Match Reports

Woeful Millers Lose To Wycombe

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Rotherham United 0 Wycombe Wanderers 3
                                                Muskwe (2)
                                                McCarthy (24)
                                                Wheeler (83)

Rotherham United went into this game knowing they really had to win. Wycombe Wanderers came into the game knowing a win would give them the lifeline they needed to stay up. The Millers didn’t win, the Chairboys did and now things are really looking desperate for Paul Warne’s men if they want to stay in the Championship.

The Millers had an early chance when Lewis Wing won a free-kick which Dan Barlaser sent into the box finding Angus MacDonald who saw his header go wide. From the goal kick the visitors went straight up the other end and with a bit of an assist from the wind the ball fell to Admiral Muskwe who saw Millers’ ‘keeper Viktor Johansson racing towards him and simply hit the ball into the net to give the visitors an early lead. The Millers could have got a quick equaliser when Josh Knight tried to get it back to his ‘keeper, former Miller, David Stockdale, but the ball nearly fell to Michael Smith before Stockdale got himself in front of the Millers striker to clear. At the other end a Joe Jacobson free-kick found Uche Ikpeazu who headed down to Muskwee but the player, on loan from Leicester City, cold only lift the ball high over the crossbar followed by a shot from Anis Mehmeti who only found the side netting. A chance for the hosts saw some good work from Wes Harding get the ball in the box for Michael Ihiekwe who put his header inches wide before a ball through from Wing to Freddie Ladapo was too hard and went into the waiting arms of Stockdale. More good work from Wing saw him get the ball to Smith who in turn found Ladapo in space but some great defending from Jack Grimmer stopped the forward equalising. On twenty-four minutes the visitors went two up after some nice football from Ikpeazu saw him get the ball to Jason McCarthy whose shot took a deflection and ended up in the back of the net. The Millers had another chance when a super ball from Crooks found Lindsay but he saw his shot go wide before Crooks got a good ball off Ladapo and saw his shot go the same way. Nice work from Wing saw him get the ball to Smith’s head who glanced the ball but only as far as Stockdale followed by some good defending from the visitors saw a shot from Lindsay well saved by Stockdale with the rebound going to Ladapo who saw his shot again saved by the former Miller. Ladapo then got himself into space putting the ball into the side netting before a shot from distance was again saved by the Wycombe ‘keeper. A minute before the end of the half Wanderers were forced into a change with Joe Jacobson limping off and Anthony Stewart taking his place. Only a Ben Wiles leg stopped Wycombe getting a third in time added on when he stuck it out and deflected the ball from a Fred Onyedinma shot with the resulting corner coming to nothing.

Rotherham made two changes for the start of the second half with a welcome return for Chieo Ogbene on for Ben Wiles and Dan Barlaser making way for Florian Jozefzoon while the visitors brought on David Wheeler for  Anis Mehmeti. It was a scrappy start to the second half with the only real excitement was the first yellow card of the game which went to Matt Crooks after Wheeler fell in front of him and five minutes later Everton loanee Dennis Adeniran getting the same for time wasting – and yet Stockdale wasn’t shown one??? Nigerian Fred Onyedinma was first to a loose ball just before the hour mark but his shot bothered nobody as it went wide although Adeniran did have a shot minutes later from distance which brought a save from Viktor Johansson. Angus MacDonald sent a good ball into the box but neither Michael Smith or Matt Crooks could get a touch on it before a shot from twenty-five yards out from Lewis Wing went inches past the post. Another yellow this time to Uche Ikpeazu after he felled MacDonald with Wing taking the resulting free-kick finding MacDonald who saw his shot take a deflection and saved by Stockdale. On seventy-six minutes the Millers brought on George Hirst and Ryan Giles for Freddie Ladapo and Jamie Lindsay with Wycombe bringing on Adebayo Akinfenwa who replaced Uche Ikpeazu. A shot from Wheeler was defended by Michael Ihiekwe but only went as far as Adeniran who put the ball too close to Johansson before Jack Grimmer did well at the other end to get his head to an Ogbene ball in before Smith. With seven minutes to go Wycombe claimed all three points when Akinfenwa flicked the ball into the path of Wheeler who put the ball under Johansson before doing a jig and dance around the corner flag. Hirst had a chance to pull one back only to see his shot cannon off the post but all in all it was a day to forget for Rotherham United.

Going in at half-time two-down isn’t ideal but I still thought we’d come out fighting in the second half and get something from this game. But, Wycombe did what they came to do and frustrated the life out of the Millers by shouting for every ball, going down at every opportunity and we hadn’t an answer to it making our second half performance the worst forty-five minutes I’ve seen this season.

It has to get better.

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5 comments

  • Stuart webster says:

    Wow the incompetent warne and is useless band of merry men ,what a woefully inept display that was , after two weeks rest and games in hand the millers are supposed to perform wonders and yet have shit blunders , relegation is now a cert and hopefully the departure of warne will follow once this yet again doomed venture of championship football comes to a sorry close , three nil loss at home to wycombe what can one say ,pack your bags calamity warne and clear out your desk and ride outta town what a shambolic state you have created .

    • Caz Neale (Herringthorpe) says:

      I was surprised at the way we set out in the first half, Stewart, yet we reverted to a ‘usual’ game plan in the second and were poor.

  • carlton in lindrick says:

    here here sturart all true words C IN L

  • kevin says:

    So why was I banned for telling the truth, Caz?

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