Rotherham United shoot themselves in the foot in Norwich City defeat

Well though they played, Rotherham United just could not stop shooting themselves in the foot against Norwich City.
FREDDIE LADAPO: The Rotherham United striker had a mixed dayFREDDIE LADAPO: The Rotherham United striker had a mixed day
FREDDIE LADAPO: The Rotherham United striker had a mixed day

For a long time it looked like the Millers might claim a valuable point, only to be undone by a Jordan Hugill penalty five minutes into added time.

They only had themselves to blame. Freddie Ladapo missed a penalty, Angus MacDonald's reckless two-footed tackle saw him receive a straight red card and either side of it, they missed some good chances. Then, to cap it all off, Florian Jozefzoon, making his debut from the bench, fouled Emi Buendia in the penalty area five minutes into what was due to be a minimum of five added minutes.

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With Millers goalkeeper Jamal Blackman pulling off some good first-half saves and an excellent double stop at the death, it was a game which could have gone either way, so a 1-1 draw would probably a fair result from this match between two sides who six months ago were two divisions apart.

You would not have known it on a Saturday afternoon where the skies threatened a downpour all afternoon but fortunately never delivered. Likewise, both sides looked more dangerous going forward than the scoreline suggested.

it must have only made defeat even more frustrating for manager Paul Warne, watching his adopted club take on his boyhood side from self-isolation.

Rotherham's formation had more tiers than a Government coronavirus plan, Dan Barlaser operating between holding midfielder Shaun MacDonald and No 10 Matt Crooks on his second debut for the club as the Millers varied their risk levels. With Mikel Miller unable to fill the boots of the injured Chiedozie Ogbene, and Jozefzoon only making his debut from the bench having joined on loan from Derby County the previous afternoon, they were at their most threatening down the middle.

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Their fluid football made the hosts hard to pin down, if a bit open at times, and they had enough good chances to go in at half-time with a commanding lead. That said, only a fine Blackman performance kept the Canaries at bay. It was an entertaining first half and although neither side could feel they had got on top of the other, the Millers had the chances to do just that.

When left-back Clark Robertson headed a Tim Krul pass to Ladapo after three minutes, the striker coolly finished. He would not be so dead-eyed from 12 yards.

Robertson had a shot blocked and Ladapo dragged a shot wide when Ihiekwe won a towering header, before midway through the first half Adam Idah brought down Robertson.

Krul has a reputation for saving penalties, having been brought off the bench 120 minutes into a World Cup quarter-final six years ago precisely for that purpose by Holland's Louis van Gaal six years ago.

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So it needed a better spot kick than Ladapo produced, one he did not have to stretch his left hand too far out to in order to keep it out.

Not that Rotherham were deterred. Ben Wiles hit a shot blocked by Ben Gibson's back and when Wes Harding took a clever touch to take him past Emi Buendia and measure a cross from the byline, Miller ought to have doubled the lead. He would scuff a shot in the second half after Robertson's excellent ball down the line allowed Crooks to pick the winger out.

The Canaries were giving as good as they got, even with Teemu Pukki still on the bench and Todd Cantwell not even on the bench having perhaps had his head turned by interest from Leeds United.

Blackman was into the action after 25 seconds, albeit Xavi Quintilla's effort was straight at him.

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He was worked much harder by Marco Stiepermann, from an excellent Lukas Rupp pass, and Idah piledriver, and was up to both. In between time he was quick off his line to deny Idah, and Shaun MacDonald put his head in the way of a fierce follow-up shot. There would be more heroic blocks from him in the second half.

Former Middlesbrough Ben Gibson was in a similar mood, throwing himself in the way of Ladapo's high boot as the centre-forward tried to poke a high ball into the net yards out after 50 minutes. Hugill got in the way of another Miller effort.

Ihiekwe's own goal was unfortunate. Facing the net, it was difficult for him to do much else with the cross Max Aarons whipped in from the byline.

Two minutes later, Angus MacDonald compounded it, diving in two-footed on Oliver Skipp, prompting a bench-clearance, a melee and a deserved red card.

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Even so, Rotherham continued to make good chances, Robertson pulling a good opportunity wide after substitute Michael Smith picked him out. Matt Crooks shot at Krul after a deep Barlaser free-kick was headed back.

Pukki had come off the bench to take advantage of the extra man, and Blackman had done well to jump to his feet and deny the striker having stretched left to keep out Hugill.

But Jozefzoon's tackle dictated that it would be hard-luck story after all.

Rotherham United: Blackman; Harding, Ihiekwe, A MacDonald (Wood 73), Robertson; S MacDonald, Barlaser; Wiles, Crooks, Miller (Jozefzoon 67); Ladapo (Smith 77).

Unused substitutes: Johansson, Hirst, Lindsay, Sadlier.

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Norwich City: Krul; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Quintilla; Skipp (Vrancic 80), Rupp; Buendia (McLean 90+6), Stiepermann (Pukki 80), Idah; Hugill.

Unused substitutes: Placheta, Martin, Tettey, McGovern.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham).

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