Rotherham United 1 Cambridge United 1*
Harding (9) Digby (40)
*Millers win 7-6 on penalties
Rotherham United made it three wins out of three against Cambridge United this season but needed penalties this evening at the New York Stadium to do it.
There were a number of changes for the Millers with Viktor Johansson, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Joe Mattock, Jamie Lindsay, Hakeem Odofin, Kieran Sadlier, Tolaji Bola and Joshua Kayode all in the starting line-up while our visitors Cambridge’s three changes saw Jubril Okedina, Ben Worman and Harvey Bennett starting.
The Millers started the better and won an early corner, from a Wes Harding throw-in, which Tolaji Bola swung in finding the head of Johsua Kayode who put it over. In the next minute another Harding throw-in found Joe Mattock but Dimitar Mitov in the Cambridge goal got there first but dropped the ball and with red shirts around him he got the benefit of the ref blowing for a foul. Some good movement from the visitors saw Rarmani Edmonds-Green putting the ball out for a throw which was headed away by the Millers defence. The first card of the night went to Harding for a foul on Harrison Dunk with Adam May taking the resulting free-kick but only finding the waiting arms of Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson. In the next move Hakeem Odofin sent a lovely ball to Will Grigg whose shot from distance went over before two Cambridge players got themselves into a tangle with Grigg taking the ball and passing it onto the onrushing Harding who stuck the ball home for his first goal in a Millers shirt putting the hosts in front. At the other end a James Brophy cross saw Harry Knibbs rise above everyone but Johansson was alert and grabbed the ball. Some good work from JJ saw him find Harding who saw his shot deflected but only as far as Kieran Sadlier whose shot was blocked finding Grigg before his shot was cleared to safety. A Bola corner was headed on by Odofin to JJ who saw his own header go agonisingly inches over. At the other end a short free-kick found Ben Worman whose weak shot went straight into the waiting arms of Johansson with the Millers going straight up the other end where a good ball in from Harding was blocked as far as Sadlier who sent it back to the goal scorer whose ball in was again well defended before a Mattock cross found Odofin who tried his luck from distance but was well over. Harvey Bennett found himself in acres of space in the box with his shot spilled by Johansson with Mattock there to clean up before the Millers went down the other end and only some great defending stopped first Grigg then Kayode getting a shot away. Worman again found himself in space to shoot his shot going wide before Adam May saw a shot go over the crossbar. A corner from Cambridge was sent into the area for May who saw Johansson punch his shot away with Odofin there to clear followed by some nice work from Bola who worked his way down the pitch sending the ball over towards Grigg but Mitov was there first. As the half went on the U’s had been getting more into the game and on forty minutes they got an equaliser. It started with Grigg trying to get on the end of a good pass from Sadlier which went out for a goal kick that was taken quickly finding Brophy who cut the ball back for Paul Digby who fired home from the edge of the area. And but for a good challenge from Michael Ihiekwe it might have been two a couple of minutes later. The visitors got a late corner which saw every Miller back defending and was firstly headed away by Bola but only as far as Bennett who sent the ball back into the box with Johansson there to catch. A minute later Johansson came off his line to close Brophy down and collect the ball before some nice work from Harding saw him get on the end of a goal-kick from the Millers’ ‘keeper and sending it to Sadlier who saw the Cambridge defenders twice turn his crosses away.
It was another bright start for the Millers in the second half when a first minute Kieran Sadlier corner found Joshua Kayode who headed the ball down only to find Dimitar Mitov there which was followed by Paul Digby send a short ball for Harrison Dunk who lost his footing and JJ was there to collect with Dunk getting up and fouling the Millers striker. Sadlier took the resulting free-kick which was over hit. At the other end a good cross from Harvey Bennett into the area was headed out by Hakeem Odofin but only as far as Bennett who had a shot but it was easy for Johansson. Good movement from the Millers saw JJ get the ball in the box and went down under pressure from George Williams but referee Coy was having none of it and it was the same a few minutes later when Tolaji Bola had the ball and went down outside the area. A Bola cross was headed down by Will Grigg to JJ who shot was blocked by Williams with the resulting Sadlier corner finding Rarmani Edmonds-Green whose header went wide. A long throw from Wes Harding found JJ who won another throw but the ball fell to Cambridge but again ended with a Rotherham throw. A bit of handbags between Adam May and Jamie Lindsay saw the referee have words with them. A Johansson free-kick was sent long to Grigg in the area who tangled with Mitov, the ‘keeper needing treatment and while that was happening the Millers made four changes fetching on Freddie Ladapo, Ben Wiles, Mikel Miller and Chieo Ogbene for Will Grigg, Kieran Sadlier, Tolaji Bola and Wes Harding. Some nice football from the Millers saw them getting nowhere although a Lindsay shot from outside the box was deflected wide going for a goal kick. Some lovely skill from Miller saw him turn his marker with his cross into the box being headed away before Edmonds-Green did well at the other end to stop Dunk from getting a cross over followed by some equally good work from Ogbene. On seventy-seven minutes the Millers had a chance which saw Cambridge break with the ball which left Mattock to clear up at the other end. And the visitors came close again when Johansson came out and was beaten to a cross by May but the midfielder saw his header go inches wide before Brophy set May off on a run who found Bennett who sent the ball back to the former Portsmouth man with his cross going out for a goal-kick. With five minutes to go the Millers made another change fetching on Shane Ferguson for JJ. A corner for the hosts saw Miller swing the ball into the area and only the fingertips of Mitov stopped it going straight in and out for another corner. An argument between Jubril Okedina and Ladapo when slaps seemed to be exchanged was stopped by the referee before the second corner saw Odofin go up with the ‘keeper who fell over and won a free-kick. As the board went up for three further minutes a superb ball from Ferguson sent Ogbene on his way winning a corner which came to nothing before a long kick from Johansson found the Irish winger who got the ball out to Mattock whose high cross into the area found the head of Miller but his downward header was picked up by the ‘keeper. This left the game at one-one.
PENALTIES
Ferguson slots home for the Millers
Smith makes it one-one
Ladapo is next up and makes it two-one to Rotherham
Dunk levels
Miller scores – three-two
With Brophy making it three-all
Wiles takes number four and scores
But Williams makes it four-four
Mattock steps up and gives the Millers the lead again
With Cambridge equalising again through Knibbs and now it’s sudden death
Up steps Lindsay – six-five
Goalkeeper Mitov decides he’s taking one and makes it six-six
Rotherham’s skipper for the day Ihiekwe puts them back in front
May is up next for the U’s and JOHANSSON SAVES
The Millers are through on penalties!
