Cardiff City 1 Rotherham United 1
Pack (88) Wing (8)
Although for a long time it looked like Rotherham Manager, Paul Warne, would have the best of birthday’s it wasn’t to be with a late Cardiff goal, and the football gods deserting us yet again, he finds his Millers team starting next season back in League One.
The Millers started well, knowing only a win would keep them in the mix for staying up and on six minutes a flick on from Michael Smith found Matt Crooks with referee Graham Scott fetching play back for a foul on Smith. The free-kick went in finding Flo Jozefzoon who put the ball back for Wes Harding with the ball being headed out but only as far as Lewis Wing whose scorcher of a shot from outside the box flew into the back of net to give the Millers the lead. Cardiff got themselves a free-kick a couple of minutes later with Harry Wilson sending the set-piece over the crossbar. Back down the other end and Dillon Phillips did well to stop Flo Jozefzoon getting to a loose ball before a Cardiff corner saw Wing heading away. Wing tried to get his second on fifteen minutes with another good shot which went over. A Millers corner fell to Crooks whose shot went out for a second corner which was well in from Ryan Giles finding Richard Wood who couldn’t head the ball on target. On the half-hour mark Rotherham had another chance when Crooks sent a superb ball through for Smith to run onto but the tall striker saw his sliced effort go wide. A Harding free-kick found Angus MacDonald who saw Phillips save before MacDonald sent a ball through for Smith who put his shot wide. The first yellow of the game went to Michael Ihiekwe for a foul on Perry Ng. Jamal Blackman in the Millers goal did well to get down to a shot from Rubin Colwill before some lovely footwork from Giles saw him ease past his marker sending the ball in for Smith only for Phillips to get there before him. As the board went up for an extra minute a cross from Smith found Crooks but the forward thinking midfielder could only head wide.
Cardiff started the second half with a change fetching on Mark Harris for Rubin Colwill. City started well with former Miller Kieffer Moore getting the ball from Harry Wilson in the opening minutes firing over before the hosts broke minutes later with only some great defending from Richard Wood denying Moore. At the other end a good move from Lewis Wing saw him find Michael Smith who forced Dillon Phillips into a good save. A booking for Joe Ralls saw a free-kick for the visitors seeing Wing get a ball in for Michael Ihiekwe who saw the ball saved. Two more changes for the hosts saw Kieffer Moore and Leandro Bacuna off and Josh Murphy and Jonathan Williams on with the first change for the Millers came just after the hour mark when Flo Jozefzoon made way for Jamie Lindsay. Matt Crooks had a shot which went agonisingly wide before a superb tackle at the other end from Ihiekwe kept out Wilson who looked in line to shoot. Ben Wiles received a yellow card which looked, to me, like a perfectly good challenge where he got the ball. With fifteen minutes to go some nice work from Crooks saw him pull the ball back for Wing who you’d want in the position he was in to score but he snatched at it and put it just past the post. Sheyi Ojo replaced Harry Wilson for Cardiff and it was the on loan Liverpool winger who saw a shot blocked a minute later. Wing had a shot which again went inches wide with the ‘keeper in no-mans land which was followed with the winger on loan from Middlesbrough being replaced by Joe Mattock. Not a minute later the host drew level when a ball from Joe Ralls found Marlon Pack in the area who put the ball into the goal with the Millers defence seemingly stood watching. As four extra minutes went up Rotherham brought Freddie Ladapo and Chiedozie Ogbene for Michael Ihiekwe and Lewis Wing but it wasn’t to be and with things not going for us elsewhere the Millers were relegated.
A hopeful and emotional day which ended in despair.
But we will dry the tears and go again next season.
Up The Millers
