Rotherham United 2 Bournemouth 2
Ladapo (37, 50) Stanislas (20 pen)
Solanke (63)
The Millers welcomed Bournemouth to the New York Stadium and I think the team who were in the Premier League last season will certainly know they have been in a game.
Rotherham started well and had a chance in the first minute when the ball fell to Matt Crooks who shot from some twenty yards out forcing Asmir Begovic in the Cherries goal to put behind for a corner. A couple of minutes later good work from Wes Harding saw him get the ball to Michael Ihiekwe in the area who headed wide before MacDonald did well at the other end to clear from a Dominic Solanke shot. On ten minutes the Millers won a free-kick which Joe Mattock swung took and saw it go out for a corner which was straight off the training ground but ended with an offside flag. At the other end a shot from Junior Stanislas deflected to Solanke who got the better of Millers’ ‘keeper Jamal Blackman but put the ball wide. On twenty minutes the visitors won a penalty when he got in front of Blackman with both players going down. Referee Geoff Eltringham gave the spot-kick – what would we have given for VAR as I thought it was a very harsh decision – and up stepped Stanislas to put the ball in the net. The Millers nearly equalised straight away when Matthew Olosunde sent the ball to Crooks who in turn found Mattock who crossed to Jamie Lindsay with the Scot fetching off a fingertip save from Begovic, Michael Smith heading the resulting corner over. Freddie Ladapo did well to get the ball off Chris Mepham and winning a free-kick which Ihiekwe nodded towards Crooks in the area but he couldn’t get it in. On the half-hour David Brooks bent a cross-cum-shot over the bar while Harding did well a few minutes later to stop the Cherries getting the ball into the box. With eight minutes until the end of the half a cross from the right from Mattock found Ladapo who slipped the ball into the net for the Millers equaliser. Ladapo was lurking at the back post again a few minutes later after Lindsay found Ihiekwe with a cross with the visitors scrambling the ball behind for a corner which Mattock put into the midst of players but there was an offside flag. Some good work by Bournemouth split the Millers defence and Stanislas found himself one-on-one with Blackman but Olosunde flew into the area getting the ball to safety when it looked like a clear goal. A poor challenge on Olosunde saw Lloyd Kelly get a yellow with Mr Eltringham evening that up a minute later booking Ihiekwe. Stanislas and Blackman came face to face again in the final minute of the half when a free-kick found the former West Ham winger but the Millers’ ‘keeper was wise to the action and got the ball to safety.
As the Millers had started the first half, Bournemouth started the second and could have re-taken the lead in the opening minutes when the defenders let the dangerous Junior Stanislas get by them in the box but his arrowed shot was well pushed away by Jamal Blackman. Joe Mattock won a free-kick five minutes into the half which Ben Wiles sent into the box. The ball was only partly cleared by the visitors and it fell to Jamie Lindsay who saw his shot from just outside the box parried away by Asmir Begovic. Matthew Olosunde played the ball in for Ladapo who thought about shooting but brought the ball out and shooting from a tight angle the Millers forward saw the ball go over Begovic and into the far corner of the net to put the hosts in front. The fans, in this house anyway, went wild! Michael Smith was the next player to see yellow for a foul on Lloyd Kelly. The Cherries brought on Diego Rico and Sam Surridge for Dan Gosling and Adam Smith just after the hour mark and it was Rico who sent in a pin-point cross for Dominic Solanke and even though Blackman seemed to get a hand to it the ball rolled over the line for the equaliser. The Millers first change of this misty afternoon saw Trevor Clarke on for Matt Olosunde who appeared to have been suffering with cramp minutes earlier. Almost straight from the re-start the Millers went forward with Michael Smith seeing a shot deflected wide with Begovic saving well from an Angus MacDonald bicycle kick. In the final fifteen minutes Ihiekwe did well to cut out a cross from Surridge, who looked to be in an off-side position, before it reached Solanke. Jefferson Lerma hacked down Freddie Ladapo and saw yellow before the Colombian International found Solanka in the area who again was one-to-one with Blackman with the Chelsea loanee getting down to smother the ball. Jamie Lindsay won a corner which Begovic came out to claim but missed with the referee blowing for an invisible foul on him. A poor challenge on Trevor Clarke saw David Brooks the next player to get booked. With five minutes to go Lerma tried to chip Blackman from more than thirty yards out and although the Millers goalie probably would have got back the ball landed on top of the net. Two minutes to go and Kyle Vassell replaced Ladapo. In time added on Lindsay found Matt Crooks in space but his shot was high and wide and the game ended two-all.
Well, a much better performance for the Millers today who played well for the whole ninety plus minutes and I think a draw, even though it was at home, to a side who aren’t long out of the Premier League is a good result.
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