Match Reports

Millers Lose To Injury Time Goal

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Wigan Athletic 1 Rotherham United 0
Keane (90+5)


Rotherham United lost to a last gasp winner to Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium this afternoon deep into time added on.

Although the Millers started well it was Wes Harding and Mickel Miller who had to be on their mettle to stop Stephen Humphrys and Tendayi Darikwa putting balls into good areas before the hosts wasted a good chance when Keane put the ball over the crossbar from close range. At the other end Joshua Kayode teed up Miller whose shot from distance was deflected for a corner which was pushed away by Latics ‘keeper Ben Amos. After a good ball from Dan Barlaser found Michael Smith he sent a cross towards Kayode but Amos was there before him and then Ben Wiles made himself some room and was about to shoot when he slipped. Both Smith and Kayode had headers the first straight at Amos and the second going over before Jamie Lindsay saw a cracking shot tipped over by the Wigan ‘keeper. Callum Lang set off towards goal for the hosts but Chieo Ogbene was having none of it and held off the forward until the ball went out of play. A poor challenge (and not the first of the afternoon) on Ogbene saw the first yellow of the game go to Luke Robinson with Kayode heading the resulting free-kick behind. Ogbene won another corner which was blocked before some excellent defending by Rotherham skipper Richard Wood stopped Charlie Wyke in his tracks. On the thirty-eighth minutes the visitors had a real chance when a cross into the box from Smith finally found its way to Lindsay who saw his close-range shot go over. On the stroke of half-time Viktor Johansson in the Rotherham goal pulled off a great save from Wyke before he was called into action again when a Darikwa cross was heading towards loanee Kell Watts with the Millers number one getting there first but was fouled by Darikwa who got the second yellow of the game.

The second half started scrappy with a number of fouls seeing free-kicks awarded by Referee Rob Lewis before he showed a yellow card to Wes Harding for a challenge on Stephen Humphrys. A shot from Humphrys smacked against Jamie Lindsay with the home support shouting for handball which, if it was, couldn’t be helped. The first change of the afternoon saw Jordan Cousins replace Luke Robinson for the hosts before Mickel Miller got on the end of a super cross from Chieo Ogbene but headed wide. The first Millers’ substitution saw Mickel Miller make way for Shane Ferguson. Rotherham came close with twenty minutes to go when Dan Barlaser got onto the end of a super ball into the box from Michael Smith with his header smacking against the crossbar and coming down on the line before being cleared. Another Rotherham change saw Freddie Ladapo on for Joshua Kayode while the hosts brought on Gavin Massey for Stephen Humphrys. On seventy-five minutes Callum Lang fell over his own feet in the area and received a yellow card for diving before a shot at goal from Massey was saved low down by Viktor Johansson. Rotherham’s last change of the day saw Hakeem Odoffin on and Dan Barlaser going the other way. A nasty challenge on Ferguson saw Massey booked and shortly afterwards the board went up for an additional five minutes. The Millers had a late chance with Ladapo heading over from a Smith ball in but in the last minute of the game Odoffin gave a foul away in a dangerous place which Max Power took finding Keane who put the ball in from close range.

After having such a good first half the Millers didn’t look the same team in the second half and gave away a few free-kicks while leaving space all over the pitch for the hosts to move into without challenge.

Attendance – 10,217

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