Swansea City 1-0 Rotherham United
Rinomhota og (74)
An own goal in the last quarter of the game was enough to stop Rotherham United get a point this afternoon at Swansea.
The game started in pouring rain with the first corner of the game going to the hosts which was taken short coming to Jamie Paterson whose shot was easy for Viktor Johansson in the Millers goal to catch. A race for the ball between Ronald and Cameron Humphreys saw the City man get there first but his cross went out for a Rotherham goal kick. The first real chance of the game came on eight minutes after Paterson got the better of Hakeem Odoffin sending the ball forward for Liam Cullen whose first time shot saw Johansson save the ball with his legs. Cohen Bramall did well a couple of minutes later when he headed the ball back to his goalkeeper with Ollie Cooper putting him under pressure. A low cross into the box from Josh Tymon got past two Rotherham defenders but Humphreys was there to clear for a throw-in before Lee Peltier did well minutes later to clear before winning a free-kick which ended with handbags between him and Cullen. The Millers first foray up front came on sixteen minutes when Andy Rinomhota and Ollie Rathbone combined but the move ended when Rinomhota gave a free-kick away. A good move from Seb Revan saw him set off down the pitch sending a super ball across field for Cafu who got the better of Josh Key and sent the ball to Sam Clucas who returned it for Cafu to cross again this time to Sam Nombe who set up Clucas the former Swans player volleying his shot which went well wide. Paterson and Ronald worked well together for the hosts but the Brazilian born winger saw his shot easily caught by Johansson. More nice work from Ronald was well challenged for by Bramall who sent the ball out for a corner which ended in a free-kick for the Millers. Good work from Rinomhota saw him skip away from two Swansea players sending the ball to Nombe who had it taken off him but it fell to Clucas who tried to get a shot away but ended up in a heap on the floor with the Millers medical team having to come on to see to him. The first yellow of the afternoon went to Peltier which looked like a coming together with Cooper, the free-kick coming to nothing. Another free-kick, this time given away by Odoffin, saw Matt Grimes take it with the passage of play ending with a free-kick for the Millers. Referee Leigh Doughty gave which looked like a harsh yellow to Humphreys on thirty-five minutes after he appeared to put his leg and get the ball but Ronald fell over. Humphreys headed the resulting free-kick clear but it fell to Jay Fulton whose shot was punched away by Johansson finding Revan the Villa loanee being fouled by Paterson the free-kick ending with an offside flag going up against Bramall. Rathbone set off on a run up the pitch before playing a cross ball for Clucas who was also motoring his ball to Bramall went out for a City throw. Another good run from Rathbone saw him clearly pulled back but nothing was given. At the other end Humphreys gave the ball away to Paterson who found himself in so much space and looked to be free on goal but fired straight at Johansson who put it behind for a corner which came to nothing. As the board went up for an extra two minutes a fantastic strike from Ronald brought of an equally fantastic save from Johansson. As the clock ticked on Cafu did well to get the ball away from Ronald but then sloppily gave it him back the Brazilian letting fly but Johansson was there again to save.
Swansea started the second half the better with Ronald twice getting in shooting positions, the second time seeing the ball put out by Sam Clucas for a corner which ended in a Viktor Johansson being bundled into the net and winning a free-kick. A really poor challenge on Hakeem Odoffin saw a yellow card for Ollie Cooper. Seb Revan did well to stop a Swansea attack before they did get forward but Johansson was there to jump and collect the ball. Just after the hour mark the Millers had to make a change as Sam Clucas went down holding his knee, not for the first time in this game, with Arvin Appiah replacing him. A cross come strike from Ronald was caught by Johansson before the Millers went up the other end with Sam Nombe taking a tumble in the area with referee Leigh Doughty shaking his head at a request for a penalty. Liam Cullen had a header that Johansson watched go past before Swansea’s first change saw Ollie Cooper make way for Jamal Lowe. Jay Fulton saw yellow for fetching down Appiah, Johansson taking the resulting free-kick finding Ollie Rathbone who in turn found Humphreys who sent the ball back looking for Rathbone but Liam Cullen got there first and set off at pace with Humphreys for company but as he sent the ball over the offside flag went up. Changes for both sides saw Sam Nombe make way for Tom Eaves for the visitors and Liam Walsh and Aimar Govea taking over for Jay Fulton and Ronald for City. A minute later the hosts got a corner which came low looking like there was no danger but Andy Rinomhota bent to head the ball away and it ended up in his own net to give the Swans a seventy-fourth minute lead. Jamie Paterson and Lowe worked well together the latter seeing a shot put behind by Johansson, the Millers ‘keeper catching the resulting corner. The Millers couldn’t get hold of the ball as Swansea slowed the game down. A ball in from Josh Tymon was cleared by Lee Peltier falling to Tymon who saw his shot cleared. With four minutes to go two more changes for the Millers saw Shane Ferguson and Charlie Wyke replace Lee Peltier and Cafu. Grimes hauled down Wyke and was yellow carded before the Millers sub was bundled over just outside the box from the free-kick with the ball finding Ferguson before Revan flew down to wing but his shot saw the ball go out for a goal kick. In the five minutes of added on time Appiah won a foul with Johansson sent forward for Eaves with the ball falling to Rathbone before it skitted about finding Ferguson who saw his cross headed away. Lowe picked up the ball and had Rathbone nipping at his heels, he went down, but got back up but his cross came to nothing. Appiah did well as went up the pitch giving the ball to Eaves who has it taken off him before giving away a foul. The last action of the game came close to getting a point for the Millers with Appiah, again, sending a perfect cross for Eaves to head just inches past the post.
Although, of course, it’s too late it would have been good to get a point this afternoon. Yes, the hosts had more possession, more shots but the Millers had defended solidly with Johansson there to clear up in goal.
Back at the New York Stadium next week when Birmingham City, who beat neighbours Coventry to drag them out of the bottom three, are the visitors.
Attendance – 15,327
Referee – Leigh Doughty
