Brentford 1 Rotherham United 0
Mbeumo (26)
Rotherham United ended the game still on thirty-nine points and still third from bottom of the Championship after losing away to third placed Brentford this evening.
Despite the hosts starting the better with Ben Wiles blocking a Bryan Mbeumo shot before a good tackle from Angus MacDonald stopped the same player and Rotherham ‘keeper Jamal Blackman saving, at the second attempt from Emilano Marcondes it was the Millers who had the better of the opening twenty-five minutes. Chieo Ogbene won a free-kick which Ryan Giles took and saw David Raya in the Bees’ goal fumble before the offside flag went up. A Wes Harding cross found the head of Michael Smith in the area but he put the ball wide before a free-kick saw Jamie Lindsay get the ball in a good place but his shot was saved by Raya. Another set-piece from Giles saw him get the ball into the box for Richard Wood only for the Millers’ skipper to put his header wide. A minute later another chance went begging when Wood found Angus MacDonald just outside the box but his shot went over the crossbar followed by another Lindsay cross into the box couldn’t find a white shirt. It was a bit of a sucker punch on the twenty-fifth minute when the Bees went down the other end and Sergi Canos put in a cross for Mbeumo to head into the net with the Millers defence stood watching. Rotherham had a great chance from the re-start when a lovely cross from Smith found the head of Ogbene who brought off a good save from Raya. Ivan Toney had a chance from a free-kick which went straight to Blackman followed a couple of minutes later by a shot from the Brentford striker that bothered nobody. Wood did well to stop Mbeumo getting to a ball but it fell to Toney who sent the ball across the face of goal with no-one there to collect. Emiliano Marconde found Canos with a good ball but Blackman was there for the Millers and as the board went up for an extra minute Toney shrugged off his marker and shot only to see the ball rebound off the post to safety.
Like the first half the visitors started the second half well getting their first corner of the game which Ryan Giles took and David Raya caught. Chieo Ogbene won a couple of free-kicks before a good Michael Smith cross into the box forced a corner which was cleared before falling to Ogbene who was instantly surrounded by red and white striped shirts and the ball ran away from him. Just before the hour mark Richard Wood slipped as a Mads Rasmussen ball found Toney in a good position who shot bringing off a great save from Blackman. At the other end a free-kick found the head of Michael Ihiekwe who headed down for Wes Harding but he snatched at the ball and put it wide. The first change of the night saw Richard Wood make way for Freddie Ladapo. Saman Ghoddos sent the ball through for Toney who saw another chance go wide before an Ihiekwe free-kick at the other end was saved by David Raya before Ben Wiles picked up the ball and sent a cross goal Ewards which only went as far as Ethan Pinnock. Brentford made a triple substitution fetching on Tariqe Fosu-Henry, Marcus Forss and Mads Bidstrup for Sergi Canos, Saman Ghoddos and Bryan Mbeumo with Fosu-Henry having a shot which was blocked by a Millers defender. A triple change for the visitors saw Jamie Lindsay, Wes Harding and Chieo Ogbene make way for George Hirst, Dan Barlaser and Matt Olosunde. Hirst nearly made an instant impact when he tried his luck only to see the ball blocked by his own player, Ladapo who tried to make amends a minute later by sending the ball through for Hirst who had strayed offside. With ten minutes to go a Fosu-Henry free-kick found Pinnock who sent the ball through for Marcondes who saw his shot saved followed by a long ball from Raya looking for Toney saw Blackman dash out of his area and put the ball out. The last Millers change saw Kieran Sadlier on for Ben Wiles and in the last minute of the ninety Mathias Jensen replaced Vitaly Janelt for the hosts. In time added on a couple of corners ended with an Ihiekwe header going into the arms of Raya. Lewis Wing and Sadlier worked the ball well together with the latter seeing a shot blocked before Forss came close in the last minute of time added on putting the ball just wide.
Yet another one-nil loss. The Millers players gave a lot this evening against a very good footballing side in Brentford but it wasn’t enough. And I do now feel that the games are running out for Paul Warne and his warriors.
But, it’s still not over and we still have something to play for.
