Rotherham 1 Millwall 0 – Lions not slick enough as they suffer second Championship defeat
BY JAKE SANDERS
Millwall slipped to their second consecutive Championship defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by Rotherham at a rainy New York Stadium.
Sean Raggett scored the only goal of the game as Neil Harris’ side dropped below the newly-promoted side in the table and after just one win in their last four league games.
The Lions had chances in an improved second-half performance but couldn’t find a leveller and for the second time this week, left Yorkshire with nothing.
Rotherham took the lead midway through the first half. Millwall switched off and allowed a two-on-one situation from a Millers throw in, allowing Raggett to head home Will Vaulks’ inch-perfect cross from the right.
Moments later the home side could have doubled their lead, but Ryan William couldn’t keep his powerful shot down from the edge of the box.
The visitors were extremely poor in the first 45 minutes and had to wait until the 35th minute for their first attempt on goal Jake Cooper played a long ball up to Tom Elliott, who nodded down for Jed Wallace, but he could only skew his effort wide.
Wallace tried again minutes later, but his free-kick lacked power and Marek Rodak easily claimed.
It was the Millers that would come closest to grabbing the second goal of the game, as Semi Ajayi grazed the sidenetting after Millwall failed to clear their lines.
Harris, not a happy figure during the first-half, clearly had some angry words to say to his side at half-time and the difference was clear to see at the start of the second. Wallace had a shot blocked before Shaun Williams came close to catching out Rodak from a free-kick as Millwall began to take control.
The Lions continued to dominate and came even closer to restoring parity, but Jake Cooper could only head straight at Rodak from a Williams corner.
Despite their superiority, it was Rotherham that should have put the game to bed. Kyle Vassell and Michael Smith combined well, but the latter couldn’t convert when one-on-one and was denied by a fine stop from Jordan Archer.
Record signing Tom Bradshaw was introduced just past the hour mark in a double change – that also saw Jiri Skalak brought on as Millwall tried to salvage something from the game.
The away side kept pressing and thought they’d found their breakthrough, but Elliott failed to beat Rodak from close-range after fine work from Wallace in the build-up.
Millwall came ever closer on 84 minutes, but the excellent Wallace fired just wide from distance, with Rodak beaten.
Steve Morison came on as the Lions threw everything at their opponents but couldn’t break down a stubborn Rotherham defence and were defeated for just the fifth time in the league in 2018.
IMAGES BY SEAN GOSLING
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