Millers Score Two But Still Come Away With Nothing

Queens Park Rangers 3-2 Rotherham United
Chair (20)                                   Smith (38)
Osayi-Samuel (45+1)               Ladapo (84)
Dykes (pen) (45+4)

A deflected goal and a silly penalty helped Queens Park Rangers win this game three-two against a Millers side who showed some fight in the final half of the second half this evening.

Both teams made changes to the starting eleven from the weekend, five for the Millers and four for Queens Park Rangers.

The first chance of the game went to the hosts when a Lyndon Dykes ball found Ilias Chair who got himself into the area but Angus MacDonald did enough to put him off and his shot went into the side netting. At the other end a good header from Dan Barlaser found the head of Trevor Clarke who headed just wide. Minutes later Barlaser had to do some defensive work when he put the ball out for a corner with Ilias Chair breathing down his neck. Rangers came close just after the quarter of an hour mark when Bright Osayi-Samuel got past his marker and got himself into a good position only to see his shot come off the upright. The Millers didn’t take heed and four minutes the Nigerian twisted and turned into the area getting the ball to Chair whose shot appeared to hit a defender before going into the net to give the hosts the lead. Angus MacDonald did well minutes later after some good work between Chair and Dominic Ball when he cleared at the back post with the resulting corner eventually finding Osayi-Samuel who fired over. Just after the half-hour mark the Millers came close to an equaliser after Michael Smith set Barlaser up whose shot from some twenty-five yards out was tipped over the bar by Rangers’ ‘keeper Seny Dieng w before some good running by Clarke saw him hit the ball towards Smith only for Dieng to beat him to it. On thirty-eight minutes some nice work from Flo Jozefzoon saw him get the ball to Wes Harding whose superb pass found Smith who headed home to make it one-all. Rangers had another chance when Chris Willock got free in the box but headed wide from close range before Chair played Osayi-Samuel in whose shot hit Angus MacDonald before hitting the post and going to safety. In time added on the hosts went back in front after Osayi-Samuel picked the ball up on the wing and charged into the area turning the Millers defenders inside out and shooting into the net. And it got worse three minutes later when Barlaser seemed to scoop the ball away just inside the area and referee Oliver Langford pointed to the penalty spot which Lyndon Dykes duly put away. Just before the penalty Ben Wiles saw yellow for a foul on Ball.

Paul Warne made two changes for the start of the second half with Dan Barlaser and Trevor Clarke making way for Jamie Lindsay and Matt Crooks with Lindsay trying his luck from distance in the opening minute but not troubling Seny Dieng. Some good work from Angus MacDonald stopped a possible fourth for the hosts when a sliding tackle stopped a Chris Willock ball finding Ilias Chair. It was a bit off a stop/start second half and on the hour mark Florian Jozefzoon was replaced by Matt Olosunde for the visitors with the hosts fetching on Macauley Bonn for Willock. Bright Osayi-Samuel sent a good ball into the box for Lyndon Dykes which Angus MacDonald did well to clear. Rangers’ second change saw Tom Carroll come on for Geoff Cameron. A lovely pass from Lindsay found Michael Smith who went down under a challenge but the referee said ‘no foul’. The Millers thought they’d got a second when Michael Ihiekwe had the ball in the net but the linesman flag was already up for offside. Kyle Vassell saw a fourth substitute for the visitors when he was replaced by Freddie Ladapo and the tall centre-forward nearly made an impact when he spun away from his marker only to see Dieng save his shot. And a minute later a mistake by Rangers let Ladapo in and when bearing down on goal a sliding tackle from Yoann Barbet stopped him in his tracks. The hosts brought on Albert Adomah for Bright Osayi-Samuel with twelve minutes to go. Rotherham had a good shout for a penalty after Niko Hamalainen appeared to bring Olosunde down after he’d run into the box but Mr Langford said no. At the other end a powerful shot from Ilias Chair saw Millers’ ‘keeper Jamal Blackman get down well to save. A super ball from Lindsay was met by Ihiekwe in the area whose header hit the post and rebounded to Ladapo who touched it into the net to make it three-two. A minute later Wes Harding was replaced by George Hirst. After a low cross in from Smith to Ladapo Dieng did well to claim. In the final minute of the game the Millers came close when a Joe Mattock cross found the head of Hirst who headed down for Matt Crooks but the midfielder couldn’t get there before Dieng. Crooks saw yellow in time added on after hacking down Chair. And the Millers came close after a header from Ihiekwe saw Ladapo keep the ball in but it bounced up and into the waiting arms of the grateful Dieng. In the final minute of time added on Angus MacDonald saw a shot blocked before Dieng made a save.

Another game we lose by just one goal and at least one of the goals for the hosts could have been prevented – but are we going to blame a poor decision by Dan Barlaser for this loss? Well, I’m certainly not. It was just a moment of madness from the Geordie and it isn’t the first by a Rotherham player this season and I’m doubting it will be the last.

The management now has to pick the lads up to go again on Saturday when another tough game is in store when relegated Bournemouth are at the New York Stadium.