Rotherham United 2 Hull City 3
Smith (20) Eaves (16, 66, 90+2)
Vassell (43)
Despite going down to ten men early in the game Rotherham United fought hard only losing to a goal in time added on at the end of the game.
The game took a minute out to encourage fans to ‘Take A Minute’ as part of the ‘Heads Up’ campaign which deals with mental health.
The first ten minutes were pretty even with the hosts having the first chance when a lovely ball from Michael Smith found it’s target in Kyle Vassell but his shot went just over the crossbar which was followed minutes later with a Ben Wiles cross cum shot which had Matt Ingram in the City goal back tracking nervously as it went just over. The Tigers took the lead on sixteen minutes with their first real foray forward when a Dan Batty pull-back found former Millers loanee Tom Eaves who put the ball into the bottom of the net to make it one-nil. At the other end a brilliant challenge by Ryan Tafazolli stopped Smith getting to the ball which was followed by some good work from Chiedozie Ogbene which saw him get the better of his marker sending over a good ball for Smith who had time to get it under control and send it into the top corner of the net to equalise. Just three minutes later the Millers were down to ten men after a two footed challenge by Adam Thompson on Keane Lewis-Potter saw Referee Anthony Backhouse send him for an early bath with Lewis-Potter soon up and running around the pitch like a ten year old much to the annoyance of two sides of the New York Stadium. Wiles ended up playing right-back with Vassell moving to the other side leaving just Smith up front on his own. A one-two with Smith saw a shot from Michael Ihiekwe go just over the bar before Lewis-Potter down the other end was thwarted by Matthew Olosunde. As the game approach half-time the Millers took the lead after Olosunde found Vassell with a throw-in and from distance, on his weaker right-foot and from a tight angle he hit the ball and the red and white persuasion in the ground were first stunned then went wild as it hit the net – what a cracker of a goal. It might have been more when Ogbene got free and flew down the wing but Tafazolli was there to clear in time added on in the first half.
And it was Chiedozie Ogbene who set the Millers up for an early chance in the opening minutes of the second half when he got himself down the wing again and won a corner which Dan Barlaser took finding Matt Crooks who couldn’t find anyone with his ball back into the box. Olosunde did well at the other end to get in the way of Josh Bowler before he could get a cross in and was fouled for his trouble. Michael Ihiekwe did well to clear at the other end from a free-kick before a Robbie McKenzie did well to stop Olosunde after he’d twisted and turned his way into the opposition penalty area. Hull City brought on three substitutions fetching on Kamil Grosicki, Jarrod Bowen and Jackson Irvine for Brandon Fleming, Josh Bowler and Dan Batty. Twenty minutes into the second half Daniel Iversen brought off a couple of great saves firstly he did well to get down and parry a Bowen shot to safety before denying Tom Eaves at point-blank range. City were on the ascendancy and on the sixty-sixth minute a cross from Grosicki found the head of Eaves who levelled the score at two all. Michael Ihiekwe saw yellow for a foul on Lewis-Potter (yes, despite going down like he’d been pole-axed on twenty-four minutes he was still on the pitch) with the resulting free-kick finding the waiting arms of Iversen. Jamie Lindsay came off the bench for his first game in a month with Kyle Vassell making way with Freddie Ladapo also coming on minutes later for Chio Ogbene. Irvine did well to get a shot away but it didn’t bother Iversen before the Millers shot stopper made a good save with outstretched legs from Grosicki. After dragging Ladapo all around the pitch Leonardo Da Silva Lopes was shown a yellow card which was followed a minute later by the Millers defence blocking a shot from Herbie Kane. As the board went up for five minutes of added time Paul Warne made his last substitution fetching on Carlton Morris for Michael Smith who had been running on empty for the last fifteen minutes or so. In the second minute of injury time City got the winner after a Tafazolli corner found Eaves who headed past Iversen for his hat-trick then saw a yellow card for his celebration. The Millers came so close to equalising a couple of minutes later when Morris sent in a lovely ball towards Lindsay with a City defender getting there first smashing his header against the woodwork with Lindsay lurking but unable to pounce.
Such a shame for the Millers who played well with just ten men for most of the game. Such a shame again we have to talk about a referee who was so inconsistent in every thing he did it would have been laughable if it wasn’t so annoying.
Hard lines Rotherham – not let’s concentrate on the league.
Attendance – 6,044 (1,803 from Hull).
Referee – Anthony Backhouse – another official I’m not in a hurry to see again.
