League leaders Rotherham showed a ruthless edge in today’s South Yorkshire clash whilst overcoming dire weather conditions at Hillsborough.
Sheffield Wednesday started as the stronger team, being able to manufacture a flurry of chances on a desperately muddy and slippery playing surface.
Rotherham keeper Josh Vickers was forced to make a series of routine saves in the opening half an hour, as Wednesday piled on the pressure. In the 33rd minute, Hillsborough momentarily erupted when Jack Hunt blasted the ball into the net following a Marvin Johnson through ball, but it was ruled out for an offside.
A curling attempt on goal from Wednesday club captain Barry Bannan represented the best clear-cut opportunity of the first half, as the ball edged narrowly wide of Vickers’ right-hand post.
Playing without fear, journeyman winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s movement and directness caused chaos for the Rotherham backline. However, Wednesday failed to make their dominance count with the sides going into the break on equal terms.
The stakes were high for the home side as the crowd roared their team back into life for the second half, with a win for the hosts boosting their play-off aspirations.
After 60 minutes, a first attempt on target resulted in a goal for the visitors after Ben Wiles powerfully headed a corner across goal allowing Freddie Ladapo to nudge the ball into the back of the net with his thigh.
With the Millers in control of the score line, Wednesday players continued to lay siege on a resilient Rotherham defence. A Barry Bannan freekick was saved smartly by Rotherham’s man of the match, Josh Vickers, in the 62nd minute.
The game soon boiled into frustration for the hosts as Wednesday’s George Byers and Sam Hutchinson were both booked within the space of seven minutes. The remainder of the second half degenerated into a series of fouls which favoured Rotherham’s game plan, as they looked to hold onto a surprise victory.
In the 84th minute, Rotherham’s Michael Smith curled an expertly taken strike into the top right-hand corner of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s net, as the Millers claimed all three points and silenced the home crowd.
Despite being second-best throughout the game, Rotherham gave a thoroughly resilient and clinical performance in grim conditions at Hillsborough, proving their credentials as worthy contenders for the League One title.
Sheffield Wednesday (3-5-2): Peacock-Farrell; Storey, Hutchinson, Palmer; Hunt (Sow 77’), Byers, Luongo, Bannan, Johnson; Paterson, Mendez-Laing (Kamberi 83’). Unused subs: Wildsmith, Brown, Waldock, Brennan, Berahino.
Rotherham United (3-1-4-2): Vickers; Ihiekwe, Wood, Harding; Barlaser; Ogbene, Lindsay (Rathbone 45’), Wiles, Ferguson (Osei-Tutu 79’); Smith, Ladapo (Mattock ’87). Unused subs: Johansson, Ogunfaolu-Kayode, Odoffin, MacDonald.
Bookings: Sheffield Wednesday: Byers 65’, Hutchinson 72’.
Man of the Match: Josh Vickers
Attendance: 26,418
Referee: Darren Drysdale
