Match Reports

Winter Blues For Millers

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Coventry City 3 Rotherham United 1
Biamou (5)             Barlaser (pen 85)
Walker (12)
Ostigard (72)

Rotherham United could really have done with something out of today’s game at fellow strugglers Coventry City but it wasn’t to be as he hosts won the game quite comfortably three-one.

Rotherham United made just one change from the loss on Tuesday night bringing back Michael Ihiekwe with Matt Olosunde dropping to the bench while the host made two changes from their mid-week draw away at Derby fetching in Max Biamou and Leo Ostigard.

The Millers had the better of the opening minutes with Freddie Ladapo having an early shot that went wide followed by some good work from Jamie Lindsay who nicked the ball off the foot of a Coventry player and getting it to Ladapo who in turn found Ben Wiles who saw his shot blocked. Michael Smith was the next to have a shot which Ben Wilson spilled at the near post gathering at the second attempt. But it was the hosts who took the lead with their first attack of the game after Tyler Walker had trapped the ball on his chest getting it to Biamou who took the ball beyond Jamal Blackman as he came out to make the angle tight and put it into the net with the Millers defence looking sadly lacking. Six minutes later it was two-nil. A long free-kick found Biamou just inside the area who got it down to Callum O’Hare whose shot hit the post with the ball falling to Walker who slotted into an open net. Joe Mattock got the first yellow of the afternoon when he took broke up a Coventry attack by taking out Frankaty Dabo. Wiles won a free-kick for the visitors which Mattock took finding the head of Ihiekwe who put the ball just over as the off-side flag going up. After some good work from Matty Crooks and Angus MacDonald the ball found Mattock whose cross-cum-shot was blocked before another ball in saw MacDonald put the ball over. A great chance for the Millers on the twenty-fifth minute saw Mattock sting the hands of City ‘keeper Wilson and with Jamie Lindsay lurking the ball was bundled away to safety. Ladapo won a free-kick for the Millers which was taken by Wes Harding into the area but claimed by Wilson. Some nice work from Mattock saw him get the better of Dabo and saw his shot cleared at the near post before Coventry went up the other end with Liam Kelly who got the ball to Biamou and with his back to goal saw his shot saved onto the post by Blackman before being cleared. Wiles and Crooks worked well getting the ball to Mattock who saw his shot put out for a corner which fell to Richard Wood who couldn’t get the ball from under his feet for a shot before Mattock found Smith at the back post who in turn tried to find MacDonald but the home defence got it away. A great save from Blackman stopped the hosts getting a third when he found himself one-on-one with Walker before a free-kick in the final minute of the half for the visitors was taken by Mattock who saw his cross into the box cleared. The Millers ended the stoppage time with ten men after Mattock was treated for an injury which saw him stretchered away at half-time.

The Millers made two changes for the start of the second half with Matt Olosunde on for the injured Joe Mattock and Richard Wood made way for Dan Barlaser. An early free-kick for the hosts saw Gustavo Hamer hit the ball way over the crossbar before another set-piece minutes later was well punched out by Millers’ ‘keeper Jamal Blackman. After Sam McCalllum appeared to fall over his own feet referee David Webb gave Coventry a free-kick and then booked Matt Olosunde for protesting his innocence in the affair which was followed by George Hirst replacing Freddie Ladapo for the Millers. Another free-kick for the hosts after Frankaty Dabo slipped (yes, I am shaking my head). Either a free-kick or a goal-kick saw the Millers given a corner which Barlaser took finding Michael Smith before finding Angus MacDonald whose shot didn’t bother the Sky Blue’s ‘keeper Ben Wilson. A Hirst throw-in found Wiles who sent a good shot in which the City defence cleared before a good Barlaser free-kick didn’t quite reach Crooks and Coventry counter-attacked which luckily for the visitors came to nothing. A fourth change for the Millers saw Kyle Vassell on for Jamie Lindsay. A low cross into the middle for the hosts found Tyler Walker who was unlucky to see his shot go wide. Another yellow card for the Millers this time for Angus MacDonald after he chopped O’Hare down with the resulting free-kick headed towards goal by Leo Ostigard taking a deflection off Smith to make it three-nil to the hosts. Blackman did well to punch away an O’Hare free-kick which he then saved from the same player. Coventry’s first change saw Tyler Walker make way for Amadou Bakayoko with Rotherham’s fifth sub seeing Flo Jozefzoon on for Michael Smith. The Millers’ sub did well to get past two players but couldn’t get past a third. With five minutes to go Vassell was brought down in the area by Wilson with Barlaser smashing home the resulting spot-kick to make it three-one. The Millers got a couple of corners which Barlaser took but came to nothing before a number of long throws from Harding had the same result. As the snow started the board went up for five extra minutes and nearly at the end of those Rotherham had a chance to get a second after Matt Crooks started a move which ended with a cross into the box from Olosunde Crooks got himself in at the near post but couldn’t get the ball towards the net.

A second December loss out of two sees the last month of the year not starting well for the Millers. As I see it Coventry’s first two goals came from just two forays up field and I thought we were still in it at half-time. The the Sky Blues started to run the show and it was only some good goalkeeping and good luck that kept the deficit down to three. We got the penalty, eventually, after it looked like it wasn’t going to be given (who needs VAR when you’ve got a linesman with good eyesight) and then we started to push a little. But, as we know, it was too late.

And more bad news on the injury front with Joe Mattock, who was my Man of the Match in the first half, was carried away on a stretcher at half-time. Let’s hope this was just a precaution.

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6 comments

  • kevin says:

    Caz, nice report. Thanks. Odd but after 50 odd years watching the lads I find I’m starting not to care. Warne and Barker are shockingly inept. If they had honour they would resign but no-one resigns these days. We stole promotion last season and quite honestly it was a disgrace because another club might at least have tried to invest to play at Championship level. Pathetic all round.

    • Caz Neale (Herringthorpe) says:

      I know two people who have bought every match to watch but say they aren’t doing that for Tuesday’s game, Kev, so you aren’t on your own.

  • Stuart webster says:

    What can one say yet another defeat and the relegation death bell is beginning to ring ,I honestly believe that calamity warne and is sidekick hapless barker need riding outta town sick and tired of the same old bullshit excuses trotted out by warne , time to go and the sooner the better

  • carlton in lindrick says:

    caz.when the millers go behind thats it .they can onny score from pens no fight no guts no hope they are going down warne and barker have had long enough and time they were sacked they are clueless the yo yo team will go down again unless there is some changes soon C IN L

    • Caz Neale (Herringthorpe) says:

      CinL, I think we’ve been like that for a while – we go in front and it’s like a champagne cork has opened and we fizz around – we go behind and look lost

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