Millers Lose in Penalty Shoot-Out

Rotherham United lost their first competitive game of the season to Championship Hull on penalties this afternoon in what, in my opinion, they were the better side.


The home side got off to a good start and only a clearance from Ian Sharps and then a save from Matty Fryer from Scott Shearer in the Millers’ goal stopped them going ahead. The Millers lost defender Lawrence Wilson within the first twelve minutes of the game, after he failed to recover from a fourth minute tackle by Fryatt and was replaced with Jason Taylor. At the other end Johnny Mullins, Kari Arnason and Kayode Odejayi had saw shots go wide while Kari Arnason and Ian Sharps were both in the right place to get in blocks to stop Hull going in front. With the Millers getting more into the game, Ben Pringle had a shot saved by Tigers’ ‘keeper Ben Amos and a few minutes later Odejayi took a shot that went just wide. Ian Sharps was on hand again to block shots from Joe Dudgeon and Robert Koren while Shearer did well to save from Koren. In the final minutes of the game Daniel Naridello had a shot that drifted over the bar and another that was easily saved by Amos.


The start of the second half saw Nardiello’s shot, from just outside the area, go just over and David Noble came up and had a shot that went just wide. Four minutes into the half Lionel Ainsworth replaced Gareth Evans and a cross from Noble found him and he shot from some twenty yards out with the ball first hitting the bar and then hit it again before nestling into the back of the net. Five minutes later Ainsworth had another shot from just outside the area that sailed harmlessly high of the target. Shearer saved well from Fryatt and Nardiello cleared from a Koren corner while, at the other end, James Chester cleared the ball from an Odejayi cross. The lively Ben Pringle had shots cleared by Dudgeon, Abdoulaye Faye and  Tom Cairney. But, on sixty-nine minutes, Aaron Mclean, on for Paul McKenna, received a good ball from Cameron Stewart and stabbed the ball home from close range for the equaliser. Liam Rosenior did well at the other end to prevent Odejayi to put the ball over the line and, at the other end, Stewart dragged a shot across goal and then Shearer denied him a goal in the final minute of the game.


In the second minute of extra time Ainsworth had a shot cleared by James Chester with Shearer saving from Aaron McLean. Kieran Agard, on for Nardiello, had a shot saved by Amos with Nick Proschwitz curling a shot just wide in the final minutes of the first half of extra time.


Sharps did well to stop Fryatt from having a shot at goal before the City player sliced a shot high and wide from ten yards out. In the final minutes of this second half Pringle had the chance to win it for the visitors but dithered in front of goal and then blazed the ball wide over the bar which left the game going to penalties.


Penalty Shoot-Out


Fryatt scores for City – 1-0

Noble scores for Rotherham – 1-1


Koren scores for City – 2-1

Mullins scores for Rotherham – 2-2


Mclean scores for City – 3-2

Agard scores for Rotherham – 3-3


Proschwitz scores for City – 4-3

Arnason scores for Rotherham – 4-4


Chester scores for City – 5-4

Pringle scores for Rotherham – 5-5


Stewart scores for City – 6-5

Taylor scores for City – 6-6


Cairney scores for City – 7-6

Bradley hits the bar – 7-6


which left the Millers losing out to penalties.


A good game by the Millers today and, at times it was difficult to see which team were in the Championship and which were in League Two.