Will A Point Be Enough? Only Time Will Tell

Luton Town 0 Rotherham United 0

This was a game of missed chances and a bit of panic with a point apiece probably the fair result at a windy Kenilworth Road this evening.

A scrappy start to the first half saw the game with a Lewis Wing free-kick being deflected to Simon Sluga in the Hatters goal before Matt Crooks pressed forcing Sluga into a hurried clearance before a superb corner from the hosts saw Jamal Blackman in the Rotherham net do well to punch away open up around the twenty minute mark when an effort from Elijah Adebayo struck the top of the post and the ball went out to safety. Blackman was on his metal to stop Luton getting into a good position before the ball went down the other end with Ryan Giles who crossed a perfect ball to Michael Smith only for the striker to plant his header the wrong side of the upright. Adebayo found himself in much too much space sending a high cross into the box which flew by everyone before Sluga did well at the other end to get down to a cross from Crooks who was looking for Smith. On the half-hour mark Luton really should have gone in front when another tight corner from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saw Blackman managing to claw the ball from under the crossbar while under the attention of Adebayo while first Richard Wood then Wing headed the ball away from goal. Adebayo again caused the Millers defenders a problem when he received the ball back from Dewsbury-Hall in a good position but had strayed offside. In the final minutes of the half the Millers thought they’d gone in front when Crooks dinked the ball towards goal only to see Sluga run back to claw the ball away. The first yellow card of the game went to Smith when he stopped Sluga taking a quick goal kick. In the minute added on at the end of the half Luton got another corner but the ball went wide.

Luton started the second half with Harry Cornick on for Dan Potts. The Millers started the better with a good ball from Dan Barlaser looking for Richard Wood but the Rotherham skipper couldn’t get his head to it. At the other end Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had a shot well blocked by Michaeil Ihiekwe before Barlaser did well to put James Collins off a shot across the area. Some good work from Jamal Blackman saw him dash out of his area to get to a ball before Cornick. Another change for the hosts saw  Pelly-Ruddock Mpanziu replace James Collins and it was the midfielder who flew down the middle of the pitch sending a lovely ball to Elijah Adebayo who shot straight into the arms of Blackman. The first changes for Rotherham saw Chieo Ogbene and Freddie Ladapo come on for Michael Smith and Matt Olosunde. A great run from Ryan Giles ended with a lovely ball into the area only for Glenn Rea to get to it before a Miller. On seventy-two minutes Millers fans watching at home started to rise of their settees when Lewis Wing found Giles with another lovely ball with the Wolves loanee finding Matt Crooks who headed down but wide. Joe Mattock was the next change for the visitors coming on for Dan Barlaser and Town’s Ryan Tunnicliffe made way for Kazenga Lualua. A cross in from Lualua found the head of Matty Pearson who saw his header easily saved by Blackman before Ihiekwe did well to put Adebayo off but the ball fell to Mpanziu who shot well over with Kal Naismith doing the same a couple of minutes later. Ladapo won a free-kick in a good position which Wing took slipping as he did so and the ball was put out for a corner by a diving Simon Sluga. The corner came to nothing but set up a good counter attack for the Hatters with Adebayo firing way over. It was the Millers who had the next go with Giles finding space and sending the ball into Ladapo who was flagged offside but Sluga had it covered anyway. In the dying minutes of the game Luton won a corner which came into the crowded box and after a few desperate kicks from both sides the ball ended in the back of the net from Sonny Bradley but referee David Webb had already blown for a foul.

Another point for the Millers but will it be enough?

It all goes down to the final game of the season and, to be honest, it’s not all in our hands. We need to get a win away against a strong Cardiff City side and then we need other teams to do us a favour.

I don’t know about anyone else but I will be a nervous wreck by 12.30pm on Saturday – will it be too early to get the gin out?