Stalemate At The New York Stadium

Rotherham United 0 Wycombe Wanderers 0

Rotherham United and Wycombe played out a boring goalless draw this evening at the New York Stadium with neither side showing any quality aided by a referee who spent the evening causing controversy all over the pitch – and in the stands.

In the opening minute a coming together between Michael Smith and Josh Scowen saw Mr Madley – him of the whistle – give the free-kick to the Chairboys completely missing a slap by a player in blue on Smith after the incident. The free-kick was headed behind by Richard Wood with the resulting corner seeing Ollie Rathbone give away a second corner which saw Ryan Tafazolli head over. At the other end Will Grigg won a corner for the Millers with Dan Barlaser’s ball floating out. A Wes Harding throw-in was just too short for Rarmani Edmonds-Green with Wycombe picking up the loose ball and with a cross from Daryl Horgan easy for Josh Vickers in the Rotherham goal. Joe Mattock had to have treatment on the pitch after he appeared to slip while trying to get to the ball but was OK to continue. Gareth McCleary sent a nice cross over for Jordan Obita with Edmonds-Green doing well to get there before him which was followed by Mattock having to leave the pitch and being replaced by Chieo Ogbene. Smith got the better of his marker and received a good ball from Edmonds-Green but his header didn’t bother former Miller and now Wycombe ‘keeper David Stockdale. The first yellow of the night went to Rathbone for what Mr Madley decided was a foul on Horgan when it looked like a fifty/fifty ball to everyone else in the ground. A long ball from Vickers found Smith who sent the ball to Ogbene with the winger firing just wide. A poor challenge on Ogbene by Scowen saw the hosts get a free-kick which came to nothing before some nice work from Wycombe saw Ogbene stop a cross from Horgan getting into the box followed by a free-kick for the visitors which Anthony Stewart put over the crossbar in time added on.. A late challenge on Ben Wiles saw Tafazolli get a yellow with the resulting free-kick going out of play. A very bitty first forty-five minutes which was mainly stop-start due to the number of times the Wycombe players fell down.

And it didn’t get much better at the start of the second half. Shane Ferguson was the next to see yellow after Jason McCarthy fell to the ground with Vickers making a great save from Joe Jacobson’s free-kick. Vickers was on hand again a minute later to punch a cross from Daryl Horgan away but only as far as Josh Scowen who put the ball into the crowd behind the goal. Ollie Rathbone did well to deflect a cross-cum-shot from Garath McCleary with the resulting corner cleared before the attacking midfielder sent Michael Smith on his way who in turn found Will Grigg with the Sunderland loanee seeing his shot blocked with him being subbed before the resulting corner Freddie Ladapo taking his place. The Millers had a chance on sixty-five minutes when Ogbene flew towards the box sending a great ball in which David Stockdale got his hand to before Ladapo could get there. Minutes later some nice work from Smith saw him feed Ladapo whose effort was blocked with Stockdale punching away the following corner. More pressure from the hosts saw Ben Wiles twist his way past his marker only for his shot blocked for a corner which Dan Barlaser took short to Shane Ferguson who sent it in only for Stockdale to drop the ball with Richard Wood looking to open the scoring only for Mr Madley to get back in the act and blow for a foul on the ‘keeper with the only players around him at the time wearing blue. The visitors made a chance fetching on Sullay Kaikai for Daryl Horgan. Ironic cheers from the eight thousand Millers fans when they won a free-kick after Wood was pulled down before a cross from Ogbene found Smith in the area who went down under the pressure of Anthony Stewart with Mr Madley giving a free-kick to the away side. In between that a Wycombe change saw Brandon Hanlan on for Garath McCleary. Some good football between Rathbone and Ladapo saw the latter bring off a save from Stockdale followed by Rotherham’s last sub which saw Mickel Miller replacing Ferguson. The board went up for six extra minutes when Wiles did well to get the better of Dominic Gape and sending the ball for Ladapo only for Stockdale to get there before him. Gape was then replaced with Curtis Thompson. Scowen and Hanlan had half chances for Wycombe but, in all honesty, I think we could still be playing and not see any goals.

A disappointing and frustrating night for Millers fans but it also saw Rotherham go into an unbeaten run of seven games and stay in fifth place in the table.