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Rotherham United 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 28th Jan 2020 21:49

Rotherham skipper Richard Wood’s 42nd minute goal saw the Millers to a 1-0 victory over Town and back to the top of the table at the Blues’ expense. Wood headed home as the South Yorkshiremen dominated against an under par Town, who almost grabbed a late undeserved equaliser when sub James Norwood hit the post.

Town boss Paul Lambert named an unchanged XI for the third game in a row for the first time this season.

Will Norris was again in goal behind a back three of skipper Luke Chambers, James Wilson and Luke Woolfenden. Luke Garbutt and Gwion Edwards were the wing-backs.

In midfield, Emyr Huws and Flynn Downes were behind Alan Judge with Will Keane and Kayden Jackson the strikers. There was one change on the bench with Myles Kenlock coming in for Josh Earl.

There was a late change of referee with Antony Coggins taking over from scheduled official Marc Edwards.

Matt Crooks, who scored both goals in the Millers’ 2-0 defeat of the Blues at Portman Road in October, nodded an early header wide in a scruffy first couple of minutes.

The home side, whose direct approach was starting to pay dividends, came within an inch or two of going in front in the 11th minute when Town were caught daydreaming as Daniel Barlaser played a quick freekick into Kyle Vassell on the right of the box and the striker’s well-struck shot cannoned off the underside of the bar.

Eventually, the ball ended up behind with referee Coggins awarding a corner, wrongly according to the Town players, and from the corner Michael Smith headed straight at Norris.

Rotherham threatened again in the 18th minute when a superb cross-field pass found Hakeeb Adelakun breaking into the area on the left. However, the full-back’s first touch took the ball a little wide and Norris was able to block his attempt at goal. Following the corner, Crooks headed wide.

Town, in blue shorts, had had a frustrating first 20 minutes with a number of arguable freekick decisions going against them in what had been a very stop-start opening, while they had been unable to impose themselves on the game and get the ball down and pass it around in the manner which has become familiar in the last few games against a physical and determined Rotherham side.

As the clock passed the 25-minute mark there was a round of applause in tribute to Matlock Town player Jordan Sinnott, who was killed at the weekend. Millers midfield Crooks and his team-mates were wearing black armbands in tribute to his friend and former Huddersfield team-mate.

The game continued in much the same manner as it moved past the half-hour mark. Much of the match was being played in the Town half, but without Norris being particularly threatened, while the Blues looked to get the ball forward quickly to strikers Jackson and Keane but without success.

On 37 Crooks was shown the first yellow card of the game for hauling back Keane after the striker had found some space to break into in the Millers half.


Four minutes later, Rotherham, who had been a threat from set pieces all half, took the lead from a corner on the left.

Smith headed a deep ball played beyond the far post towards Norris, Vassell toed it against the keeper’s knee, sending it into the air and Millers’ skipper Wood nodded into the roof of the net from a matter of inches. Norris protested that he had been fouled but looked to have little case.

A minute after the goal Huws was booked for a frustrated foul on Vassell before the board was raised announcing two additional minutes.

Town won a corner in the additional time following a break forward by Downes but the flag-kick eventually came to nothing.

The home side deserved their lead at the break with Town having shown little of their recent form during the first half. The players’ frustration at their display, and a number of the refereeing decisions, was evident.

Rotherham might have gone ahead earlier through Vassell with the Blues never passing with the fluency of recent weeks and all too often looking to hit their strike pairing with early balls over the top, a tactic which had yielded no success.

The second period started much as the first had ended with Rotherham on top, however, the Millers were unable to test Norris further in the early stages.

On 54 Judge was played in on the right but his cross was far too strong for Jackson, the only Town player in the middle.

Two minutes later at the other end, an Adelakun cross from the left took a deflection and bounced across the Town area and reached the far post where it just looped over Chiedozie Ogbene, who had a spell on trial at Town in January 2018.

The Blues were unable to get out of their final third and on 58 Wilson blocked a Vassell overhead kick from a Smith knockdown.

A minute later the Millers thought they doubled their lead but referee Coggins adjudged that Wood had knocked the ball out of Norris’s hands as he headed a corner from the right home.

In the 65th minute Ogbene broke into the area on the right and hit a low shot which Norris saved at his near post. Rotherham were continuing to press with the Blues backline forced to dig deep.

Two minutes later, with Town still to make any impression on the half from an attacking perspective, James Norwood took over from Keane, then on 68 Jon Nolan replaced Huws in midfield with the Welshman perhaps worryingly limping as he left the field. Rotherham switched Crooks for Ben Wiles in the 72nd minute.

The Millers went close again on 74, Michael Ihiekwe’s header from a corner on the right ricocheting across the six-yard box with Norris just taking it away from a Rotherham foot at the far post.

Sub Wiles hit a low shot just wide, before the South Yorkshiremen swapped Vassell for Freddie Ladapo.

Rotherham struck the woodwork for the second time on the night in the 77th minute, Adelakun hitting a shot from 30 yards which beat Norris but cannoned off the bar. Soon after, Woolfenden was booked for a foul on Ogbene.

Town managed their first shot on target in the 80th minute, Judge playing in Jackson on the right of the box but the striker scuffed his effort and Iversen, virtually a spectator in the second half, claimed easily at his near post. Seconds later, Judge was replaced by Freddie Sears.

Joe Mattock was booked in the 83rd minute for pulling back Norwood as the striker broke towards goal. The Town number 10 argued it was an obvious goalscoring opportunity but referee Coggins wasn’t convinced.

Garbutt took the freekick 25 yards out and curled a strike which was dipping just under the bar until Iversen superbly tipped it over.

Rotherham replaced Adelakun with Matt Olusunde with two minutes remaining and Town huffing and puffing but not looking particularly like getting on terms.

The fourth official indicated an additional five minutes with Town finally making some impact going forward but with the Millers looking a danger on the break.

In the second minute of time added-on Norwood went within a whisker of levelling. Having been played in on the left of the six-yard box by Sears the ex-Tranmere man flicked the ball past Iversen and it struck the far post before falling to a Rotherham defender.

Moments later, Jackson appeared to be wiped out by Wood as he broke towards the area before the Rotherham skipper and Garbutt clashed, the Town man appearing to aim a kick at the veteran Millers defender.

That was the last action of a very disappointing evening for the Blues, who looked a pale shadow of the team which has impressed since the turn of the year as they fell to their first League One defeat of 2020.

Town, who struggled with the Millers' physicality throughout, failed to seriously threaten until the final minutes with the substitutions having an impact.

However, despite Norwood almost grabbing an equaliser from what seemed an impossible position, it was too little too late and Rotherham deserved the three points.

The result sees the Blues drop off the top of the table with the Millers replacing them with Peterborough United at Portman Road on Saturday.

Rotherham: Iversen, Thompson, Ihiekwe, Wood (c), Mattock, Ogbene, Barlaser, Crooks (Wiles 72), Adelakun, Vassell (Ladapo 75), Smith. Unused: Bilboe, Olosunde, MacDonald, Lindsay, Lamy.

Town: Norris, Chambers (c), Wilson, Woolfenden, Edwards, Downes, Huws (Nolan 68), Garbutt, Judge (Sears 80), Keane (Norwood 67), Jackson. Unused: Holy, Kenlock, Skuse, Bishop. Referee: Antony Coggins (Oxfordshire). Att: 9,327 (Town: 923).


Photo: Pagepix



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ITFCsince73 added 21:50 - Jan 28
Wow, the footballs poor in L1.
9

Bluespeed added 21:51 - Jan 28
Dear oh dear !! Bloody awful! Come on Lamborghini sort it out no win against any team in top 8 dear oh dear !!
6

ipswichfann679 added 21:52 - Jan 28
Poor game. Bring on Saturday which has to be a win
10

cat added 21:54 - Jan 28
Outmuscled and outplayed, but it's not a disaster when you consider the challenge and the final score! Move on, bounce back, smash the Posh and all will be sweet again.
15

BeattiesBackPocket added 21:55 - Jan 28
Didn't even register a shot near goal first half and most effective striker on the bench. Norwood might not be the most gifted technically however he's effective because he plays off the shoulder of defenders and hustles and pressures them all the time causing mistakes.
12

mulbarton67 added 21:55 - Jan 28
That was the worst performance I've seen home or away this season. No idea what Norris was doing for the goal, although we thoroughly deserved to lose. And I'm sorry, but Edwards, Judge and Jackson can leave on free transfers if they want to - I'm fed up with their performances.
6

pablo123 added 21:55 - Jan 28
Truly pathetic performance , dear me we were dreadful !!! Deserved nothing
9

martin587 added 21:56 - Jan 28
Lost for words.We were bullied of the park at times. We won't score goals without the service and tonight it was poor.Must pick ourselves up and win Saturday.Not going to enjoy the boring drive home.Well done to the traveling supporters.
18

Saxonblue74 added 21:57 - Jan 28
Failed yet again to perform when it really matters, we haven't managed to fo do for years. Very disappointing after a recent upturn in form.
12

Linkboy13 added 21:57 - Jan 28
Sounds like we were out classed in both games against Rotherham .We look so light weight against the better teams in this league must win on Saturday now.
9

Saxonblue74 added 21:58 - Jan 28
....to do so!
0

bayleycr added 21:58 - Jan 28
Sad to say but I thought we were physically out muscled in the main, chasing the ball and chasing the game. We worked hard, it wasn't a lock of effort or conviction, but I think we need to keep hold of the ball better than we demonstrated tonight if we are to truly compete in games like this.

Rotherham are a good side in Legue 1, they are not top at this stage of the season for no reason. We need to keep our heads as this game doesn't define our season. We can still do this in the games remaining.

COYB
6

Bluearmy_81 added 21:58 - Jan 28
Not beaten top 6 yet says it all. Not good enough for top 2 but did scrooge invest in our most important January since the playoff year? Nope. He doesn't learn and town fans blind subservience and unquestioning belief in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary doesn't change.
2

ShropshireBluenago09 added 21:58 - Jan 28
Just like the home game against Rotherham. From the outset we were bullied. We were scared of the ball, hacking, hoofing the ball away for Keane and Jackson to chase, easy for the Rotherham defence.
Only the last 10 mins did we start to string something together and Nors nearly converted from an impossible angle.
Hopefully we will have had a wake up call tonight.
11

Tractorboy58 added 21:59 - Jan 28
out fought by a decent and physically tougher team..have to have more belief and honest guts to win this soet of game. Why do Ipswich always look so delicate and scared ??
6

dukey44 added 21:59 - Jan 28
My god they were better at hoof ball than us as there was NO FOOTBALL played all night?
6

blue86 added 22:00 - Jan 28
Bad night at the office! Can't dwell on it though, need to regroup and go again Saturday. Would like to see bishop start and see how he does coyb
6

SingBlue added 22:01 - Jan 28
What a shower. I hated the MM era and the way we played under him yet that was the worst I've ever seen us play. No leader on the pitch saying this awful hoofball tactic isn't working. No unity in the team and we looked frail. The top 6 know how to play us, if we don't get automatic promotion we ain't winning the play offs! That was weak Lambert, very weak.
6

midastouch added 22:02 - Jan 28
Very disappointing this evening. Until the last few minutes we were second best in every department. We just can't seem to beat any of the better teams even in this league. We're just about 6 months into this season now and we haven't beaten a single top side as yet which has to be a concern. Thankfully we've been efficient in putting away the lower positioned sides but it does worry me how we'd fare in the Championship (if we were to get promoted - which is still a big if) when we seem to struggle time and time again against top 8 sides in this league.
Norwood sounded lively when he came on. I'd be very tempted to start him against Peterborough.
9

herfie added 22:03 - Jan 28
We were psyched out of this game before it started. PL at fault through abysmal tactics, players at fault through abysmal performances. Saturday's game becomes critical in terms of benchmarking how good, or bad, we really are.

PL needs to make some really important decisions, perhaps harsh decisions, if we're really serious promotion contenders. Not sure, however, he's that good a football coach or motivator.. Dump Judge, start Bishop.

4

TimmyH added 22:03 - Jan 28
Too little to late to start playing in the last 10 minutes or so...the rest was fairly woeful and Rotherham appeared to be better at what they do and that's being strong on the ball and fairly well organised (as like in the fixture at PR). So you can read a lot into a fixture like this, a club relegated as per us last season and yes if and it's a big if we get promoted they'll be plenty like minded clubs in the Championship but only better.

Results against the top clubs in league one so far haven't been good enough.
8

ringwoodblue added 22:04 - Jan 28
Disappointed but not surprised. Outmuscled on the pitch and outwitted in the technical area, we got what we deserved. Posh game now even more of a must-win otherwise recent confidence starts to fade
5

cat added 22:08 - Jan 28
SingBlue - if that's the worse you've seen you didn't attend many McCarthy games (lol)

On another note I felt for Norris, went down to early for the goal, apart from that he was top quality.
8

planetblue_2011 added 22:09 - Jan 28
The midfield trio didn't preform & seems the rest of the team doesn't.
Lambert should of got subs on sooner & included Bishop.
It's all ifs & buts at the end of the day Rotherham were better than us & when they played us at Portman Rd. Sure they will go up & just hope we go up with them!!!
2

ITFCsince73 added 22:10 - Jan 28
The only plus I can think of is, it should have been 4 or 5 nil.
They hit the bar twice, goal disallowed etc. Took there better performers off early/mid second half.
Yes they out bullied us, yes they out played us.
And should have won by a much bigger margin.
We struggle against the better sides in this division, now have to play 2 on the bounce.
Rotherham for sure over 2 games have shown us there a better L1 team. Not by just winning those games but the comfort in doing it.
6


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