Rotherham United 1 Norwich City 2
Ladapo (3) Ihiekwe (og)(68)
Hugill (90+5 pen)
In a game that saw some great football, goals, penalties, a red card the only thing that was missing was the fans.
Although it was the visitors who had the first chance of the game when Xavi Quintilla found himself in space only to head straight at Millers’ ‘keeper Jamal Blackman it was the Millers who took the lead on three minutes. A long kick from City ‘keeper Tim Krul saw Clark Robertson get his head to it before a yellow shirt and in turn found Freddie Ladapo who hit the ball into the back of the net to give the hosts the lead. At the other end Blackman did well to get his hand to a shot from Marco Stiepermann followed by another great stop from Adam Idah. A good pass from Michael Ihiekwe saw Ladapo get away from his marker only to see his shot go wide before Robertson got himself in the box only to be brought down by Idah in the box and Referee David Webb pointed to the spot. Up stepped Ladapo but Krul guessed the right way and he saved the penalty. The forward tried to make amends minutes later and flew down the field with the ball only for his effort to be blocked but falling to Ben Wiles he shot from the edge of the box but Ben Gibson blocked. Again, down the other end, Blackman did brilliantly against a great shot from Idah. On thirty-six minutes Rotherham had another chance when Wes Harding did well to get by Marco Stiepermann who found Mickel Miller in the middle but he put the ball over the crossbar. A Max Aarons cross found Emiliano Buendía who saw his shot saved by Blackman and a minute later Aarons sent a similar ball in this time for Stiepermann who sent his shot wide leaving it at one-nil to Rotherham at half-time.
Norwich started the first as they had the second and with the Millers defenders concentrating on stopping Marco Siepermann the ball fell to Adam Idah who really should have done better than putting the ball over the crossbar. At the other end Clark Robertson sent the ball up towards Freddie Ladapo who gets something on the ball but not as much as Ben Gibson who cleared for the visitors. Minutes later Shaun MacDonald got his body on the line to stop a powerful shot from Max Aarons. The first yellow card of the game went to Grant Hanley who crudely brought Dan Barlaser down. Barlaser picked himself up and took the kick from some twenty-five yards out with his cracking shot hitting a defender and going for a corner. Robertson sent a good pass through for Matt Crooks who in turn found Mickel Miller but the former Hamilton player saw his shot go wide. The first substitute of the day saw Rotherham new boy Florian Josefzoon come on for Miller on the sixty-seven minute mark. A minute later Aarons got the better of the Millers sub and sent a perfect cross into the box and trying to keep the yellow shirts at bay Michael Ihiekwe managed to head into his own net to get an equaliser for the visitors. Two minutes later it got worse for Rotherham when Angus MacDonald saw red for a really poor challenge on Oliver Skipp leaving the Millers to put on Richard Wood for Shaun MacDonald and then Michael Smith for Freddie Ladapo. And it was Smith who latched onto a loose ball and seeing Robertson in acres of space sent it to him and with it looking like the centre-half couldn’t miss, he did dragging his effort wide. City’s made a double substitution putting on Teemu Pukki and Mario Vrancic for Oliver Skipp and Marco Stiepermann. With ten minutes to go the visitors got a free-kick and with the Millers looking a bit at sea Emiliano Buendia’s free-kick hit one of his own players and went out for a goal kick. Blackmen then did well to deny both Jordan Hugill and Pukki before Vrancic had the chance to score but somehow put his header wide. A Norwich corner In time added on saw Josefzoon have the chance to clear but Buendia managed to get his foot on the ball and went down in the area with David Webb penalising the Millers’ winger by awarding a penalty which Hugill put into the back of the net to give Norwich all three points. As the game came to an end Crooks saw yellow for a foul on Vrancic.
A really good game but another that Rotherham couldn’t hold on to. Norwich City are a good side but, for most of the game, the Millers were just as good. Got to go again on Tuesday night and with Angus MacDonald missing and Clark Robertson limping off the pitch at the final whistle today it could be a bit of a patched up side that goes to Nottingham.
Teams
Millers
Jamal Blackman
Wes Harding
ichael Ihiekwe
Angus MacDonald
Clark Robertson
Ben Wiles
Matt Crooks
Shaun MacDonald (Wood 73)
Dan Barlaser,
Mickel Miller (Jozefzoon 67)
Freddie Ladapo (Smith 77)
Subs not used – Viktor Johansson, Jamie Lindsay, Kieran Sadlier, George Hirst
Canaries
Tim Krul
Max Aarons
Xavier Quintilla
Grant Hanley
Ben Gibson
Lucas Rupp
Emiliano Buendia (McLean 90+7)
Oliver Skipp (Vrancic 80)
Adam Idah
Marco Stiepermann (Pukki 80)
Jordan Hugill
Subs not used – Michael McGovern, Przemyslaw Placheta, Josh Martin, Alexander Tettey
