Bristol City 2 Rotherham United 0
Conway – pen (32)
Twine (57)
As so many other away games Rotherham United’s last away game of the season sees them come away with nothing.
Steve Evans made four changes to the starting line up for his first away game back in charge but only managed to name six substitutes, two of them goalkeepers. And it was one of those players, Dillon Phillips in goal, who was soon in action when he had to get to a cross from Tommy Conway before Matty James and a minute later saw him smother another Conway cross to stop Scott Twine getting on the end of it. Cohen Bramall did well to clear a ball in from Anis Mehmeti for a corner which came out to Twine his shot put behind by Ollie Rathbone that corner ending when an offside flag was raised. Tom Eaves won the ball back in the middle of the park sending it towards Jordan Hugill but it was just too high before Conway flew down the pitch for the hosts his shot collected at the second time of asking by Phillips. Cameron Pring saw an opportunity shooting from some twenty-five yards out but it went over not bothering the Millers ‘keeper followed by some good work from the Millers, first Andy Rinomhota doing well to block a Mehmeti cross which was followed by some good tracking by Rathbone on Pring who not only stopped his cross reaching a red shirted player but winning a goal-kick for his side. Having had a quiet twenty-five minutes Max O’Leary in the Robins’ goal he had to be on his toes to stop a rocket of a shot from Eaves finding the net putting it out for a corner which Rathbone took finding the head of Hakeem Odoffin who brought off a finger-tip save from O’Leary winning another corner which came to nothing. At the other end good work from Bramall saw him drive Mehmeti wide with Phillips claiming his eventual shot before both James and Conway were allowed far to much room in the area and a quick pass between the two saw Phillips do well to keep out the shot from Conway. But just after the half-hour mark a combination of fate and, what looks more and more like a poor decision from referee Charles Breakspear, saw the hosts win a penalty. A good ball found Conway on the run and he got the better of his marker to go one-on-one with the ‘keeper. Phillips dove to try and get the ball which seemed to have got away from the City forward who then went down in stages with the referee blowing for a penalty – in all the replays I’ve seen I can’t say that Phillips touched Conway – with a yellow card going to the Millers’ ‘keeper. Conway picked himself up and took the resulting spot-kick making it one-nil to the hosts. Twine sent a great cross meant for Joe Williams but some quick thinking from Rinomhota stopped that happening before Phillips did well to save from Conway as the board went up for a further three minutes. Rathbone gave a free-kick away in a good position which Twine took seeing the ball land on the top of the net.
A change for the start of the second half for Rotherham saw Arvin Appiah replaced by Grant Hall who was making his first appearance since mid-December. The Millers had an early chance when Cohen Bramall sent a cross in for Seb Revan who was at the far post but the Aston Villa loanee put it wide. At the other end only some great defending from Hakeem Odoffin stopped Matty James making it two-nil. But eight minutes later the Robins doubled their lead after Andy Rinomhota gave away a free-kick some twenty-five yards out which Scott Twine struck sweetly sending it straight into the back of the net making it two-nil to City. On the sixty-third minute the hosts made three changes fetching on Nahki Wells, Mark Sykes and Jason Knight for Tommy Conway, Anis Mehmeti and Matty James. Eaves had a chance seeing his shot from just outside the area go wide before the Millers forward was yellow carded for a foul on Ross McCrorie. A double change for the visitors saw Seb Revan and Jordan Hugill make way for Femi Seriki and Sam Nombe. Wells was making a nuisance of himself sending a cross in for Scott Twine whose header went over the crossbar before Hall did well to get himself in-between a Wells cross and Sykes to stop the substitute from being able to have a shot at goal before Bramall flew down the pitch doing well to stop a cross from Sykes reaching McCrorie. Another change for City saw Scott Twine go off for Andy King. A good ball found Rinomhota who was dragged down by Williams the City midfielder getting a yellow for his troubles. A good cross from Seriki found fellow sub Nombe but the striker put the ball past the upright although he was flagged offside anyway which was followed by City fetching on Elijah Morrison for Cameron Pring and Rotherham putting on youngster Ben Hatton, for his second game, for captain Ollie Rathbone. In time added on more speed down the wing and good control from Bramall saw him cross for Eaves who rose highest but put his header wide.
It would have been nice to get a win for our last away game in the Championship but it wasn’t to be. It would actually have been nice to get a point but . . . well that wasn’t to be either.
Our last game of the season next weekend sees Cardiff City at the New York Stadium for the early kick-off time of 1230. Can we get an elusive win?
Attendance – 22,437 with 436 Millers
Referee – Charles Breakspear
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