Second Home Loss Of Week For Millers

Rotherham United 0 Watford 1
                                  Asprilla (58)


Rotherham United saw the second home loss of the week this afternoon when a super goal won the points for visitors Watford.

The Millers, like Tuesday night, started well with Ollie Rathbone sending a ball across which was just a tad long for Sam Nombe to get onto but it fell for Charlie Wyke whose shot was blocked. Wyke was in the action again a minute later when a long pass from Peter Kioso found him and in turn he sent it for Nombe who also saw his shot blocked by the Watford defence. Seb Revan got the better of Ismael Kone and flew down the wing and looked about to send a cross over when he was barged into by Edo Kayembe allowing the Watford defence to clear. At the other end Sean Morrison did well to stop a cross from Matthew Pollock finding Milleta Rajovic before more nice work from Kioso saw him get the ball to Nombe who won a corner which Revan took but it was too high for Morrison to get a head on it. Cameron Humphreys got the better of his marker sending the ball for Hakeem Odoffin who found Kioso who in turn found Andy Rinomhota, getting his first start in a Millers shirt, before Odoffin got it back in a good position but put the ball wide. Rathbone went through the middle of the pitch sending a cross over with only some good work from Pollock stopping the ball reaching him. Ken Sema and Odoffin went together in a foot race into the box with the Millers defender getting the better of the the Hornets midfielder putting the ball out for a corner which was initially cleared by Morrison before it found its way back in for Wesley Hoedt who saw his shot go past the upright before Morrison did well some minutes later when a corner found the Hornets captain at the far post but the Millers skipper cleared it up-field. Revan was the next to clear when Sema’s cross to Kone didn’t reach him before a curling effort from Kone saw Humphreys clear for a corner which came to nothing. Running to get the ball Kioso went down with concern from all the Millers in the ground when it looked like his hamstring had gone and a substitute was got ready. But PK dismissed the problem and after treatment both on and off the pitch was able to continue. And a minute later he was in the thick of the action when a Rathbone cross saw him get a shot away which Ben Hamer, in the Watford goal, saved. The Millers won a throw-in which Kioso took quickly finding Rathbone who won a corner with the Revan set-piece finding Christ Tiehi who saw his shot punched away by Hamer. The resulting Morrison long throw caused some problems in the Watford box ending with Kioso appearing to be tripped and although the red shirted players – and fans – appealed for a penalty referee Andrew Kitchen was having none of it. Rinomhota did well to keep with Kone and force him towards the corner before the Millers clear a dangerous cross from Kayembe before it found a yellow and black shirt. As the board went up for a further two minutes Rajovic and Yaser Asprilla played a one-two before Odoffin did brilliantly to stop him in his tracks before he could get a shot away. As the half came to an end a shot from Tom Dele-Bashiru from distance went over the crossbar.

Two minutes into the second half a cross from Charlie Wyke found Seb Revan whose shot from outside the box went just wide before some nice football from Hakeem Odoffin saw him and Cameron Humphreys clear their lines at the other end. The hosts had another shout for a penalty when Andy Rinomhota got inside the box before being bundled over but again Mr Kitchen wasn’t interested while the linesman appeared to be looking away from the incident. Sam Nombe got down field and his cross was perfect for Charlie Wyke until Matthew Pollock stepped in to clear. The visitors made the first changes of the afternoon fetching on  Giorgi Chakvetadze and Tom Ince for Ismael Kone and Edo Kayembe. Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson came out of his goal to clear a cross from Wesley Hoedt before it found Milleta Rajovic in a good position but he could do nothing on the fifty-eighth minute when a Ken Sema ball into the box which saw Chakvetadze have a shot which was blocked but only as far as Yaser Asprilla who scored his second cracking goal in two games to put Watford in front. A yellow card was shown to Andy Rinomhota for a foul on Chakvetadze although the self same foul not two minutes before on a Rotherham player was ‘play on’ by the ref. Revan got the ball sending it through for Ollie Rathbone who seemed to change his mind about having a shot and sent it for Christ Tiehi who put the ball over the bar before a a foul on Sema brought a yellow card for Revan. Three changes for the Millers saw Charlie Wyke, Christ Tiehi and Sam Nombe make way for Jordan Hugill, Sam Clucas and Tom Eaves. Hugill was the first of the subs into the action when he sent a ball down for Revan who put his shot wide. At the other end Tom Ince got away from his marker finding Rajovic with a good cross but his header bothered no-one. At the other end a good ball in from Odoffin found Hugill who missed from close range. Ben Hamer was booked for wasting time before Jake Livermore replaced Ken Sema for the visitors. A foul by Chakvetadze on Humphreys saw a free-kick for the Millers which was taken by Clucas who found Sean Morrison’s head before the ball was blocked going for a Clucas corner which again found Morrison who headed the ball down but it bounced and went over the crossbar. With ten minutes to go Cam Humphreys was replaced by Cafu and Shane Ferguson made his first appearance of the season with Peter Kioso going the other way and there was two changes for the visitors Ryan Andrews and Emmanuel Dennis coming on for Yaser Asprilla and Jamal Lewis. Revan sent the ball into the box finding Rinomhota who saw his shot blocked for a corner which found the head of Odoffin who put it wide. In six minutes of time added on the Millers won a throw-in which was taken long by Morrison with Odoffin rising above everyone else but had no proper control and put it wide.

It wasn’t to be for the Millers today but I thought we played a lot better football than we have been and worked hard this afternoon – and, I think, at this stage of the proceedings, that’s all we can really ask for – saying that I walked up Don Street in front of some very vocal Millers who thought we were ‘dreadful’, ‘awful’, ‘rubbish’ with other words thrown in for effect.  Everyone has their own opinion.

Referee – Andrew Kitchen

Attendance – 10,143 (1,571 Hornets Fans making the journey)