Millers Suffer Five-Nil Loss

Rotherham United are still looking for their first win on the road after getting a five-nil drubbing this afternoon in South Wales by Cardiff City.

After a scrappy opening to the game the first action of the half on eleven minutes saw the hosts take the lead when Millers’ ‘keeper Richard O’Donnell could do nothing to stop a superb curling shot by Kadeem Harris hit the back of the net. Minutes later a ball into the box found Sean Morrison but as he rose to head the ball he clattered into O’Donnell and the Milers got a free-kick. Rotherham’s first forage up front came on twenty minutes after some good work from Joe Newell found Joe Mattock he headed down for Jon Taylor who had worked his way in behind City’s defence, but unfortunately he was flagged off-side. It was Taylor again a couple of minutes later who got himself in space but the ball from Richie Smallwood was cut out before it found him. Joel Ekstrand put a ball out for a corner after Craig Noone had done well but from the corner Taylor did well to get himself free of two challenges putting the ball out for Mattock before it was put out for a Rotherham throw. Will Vaulks long throw found Richard Wood whose header towards goal was a little weak but it was straight down the other end for the Millers skipper and after O’Donnell did well to save from Harris Wood did well to get a sliding challenge in to stop Joe Ralls putting the ball in the net. Just after the half-hour mark Wood did well again after a nice ball from Aron Gunnarsson found Harris but Wood was on the near post to clear. At the other end Taylor did well to get the ball to Dexter Blackstock who slipped the ball in behind the Bluebirds defence with Allan McGregor, the hosts’ ‘keeper diving at the feet of Taylor. With five minutes to go only a excellent save from the legs of O’Donnell kept Kenneth Zohore out when he looked certain to score. City striker Rhys Healey, on his first home start, went down and had to be carried off on a stretcher with Junior Hoilett replacing him. In the sixth minutes of time added on the hosts doubled their lead after a sloppy back-pass by Ben Purrington the substitute kept his cool and, with almost his first touch of the game, put the ball into the back of the net.

Rotherham United started the second half with Anthony Forde on replacing Joe Mattock, who had been playing in an unfamiliar position on the right. But the change of formation did nothing as five minutes into the second half Kenneth Zohore walked past Stephen Kelly getting the ball to Kadeem Harris who found Craig Noone on the far post and with a superb scissor-kick found the back of the net making it three-nil to the hosts.And five minutes later it was four after Zahore smashed the ball towards goal and despite Richard O’Donnell getting fingertips to it the ball flew into the far corner of the net. The Millers had a couple of chances after Ben Purrington did well to get the ball to Jon Taylor who saw his effort go wide and a few minutes later a cross-cum-shot had to be saved by Allan McGregor. Jerry Yates replaced Dexter Blackstock for the visitors. Both Zohore and Harris came close for the hosts before Forde saw yellow for handball before Forde did well minutes later when he robbed Zohore to stop him getting a shot at goal. And it was Forde on seventy minutes who received a ball from Newell who saw his shot go just wide. The Millers third substitute of the day saw Aimen Belaid replace Joel Ekstrand who, despite the scoreline, didn’t have too bad a debut. Cardiff appealed for a penalty after Sean Morrison and Richard Wood had a tussle in the area but referee Jeremy Simpson was having none of it. Anthony Pilkington came off the bench for the hosts to replace Noone. After Holiet easily got by Kelly it was left to Purrington to hook it off the line to stop the hosts getting five. WIth ten minutes to go Kelly sent Yates on his way who found Jon Taylor in a good position in the box but his shot was easily saved by McGregor. Cardiff’s last substitution saw Declan John replace Kadeem Harris. Belaid was the second Millers player to see yellow. With seven minutes left Zohore who had been a thorn in the Millers side all afternoon raced onto a loose ball and lifted it over O’Donnell to make it five-nil. Aimen Belaid tried to give the travelling Millers fans something to cheer about after he received the ball from Taylor only to see his shot well saved by McGregor and at the other end Pilkington tried a shot from twenty yards out that flew over the crossbar.

Oh me oh my. Toto I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.