Rotherham United 0 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Nuhiu 90+6)
Rotherham United lost out in the final minute of time added on against Championship neighbours Sheffield Wednesday at the New York Stadium this evening.
The Owls were out of the blocks fastest with Sam Winnall setting up Joey Pelupessy who perhaps should have done better than send his shot not only high but also wide. The Millers went straight up the other end and Ben Wiles sent a cross to Matt Crooks whose attempt was blocked before Wiles himself saw a shot saved by Cameron Dawson in the Owls’ goal. Millers’ skipper Richard Wood headed wide after a Dan Barlaser set-piece before a Barlaser corner found Freddie Ladapo in the box who shot just wide. With twenty-five minutes gone Daniel Iversen did well to get down to a Atdhe Nuhiu header followed by Nuhiu sending a good ball in to Jacob Murphy whose shot was blocked by Matthew Olosunde with the following corner seeing Dominic Iorfa miss with a header. At the other end both Wiles and Robertson went wide before Kyle Vassell found the head of Ladapo who also put the ball wide. With five minutes of the forty-five left Iorfa and Winnall combined with the latter having a shot blocked before a shot from Jordan Rhodes was saved by Iversen. The hosts came close when Michael Smith headed a superb ball to Ladapo whose shot went inches wide of the upright. A clash of heads between Crooks and Winnall saw five minutes added to the first half which was all the Millers with both Smith and Clark Robertson having chances, Smith making Dawson save.
The second half began with \Kadeem Harris replacing Sam Winnall. The first yellow of the game went to Dan Balaser with Michael Smith being guilty of a miss a minute later. A good save at the other end by Daniel Iversen from Atdhe Nuhiu came just before Dominic Iorfa sent a good cross to Jacob Murphy who shot wide. A poor challenge on Matthew Olosunde saw Joey Pelupessy booked with the resulting free-kick put out for a corner which came to nothing. Barlaser had a shot which Cameron Dawson punched out but only as far as Ben Wiles who found Barlaser again but he was flagged offside. The hour mark saw the Millers first change when Matt Crooks, who had been in the wars a bit, was replaced by Jamie Lindsay. Jacob Murphy came off for Barry Bannan for the visitors with the substitute soon in the action taking a free-kick which smacked against the foot of the post and going across the goal before the offside flag was raised. The Millers brought Shaun MacDonald into the action for Barsaler. Morgan Fox got by his marker sending the ball into the box towards Jordan Rhodes but Iversen did well to get there and push the ball away from the Owls striker. The final Rotherham change saw Michael Smith replaced by Jamie Proctor while Fernando Forestieri came on for the visitors for Joey Pelupessy. Kyle Vassell went through well and got on one-on-one with the ‘keeper before he was adjudged to have fouled Iorfa when it actually looked like the other way round. Next into the book was Bannan for a silly challenge on Lindsay. Forestieri had a shot which went narrowly past the post as he was put off by Vassell. Richard Wood was the next to go down with a head injury but got up after treatment. In time added on Bannan took a superb free-kick was was Iversen did well to firstly punch away before it came back and he saved. But he could do nothing minutes later when a corner came in and found Nuhiu who shot home from close range to send the Owls into round three of the cup.
Such a shame for the Millers to lose like this but, in fairness, the visitors were looking the more dangerous in the last twenty minutes and it was a bit of poor defending but it is still so upsetting for the six thousand Millers fans there and those who couldn’t make it.
Oh hum – back to the League on Saturday.
Crowd – 8.679 (2,601 travelling fans)
Referee – Charles Breakspear
