Millers Lose To Ten Men Dons

Rotherham United 1 MK Dons 2
Barlaser (pen 25)           Darling (57), Eisa (59)

Rotherham United lost their first home game since September against an MK Dons team that had to play with ten men from the twenty-fifth minute.

The visitors started well and when Scott Twine found Troy Parrott in space it was only some great goalkeeping from the Millers’ Josh Vickers that kept the ball from finding the net. Skipper for the day Michael Ihiekwe didn’t control the ball and Tennai Watson was there to take it off him and move into the box but Chieo Ogbene was there to stop his pass reaching Mohamed Eisa. It got a bit scrappy with the visitors tending to drop to the floor at every opportunity and getting free-kicks but there was a good chance for Rotherham on twelve minutes when Ollie Rathbone ran down his man in midfield to win the ball sending the ball to Ogbene who crossed into the box for Freddie Ladapo but a defender was there to clear. This was followed by some good football from the hosts and when Shane Ferguson sent in the perfect ball Michael Smith climbed highest and a super header towards goal brought off a fingertip save from Dons’ ‘keeper Jamie Cumming. A long cross from Mattock found Ladapo who sent Ferguson on his way with the Irish man having a shot which went just wide before some more good work from Ladapo saw him slip Ben Wiles in who sent a cross to Ogbene with Dean Lewington getting the better of him and clearing. Rathbone then sent a through ball for Ladapo who brought it under control before finding Smith whose shot from distance went inches past the upright. On twenty-four minutes the visitors were lazy in midfield and Ferguson took a chance and the ball sending it upfield finding Smith whose lovely flick of the ball found the onrushing Ogbene who was bundled over in the box by Daniel Harvie who being the last man was shown a straight red. New daddy Dan Barlaser placed the ball and blasted it into the net to give the Millers the lead. Still protesting about the red card Lewington received a yellow and was very lucky not to get a second minutes later after Ogbene caused more problems and the MK Dons captain hacked him down the resulting free-kick being cleared. Twine and Eisa played well together with the latter putting the ball over the crossbar though it looked as if Vickers had it covered. Rathbone won the ball back some twenty-five yards out and tried his luck seeing the ball go just past the post. Vickers had to come way out of his goal to head the ball away to stop Parrott getting to it before some more good work from Rathbone saw his send a lovely ball through to Ladapo but his shot towards goal was weak. The board went up for an additional three minutes with Ferguson trying his luck from outside the box but the ball flew wide.

The second-half was four minutes old when MK Dons made a change fetching on  David Kasumu for Josh McEachran and there were a few supposed fouls with the Dons players ending on the floor before a yellow was shown to Ollie Rathbone for what referee Marc Edwards deemed a push/kick on Conor Coventry. And then it all went pear-shaped for the Millers when a ball into the area looked to have been dealt with by Michael Ihiekwe only for him, for some reason, unnecessarily putting it behind. The corner was taken and came to Chieo Ogbene who cleared but only as far as Dean Lewington who headed to Harry Darling, who could have been in an offside position, to put the ball into the corner of the net making it one-all. And two minutes later Barlaser took an age to decide what to do with the ball and Kasuma took the ball off him and flew up the pitch crossing to Mohamed Eisa who curled the ball into the net to give the visitors the lead. A foul on Ben Wiles went unheeded and minutes later the self-same foul was given on the second goal scorer which had a few of us scratching our heads. Wiles then did well to get the ball to the edge of the box playing Ogbene in who didn’t control well and sent it high and wide before a Shane Ferguson corner found Michael Smith but he wanted too long on ball and Warren O’Hora cleared. Rotherham made a change fetching on Jordi Osei-Tutu for Ferguson which was followed by  Kaine Hayden replacing Troy Parrott for the visitors. A couple of good balls into the area from Wes Harding came to nothing before Osei-Tutu won a corner which came to nothing. Another change for the Millers saw Joshua Kayode come on for Dan Barlaser. A Wiles cross found the Millers substitute who headed wide before Freddie Ladapo went down and was taken off replaced by Tolaji Bola whose first job was to concede a corner which didn’t bother anyone. A poor challenge on JJ saw Kasuma go into the book before a Wiles cross found Smith whose shot went just wide. The Dons made another change fetching on Hiram Boateng for Scott Twine – who’d stopped limping. Osei-Tutu flew down the wing and sent a lovely cross into the box for Smith who again saw his shot go just past the upright as the board went up for six extra minutes. The Millers got a corner which Bola took finding Ihiekwe whose header went straight into the waiting arms of Jamie Cumming who minutes later was booked for taking his time but he wouldn’t care as his team had taken all three points from the New York Stadium.

This was probably a game we really could have done with winning. I thought we looked a bit nervy to start with before getting into the game and winning the penalty. Then we really should have taken the game to MK Dons and punished them for going down to ten men but I don’t know why but we never seem to do well when the opposition have players sent-off. In fact, if you hadn’t known for much of the second half you’d have thought it was us down to ten.

A change from the league in midweek when we travel to take on Hartlepool in the Papa John’s Trophy a game which if we win will get us through to Wembley – but would I sacrifice a Wembley game for a top two place? Yes, I would, but that is only me.

Attendance – 9,731 with 608 Dons fans)

Referee – Marc Edwards