Matt Crooks replace Kyle Vassell on the sixty-seventh minute. Two minutes later it looked like the visitors would equalise with Barkhuizen but Viktor Johansson came out towards the Preston substitute making himself big to deny him. Wiles did well to get the ball away from Darnell Fisher but his shot at goal was blocked and Fisher was the next sub for the visitors making way for Paul Gallagher. Rotherham might have doubled their lead when a cross from Jamie Lindsay looked destined for the head of Crooks but Paul Huntington did well to get there first. At the other end Wood was there to stop a Daniel Johnson cross finding one of his team mates in the area but the visitors equalised from the resulting corner which Gallagher sent in and it was initially headed away but fell to Ryan Ledson just outside the box who took aim and put the ball into the back of the net for his first North End goal. It might have been two for Preston after Johansson gifted the ball to Barkhuizen but the Millers got away with it before Ihiekwe saw yellow for a foul on the Preston substitute. Two minutes later the Millers went back in front when Jozefzoon cut through the visitors defence and put the ball into the path of Crooks who took one touch and shot the ball in for Rotherham’s second of the afternoon. At the other end the hosts had a let off when Stockley was left with room to shoot into an empty net but hit the foot of the upright followed by a shot from Ledson going just wide. Rotherham’s last substitution saw Angus MacDonald on for Matt Olosunde. With seven added minutes the Millers fans were sat on the edge of their sofa’s, (some of us had our eyes closed!), when Crooks sent a superb pass out to Jozefzoon who flew into the box but couldn’t get the ball past Rudd.

Six changes for the Millers this afternoon saw them get a good three points against a Preston side who had been having a good time away from home. Some good play too from Rotherham, some good movement and we rode out the pressure our visitors put on us after they scored. Nice goals, though not sure about Woody’s celebration, some nice passing – and a good three points to take into the International Break.